Name: Sonali Bulchandani
Age: 38
City: Chennai, India
Occupation: Fashion Retailer
ST: Please tell us briefly about you.
Sonali: I am the Founder and CEO
of Toniq Retail Brands, one of India’s largest fashion accessories players. We
currently run 200 sis formats pan India across our 5 brands. I am also a first
time mom to a 20 month old and currently balancing (or trying to ) both roles.
of Toniq Retail Brands, one of India’s largest fashion accessories players. We
currently run 200 sis formats pan India across our 5 brands. I am also a first
time mom to a 20 month old and currently balancing (or trying to ) both roles.
ST: Who is a woman that inspires you the most and why?
Sonali: The
women who surround me have all been tremendously inspirational women. My dadi
was the first woman who graduated in French from Bombay University. My Nani,
was a young window but decided she needed to learn English to help her survive
and got a tutor to teach her the language. She not only mastered the language
in 6 months , but would go on to run the largest greeting cards company in the
south. My mom has worked from the age of 19 and run her own business for 30
successfully before giving it up to start an Ngo which in 2018 alone has won 4
national awards for governance and best practices. To say I am surrounded by
incredibly strong role models would not begin to give justice to what they mean
to me. I never had to look too far for strong women role models when they were
always all around me.
women who surround me have all been tremendously inspirational women. My dadi
was the first woman who graduated in French from Bombay University. My Nani,
was a young window but decided she needed to learn English to help her survive
and got a tutor to teach her the language. She not only mastered the language
in 6 months , but would go on to run the largest greeting cards company in the
south. My mom has worked from the age of 19 and run her own business for 30
successfully before giving it up to start an Ngo which in 2018 alone has won 4
national awards for governance and best practices. To say I am surrounded by
incredibly strong role models would not begin to give justice to what they mean
to me. I never had to look too far for strong women role models when they were
always all around me.
ST: How are you celebrating this year’s International Women’s Day?
Sonali: Every
year we take our team out on our annual day out. We are a largely women centric
team with over 90% of our management team women so it’s definitely going to be
a fun day out that’s planned.
year we take our team out on our annual day out. We are a largely women centric
team with over 90% of our management team women so it’s definitely going to be
a fun day out that’s planned.
ST: What is the most important message you want to send out to all the
women around the world on this occasion?
women around the world on this occasion?
Sonali: There
is nothing stopping us besides ourselves. We have to believe in our dreams and
ideas and surround ourselves with a tribe that’s going to support us to get
there. Passion and self-belief can go a really long way.
is nothing stopping us besides ourselves. We have to believe in our dreams and
ideas and surround ourselves with a tribe that’s going to support us to get
there. Passion and self-belief can go a really long way.
ST: What according to you is ‘women empowerment’?
Sonali: The
ability to choose and this can only happen when women are financially
independent. When we take decisions that are motivated out of our choices and
our dreams not our fears, that to me is real empowerment
ability to choose and this can only happen when women are financially
independent. When we take decisions that are motivated out of our choices and
our dreams not our fears, that to me is real empowerment
ST: What would you say are the main challenges facing women at present
in India?
in India?
Sonali: I
say this often, for being 50% of the population; we just don’t have enough
women in managerial positions. . We don’t have enough advocacies happening to
allow female entrepreneur access to funds and capital. We need far more
inclusions and hiring decisions they are more gender neutral. I also believe we
need far more men part of this dialogue.
say this often, for being 50% of the population; we just don’t have enough
women in managerial positions. . We don’t have enough advocacies happening to
allow female entrepreneur access to funds and capital. We need far more
inclusions and hiring decisions they are more gender neutral. I also believe we
need far more men part of this dialogue.
ST: Where do you want to see yourself in next 5 years?
Sonali: 5
years seems like a really long time as every day continues to throw up some
interesting challenges both at work and the home front. On the personal front,
I hope I get down to old passions like theatre and writing and spending more
time pursuing them.
years seems like a really long time as every day continues to throw up some
interesting challenges both at work and the home front. On the personal front,
I hope I get down to old passions like theatre and writing and spending more
time pursuing them.
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| Sonali Bulchandani |
