How Aakanksha Bhargava Shifts Perspective In Male-Dominated Relocation Industry

When Aakanksha Bhargava joined the relocation industry in 2007, she faced a lot of resentment from industry colleagues, clients and editors she came in touch with. "How can a woman negotiate with vendors, and clients and get on the field and do it all?" they asked. For Bhargava to get assignments done in a set-up that largely supported working conditions ideal for men, it was a huge challenge but not an impossible one. She learned the ropes of the business from her father, took inspiration from her mother, and applied the skill set she studied at business school and eventually turned around not just the industry but also the fate of the company she is proudly the CEO of today.

Bhargava, who also runs her travel blog, dons many hats, her most significant one being that of a mother. She says her biggest source of motivation comes from her daughter who encourages her to outperform and work on several things at any given point in time. From handling container shortages owing to closed borders during the lockdown to redefining norms that supported not just her employees but also her company PMR Relocations' capacity to carry on during the difficult business phases, Bhargava learned most things on the job.

In an interview with SheThePeople, Aakanksha Bhargava discusses her entry into a male-dominated industry, how taking forward a legacy is additionally challenging, why motherhood is her biggest strength, and what makes her an effective leader.

Aakanksha Bhargava Interview

When did you decide you wanted to be a part of this industry?

After completing my MBA, I would say that the trigger to be a part of this industry was my father Mr Rajeev Bhargava. I was always fascinated with the fact about he put in his 200 percent in doing what he was doing and ensuring that his clients have a safe and hassle-free transition to their new homes. Apart from this, there was a huge gap when it came to availing quality relocation services. Hence, I took up this mission to be a global relocation service provider helping people move ‘Around the World, Across the Street’ seamlessly.

Taking over a legacy can be heavy. While it’s rewarding, the pressure to do better can be challenging. What were the challenges you navigated when you spearheaded the firm?

The biggest challenge and the reason that it excites me every day lies in the fact that the organised relocation segment in India only accounts for roughly five percent of the entire unorganised sector. Still, a large majority of people associate moving with non-professionals walking into their house with unhygienic and tacky looks with no sense of responsibility. They feel scared and troubled by anxiety concerning the moving experience. Over the years we have been instrumental in changing the narrative and helping people move seamlessly.

"The second biggest challenge has been dealing with manpower in an industry that had male dominance written all over it. Initially, the perception was that it was considered a man’s job to deal with suppliers, labourers, packers, and premium clients however, as we grew with me leading from the front, we were able to source the right kind of people to see rewarding growth."

Ours was a business that demanded a lot of working capital, whereas we operate on credit, hence, balancing the same was a great challenge during our initial years.

What sets your company apart from its competitors?

Our differentiation is that we are not just a mover but a complete solution provider for anybody who wants to relocate to any part of the world, handling all requirements. We have one of the largest infrastructure networks in the country when it comes to professional service offerings. Our USP would be our trained team, our crew, our own set up’s pan India, and trusted clients who have been with us for over two decades. We are known for our passion, quality, and value-centred approach which we demonstrate in each of our moves.

You started working at 21. From when you started to now, what factors have impacted your growth the most?

There were a lot of factors that impacted my growth. However, I would sum it down to these:

Patience – The key to life and success is patience and one definitely should have the same.
Hiring & Building People – Another crucial factor and what best than to know them and then work simultaneously.
People’s Perception - The way people perceived the industry, a woman entrepreneur, and the nature of the work we do.
Clients & People – There was I time when I used to visit all of our clients, this helped me in understanding how the connection works and what is it that they desire when it comes to moving.
Journey of Giving Back – The motivation to impact the lives of people who are associated with us has driven my individual growth aggressively.

You’re one of the very few female business leaders in this industry. What were the primary challenges you faced in finding your way up to becoming a leader in this industry?

It has always been a challenge to be a women entrepreneur; with me, age was also a constraint since I was a young girl in a male-dominated industry that has only male denominations in leadership or senior role. I am proud of the fact that when I started my journey, I was the only woman leader who was spearheading a move management company at such a large scale, which is otherwise considered a labour-intensive industry and “not the right place for women”.

