Self-made women have inspiring success stories as they conquer adversities,obstacles , and failures to ultimately achieve extraordinary success.
We are talking about the inspiring life story of Mira Kulkarni, founder and CMD of Forest Essentials, one of the famous natural cosmetics brands in India specialising in Ayurveda. She intialled faced setbacks to finally achieve success and become one of the richest women in India.
Mira got married at the age of 20. After her marriage, her husband's business failed, and alcoholism followed. Mira then separated from her husband along with her two kids, and shifted to her parent's home. However, she was forced to struggle alone after she lost both her parents at 28. The single mother then rented out a part of her house to fend for her family.
She persisted without quitting and after marrying her daughter, Mira at 45 started making candles and then hand-made soaps.
Later, in 2000, she established Forest Essentials, India's first domestic luxury skincare, derived from Ayurveda concepts. She launched her business with just Rs 2 lakh investment and 2 employees from a garage. She sourced local ingredients from the Tehri Garhwal area.
Presently, her brand has diversified and expanded to over 110 stores across India in over 28 cities, and a few globally. She has a clientele from over 300 hotels, including prestigious chains like Taj and Hyatt, and nearly 150 spas. The company earned a revenue of Rs 253 crore in FY20 and Rs 210 crore in FY21.
Mira has been felicitated with prestigious awards, including the title of Most Powerful Woman in Business for India by Fortune magazine for many years. She was also named in the list of Kotak Wealth Hurun – Leading Wealthy Women 2020 as one of India's richest women with a staggering net worth of Rs 1,290 crore.
