On Women’s Day, meet three remarkable sheroes who have built their empires against all odds

Even though we dedicate just one day in the year to women, the fact is that they have to fight every single day for the right to succeed in a world that constantly invisibilized them and pushes them back. On International Women’s Day, meet three powerful, self-made women who have not let anything stop them from achieving the triumphs that they deserve.

Masaba Gupta
Designer, actor, and fitness icon Masaba Gupta did not get the happiness and success she enjoys today, on a platter. As the daughter of Neena Gupta, a single mother, she saw right from childhood how much grit, self-belief, and hard work it takes for an unconventional woman to survive in society. She was just a baby when Neena Gupta took her to the sets of the historical series ‘The Sword of Tipu Sultan’ where a sudden fire erupted and claimed many lives. The mother and daughter were fortunate to make it out alive. As a child, Masaba faced colorism and was often bullied in school. At 19, however, life took a turn, when inspired by her mentor, the late  Wendell Rodricks, she joined the world of fashion and never looked back. Her brand, ‘House of Masaba’ has created a unique space for itself and celebrates free-spirited unconventionality. Like her, her design is both modern and yet rooted. Today as they play the lead roles in the Netflix series  ‘Masaba Masaba’, life has come full circle for both mother and daughter.

Chinu Kala
Chinu’s story reads like a film script. She left home with a few hundred rupees after a family argument and decided to make it on her own. At different points in time, she worked as a door-to-door salesperson, waitress, tele marketeer and took on many different jobs to eke out a living. She soon started getting drawn to fashion, design, and the idea of a business where she could be her own boss and ended up creating Rubans Accessories, the fastest-growing jewelry brand in the country which offers more than  2000 artisanal designs to over a million customers! The most incredible aspect of this story is that Chinu started her journey from a kiosk in 2014 and has now become a leader without equality in the virtual market space. Chinu is a living example of the miracles women can craft with their own hands if they are fearless and determined to succeed