Mira Kulkarni: Inspiring Tale Of A Single Mother Building Rs 10,000 Cr Business Empire

Strength, perseverance and determination are the keys to a successful life. But for women? These come along with breaking glass ceilings. One such woman is Mira Kulkarni, the founder and managing director of Forest Essentials and one of the richest entrepreneurs in India. These titles didn't come to her served on a plate. It required breaking barriers that made society believe in the capabilities of women. Let's dig in to know her story. 

Kulkarni was married at the age of 19-20 to a business family. Her husband was a businessman and she had two kids. However, her marriage failed when her husband's business saw a downfall and he indulged in alcoholism. Kulkarni went back to her parent's home with her kids. However, her adversity didn't end. Her parents passed away when she was 28. At that time she had to work to feed her family. Some reports also suggest that her husband too passed away. 

When Kulkarni's life took a big turn

She rented a part of her home to fend for her family. After getting her daughter married, Kulkarni delved into her unknown passion which had a great future. Her life was steeped in Ayurveda when it was merely considered medicinal. However, Kulkarni turned Ayurveda into pleasurable and effective products with cosmetic values. She started by making candles and soaps. 

With an investment of just two lakhs, Kulkarni started her enterprise- Forest Essentials-with two employees from a garage. Today, her empire is worth 10,000 crores. Forest Essentials is India's first domestic luxury skincare brand. It has more than 160 stores across India and abroad. It also has branches in famous hotel franchises like Taj, Hyatt and Oberoi among others. But this success involved a labour which Kulkarni describes as 'labour of love' 

The labour of love

When she started in the 2000s, it was difficult for her to source ingredients. The market lacked high-quality ingredients and she faced scepticism from suppliers. Despite these challenges, she was confident about the quality of her products because she knew that "If I would buy it, I think there would be people who would do the same." 

Kulkarni's journey was boosted when she encountered people who went out of their way to help her. Finding ingredients was a time-consuming and labour-intensive process but Kulkarni credits the success of empire to her suppliers and employees. All these supports and her determination helped her overcome the initial challenges and scepticism she faced as a woman. 

According to The Financial Express, Kulkarni is one of India's richest women with a net worth of 1,290 crores. She earned and preserved the title of Most Powerful Woman in Business for India by Fortune magazine for many years. Mira Kulkarni was also named under the list of Kotak Wealth Hurun – Leading Wealthy Women 2020.

Mira Kulkarni is indeed an inspiration to women across the sections. She is the epitome of the belief that nothing can stop women from pursuing their passion, not singlehood, not gender-gap and neither age.