Manali Shenoy is the founder and owner of Indian Concepts, which makes work-friendly kurtis, or tunics, for women. She launched her Goa, India, venture after several unsuccessful searches for the more sleek, muted options she wanted to wear to the office. “I was, thus, left with no choice but to wear tight-fitting western wear that restricted free movement of the body during work,” Shenoy recalled to us in her 1,000+ Stories profile.
Five years on, her venture has found customers far beyond India. “We are also seeing extensive repeat purchases and extremely low returns by customers,” she said when we caught up with her recently. The company has also been recognized by the local press and, this year, was a finalist for the Inspiring Woman Entrepreneur Award at The Orange Flower Awards in Mumbai.
Looking ahead, Shenoy aims to one day open brick-and-mortar locations, while maintaining her online store for local and international clients. She also hopes to grow her product line, though the company will “stick to women’s work wear,” she says.
Shenoy finds that “entrepreneurship provides a certain freedom that cannot be matched by a corporate job.” The flexibility she now has in her schedule allows her to spend as much time as she likes with her kids, she says, and to take morning and evening jogs and even join a Zumba fitness class. “While I was in the corporate [world], I would look forward for weekend breaks. Now, all 7 days of the week are equally interesting!”