While I grew up I saw my family putting in a lot of hard work, it was only when I joined this business that I could see this business from a different lens. I was shown a mirror by people who were curious to know how I would build the business, how I would deal with purchase managers and admins, how I would deal with the packers and labourers, and how I would grow this company. Growth and sustenance had been a challenge. One of the biggest challenges we faced as a company was that we were stagnant for the majority of our initial years, and not many from the industry wanted to join us. Over this period, I had to lead by example at all levels right from selling to building the brand, to keep upgrading the processes and systems with increasing work and manpower, setting up a professional culture, and most importantly all of this had to be done in a limited budget as we were bootstrapped. Also, ours is not a very active service business rather its based-on needs, hence, having a strong brand recall value was very crucial for our success.

As someone who single-handedly set up multiple offices with remarkable revenue growth, what were your biggest takeaways from the growth?

Over the course of sixteen enriching years, I have seen the industry flourish exponentially. Also, from the time we started the demand for professional moving services has grown aggressively and so has the awareness and need concerning professional packers and movers.

Also, the key takeaways from our growth journey are 1. Hire and Invest in your team as they are the ones who would help the company make and achieve milestones. 2. Always have the right intent to pursue your dream. 3. Whatever happens, take accountability 4. It’s crucial to be crazy about your passion.

How do you plan to revolutionise this part of the Indian market with PMR?

There were several challenges and pain points in the Indian market starting from the unorganised nature of the business to the lack of professionalism with little to no entry barriers. We aim to change the way how professional relocation services are looked at in the country. As a part of our initiative, we have been working with our suppliers to empower and educate them as per global industry working and stands. We hope that in the coming next five years, we can educate and empower our suppliers in a way where we make up a larger chunk of the organised relocation market segment.

Who are the people who inspire you most?

Apart from my father, my mother has been one of my biggest inspirations for turning into a woman entrepreneur. As I grew up, I saw my mother seamlessly multitask and handle the responsibilities at home, nurturing me, and work. I remember, she used to be at work throughout the day and used to come to pick me up from school in her scooter, take me home, feed me lunch and then take me to hobby classes. It’s her strength and grit which transitioned into the foundation of my learning and inspiration.

How has your experience of motherhood shaped your life personally and professionally?

In an industry like ours which is functional 24*7 across time zones, work-life balance is very important and much needed. One thing which I have experienced over time is that when you handle a business as an entrepreneur you can never switch off from work but rather learn to manage it smoothly.

When my daughter, Samaira, was born, I never wanted to choose between living my passion as an entrepreneur or being a hands-on mother. My business has always been an equal part of my life as Samira so much so that I can say that it's my first baby. After Samaira, I have always been motivated and inspired to set forth and achieve bigger milestones. For me, entrepreneurship, running the company, coming to the office, and raising my child is pretty much the same. It needs absolute commitment and determination. It needs goal setting, perspective, time management, and going with the flow. It is a huge level of satisfaction when I see both my babies growing beautifully.

Apart from societal biases, what do you think is a major hindrance when it comes to more women being at the forefront of leadership?

Apart from societal biases, one of the major hindrances when it comes to women being at the forefront is that there's a dearth of women supporting women. As a mentor in this initiative, I would suggest more women come out and support each other. It is important to find the right kind of mentor with ample opportunities for career advancement. Without the right scope of growth and empowerment, more women will always find it challenging to pursue their dream of being in leadership positions.

For the Indian market to address the gender stereotypes they need to have conversations and workshops to address the &t=12s">hiring needs. There needs to be a clear outline basis which hiring needs to be done, and what should be questions which should be asked. What is the company looking out for? What is the company’s culture and, most importantly, what is the person’s skill set, the kind of performance they have had in the past, and the kind of intent with which they are applying for the job? If we start aligning the right skill set to the job description only then we will be able to address the issue and see the changes concerning gender bias.

What advice would you give to aspiring women entrepreneurs?

This is something I truly believed in when I started my journey, 'It’s just about the strength of one’s mind and having the faith in the intent of their heart, for an individual to take the plunge and see miracles manifest into reality'.  Also, one should never look at competing with others but themselves as the desire to achieve will eventually bring out the best in them.

"There can be days at a stretch where you might end up questioning your path, however, with the right purpose and intent, it is only a matter of time before you would be able to see the fruits of your labour."

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