Hailing from the affluent and renowned Goenka family, Bina Goenka could have taken the easier way out when she started her business by simply taking the help of family to set up operations, but she was confident and determined to carve a niche on her own.
She went to a bank for loans to set up her jewellery business and since then has slogged it out every single day, barely sleeping for six hours and a job that required her to constantly travel to become one of the most watched entrepreneurs.
Ask her if she misses out on quality family time, and Bina shoots, “We come from a business house and we understand that we have to be busy every single day including weekends to devote time to take the business forward. Businesses have a lot at stake and six hours of sleep is all that every family member can afford to take. My husband (Pramod) travels a lot too.”
She adds, “If Pramod is talking to someone at 5.30 am, it is ok. If we just manage to go out for a quiet dinner once a week, that’s enough because we all understand that everyone is engaged in doing what they believe in doing. My children always felt happy seeing me happy doing my things. My daughter (Avanti) is doing fantastically well. She is among the top five students in Europe. She is proud of the work I do and that I’m not sitting at home.”
Bina’s latest jewellery line in Mumbai pays tribute to Gaia — the classical Greek goddess symbolizing Mother Nature, furthers, “My son (Yash) is 22 and runs a company. They have never taken for granted that they are children of rich parents and that they can take life easy. Seeing us so aggressively work for our passion, they have gotten inspired to push themselves. Except for a bandh, I don’t think the entire family has stayed together the full day.” Bina’s family is completed by her pet dog named Kuro. The businesswoman also loves to travel. “I’m a clothes person and I travel to Paris, Milan, New York, LA, London, etc,” she ends.
