UPES fuelled my entrepreneurial spirit

My new venture, Buzzing Eco Foods, is an FMCG company that makes non-vegetarian snacks to fill the gap in the snacking market. It has received recognition from the Uttarakhand Government and has also been listed under the Start-up India Program

My mother saw my lively handprints on walls as art, not stains. She creatively transformed them into beautiful designs, bordering my room ceilings. Her perspective became the reason for my interest in arts. Feeding my curiosity, I read extensively about different art forms and as I explored this field, I came across the Brand Equity newspaper. It introduced me to a whole new world of brand advertising, tying the loose-ends of my creative imagination.

To further develop my skills and choose the right course of action for my career, I decided to pursue BBA in Digital Marketing at UPES. Being one of the best universities to offer this course, it aligned perfectly with my interests.

This specialisation broadened my horizons by inculcating industry-specific skills which I was able to implement practically during my internships at James Walter Thompson, one of the leading advertising agencies in the world. I got the opportunity to work for big brands such as Apple, HCL, and others. It gave me an in-depth understanding of the fundamentals of marketing.

I excelled at my coursework and got a scholarship. I was also rewarded by the Governor of Uttarakhand, Smt. Baby Rani Maurya with a medal for holding the first position at UPES School of Business.

Simultaneously, I did a diploma in Fine Arts from the Delhi College of Arts. I held several exhibitions throughout the country, including Lalit Kala Academy, Delhi Art Gallery, night markets in Dehradun and Chandigarh. Soon I was a part of a tight-knit community of art enthusiasts and marketed several paintings. Having received a great response, I decided to put my marketing skills to advertise my work and reach a wide audience through it.

With the help of UPES faculty, Saurabh Shanu, and Ajit Nigam at the UCIE, I came up with the idea of developing a website called The Portray. This platform aimed to enable Indian artists to showcase the richness of Indian culture in all art mediums, not only in India, but also internationally.  The proceeds that we received from the sale of these paintings were donated to underprivileged children throughout the city to enable them to have a bright future. We were later appreciated for our philanthropic efforts and contributions in the arts and handicrafts industry of India, by the then Chief Minister of Uttarakhand Shri. Harish Rawat.

The skills I learnt at UPES made me stand out at the workplace while working for clients such as the FMCG giant, Epigamia, and luxury hotel chain, Accor. My team and I created and implemented the #DigSwirlSpread Campaign in collaboration with movie actor Deepika Padukone, which later went viral on all social media channels and got a great response. I also received several accolades at work, including the Mad Over Marketing Award for the Best Copywriter for one of my clients, Plush.

From there on, after all these achievements, my ambitions were only fuelled. For a long time, I wanted to develop something that had never been done before. Therefore, I started my new venture under the name Buzzing Eco Foods Pvt Ltd. It is an FMCG company that makes non-vegetarian snacks to fill the gap in the snacking market for meat products. These chicken chips are healthy, ready to eat, on-the-go-snack that do not require you to do any cooking. Our rising base of customers in Delhi and Dehradun loved the products and demand saw a steep rise. It is currently a bootstrapped start-up that is one-of-a-kind in the market, holding the first-mover advantage. The start-up has received recognition from the Uttarakhand Government and has also been listed under the Start-up India Program. 

To be a successful entrepreneur, you need initiative, sound commercial sense, creativity, motivation and drive and leadership. I acquired all these qualities at UPES. My achievements and exposure made my journey at UPES a mesmerizing experience while fostering countless everlasting connections and at the same time an excellent opportunity to shape my career.

(The writer is an alumna from UPES School of Business)