Main character energy

Starting a business, breaking from tradition, building a fan base. See how three entrepreneurs figured it out on their own as they forged ahead

Going with the flow
Avisha Jhunjhunwala Brauner. 32. Founder Nushu.

Nushu is the menstrual brand urban Indian women didn't know they needed. It sells period underwear - not ugly granny knickers, but pretty briefs with built-in padding that women can wear all day, wash and reuse for up to two years.

The brand is just over one month old. But for founder Avisha Jhunjhunwala Brauner, 32, it's been a long journey already. Jhunjhunwala Brauner first tried them on the recommendation of a friend in 2021. They didn't leak, didn't stain, didn't cause a rash. "When I had to wear a tampon the next day, I knew there was no going back," she says. She had a degree in fashion marketing. Her mother and maternal grandmother invested in Nushu.

But Indian buyers are harder to convince. Pads and tampons are bought on the sly. So, Jhunjhunwala Brauner's brand sells online, playing up stylishness as much as functionality.

Having entrepreneurs in the family is a mixed bag, she says. Families might pitch in with money, but they're also likely to pull the plug instead of sticking it out longer. "For me, there are preconceived notions of success and the way of doing things. But there's no right or wrong," she says. By Karishma Kuenzang

Breaking away in style
Pranay Baidya, fashion designer, 37.

Pranay Baidya's grandfather was a lawyer, and both his parents worked in finance. All through his childhood in Kolkata, it was pretty much expected he'd study either law or finance. But it was his maternal grandmother, Bani Majumdar's saris that interested Baidya more.

"She had a room full of Godrej almaris, with saris from every corner of the country. That was my fashion education colours, patterns, motifs, textiles - without me realising it." he says.