The Colours Of Change

There was a time, early on in the SUGAR Cosmetics journey, when it needed capital and it was very hard for Vineeta Singh and her co-founder, Kaushik Mukherjee, to raise funding. This was up to the 2018-19 period when direct-to-consumer (D2C) became better known in the industry and attracted investor attention. “In 2012-13, I was hearing different investors say they don’t invest in solo women founders, and the reason cited was that the investor had previously invested in a woman-founded company, and the founder had then let the business fall apart after beginning her family,” Singh recalls.

Today, things have changed. Women are now taking their companies public, creating businesses worth billions of dollars in valuation. Government initiatives have empowered women as well in all aspects whether socio, economic or other metrics.

Despite this, a larger ground yet remains uncovered and more needs to be done. “Hopefully, we will be able to achieve that, one step at a time,” says the young entrepreneur.

Tech For Equality

Singh believes that technology is one ammunition which when used to its maximum potential, can prove to be a powerful tool in driving gender parity in a country like India, where this is a major concern. Digital services empower women to be technologically independent which impacts their personal and professional lives. Access to the internet and digital services can offer additional employment opportunities, income and knowledge as well.

“For women entrepreneurs, be it fashion, media or personal care, technology can help make business more efficient by being able to organise sales, inventory and content systematically. Digital payments are another element that can help increase efficiency, which ultimately aids in making better business decisions. Technology can also enable credit access, something that remains a priority if you are an entrepreneur. Lastly, it is one tool that can improve reach and elevate customer experience,” elaborates Singh.

Of the Women, By ‘A’ Woman

By her admission, Singh’s motto has always been, ‘of the women, for the women, by ‘a’ woman’. She is “extremely proud” of the fact that over 70 per cent of SUGAR’s workforce cocomprisesomen. “I’ve always believed that the most underutilised asset that can significantly excel our country’s economy is women. And today, as I see women around me move forward, it only adds to this belief. The power of women is finally being unlocked,” she says.

Her advice to all – from regulators to decision-makers – is to hire employees on the basis of their merit. After all, work speaks for itself. “The qualities of a person and what they contribute to the team matter far more than their gender,” says Singh.