Success in life is not an accident. It is a choice. It requires persistence, hard work, and willpower. Women generally struggle to balance work and family responsibilities. However, there are many women like Mridula Jain who have overcome the challenges of patriarchy and narrow social ideas to build their successful careers. Mridula Jain is the founder and Vice-chairperson of the brand Shingora.
Change In Life
Brought up in a traditional family, Mridula was advised to get married instead of pursuing higher education. She obeyed her family’s demands and married a businessman from Ludhiana. But soon after marriage, Mridula told her husband she wanted to pursue further education. Her husband encouraged her to continue her studies.
Balancing Responsibilities
Mridula obtained a master’s degree in English literature. She gave birth to two sons while continuing her education. After graduation, she worked as a school teacher. But Mridula found it challenging to balance her responsibilities at home and work. At that point, she decided to quit her job and started home tutoring, which enabled her to continue working while taking care of her children.
Choosing a New Path
Mridula continued her home tuition for ten years. Her interest in fashion went hand in hand with her love of colours. She claimed she was inspired to start weaving shawls from a casual conversation with her nephew who sold yarn (cloth) to the weavers. She felt it would be beneficial because of her interests and her desire to work from home.
Establishing Her Ideas Through The Brand Shingora
Mridula observed there were only two or three different design patterns for shawls. She intended to provide innovative designs to market more stylish shawls. Her husband also assisted her by purchasing eight handlooms from a friend so she could begin weaving her shawls. With hand painting, phulkari, and mirror work, she produced unique patterns that received an immediate response.
Incorporating beautiful weaving patterns, she completely transformed the traditional Kullu shawl. She was instrumental in establishing the Wool Association and Shawl Club in Ludhiana.
Researching At International Fairs
Her next target was the Council for Promotion of Woolen Exports. She was sent to Europe to research the shawl market there. Shingora and the entire shawl industry began participating in International trade shows in Europe, which provided exciting opportunities for both parties. She wanted to produce large quantities of material that only power looms could do. The Indian judiciary’s regulation on the use of power looms in the textile industry created a crisis. With the help of the Wool Association and the Shawl Club, after five to six years of negotiations with the government, Mridula changed the law that allowed power looms to be imported and used. Following that, her business and woollen industry began to flourish.
Advancing in Technologies
Amit Jain joined his mother’s firm in 1996 and embraced the latest technologies. Everyone in the business community, including government experts, thought Amit’s ideas were absurd. But Mridula decided to trust her son and supported his ventures which, made the brand to such heights
Honours
She has received many honours, including the 1993 Mahila Udyog Ratna, 1994 Women Entrepreneur of the Year, and 1995 State Award for Best Entrepreneur. She became an international role model for all female entrepreneurs after receiving numerous awards, including the Mahila Navrattan Award from the International Friendship Society of India in 1998, the Wool Mark Company’s Award in 2003, the Award of Honour on International Women’s Day in 2008 from the Social Security & Child Development Department of Punjab, the Z TV Uddami Sanmaan Award in 2013, the Best Woman Entrepreneur Exporter Award from the ECGC-Dun & Bradstreet Exporters’ Excellence Award in 2015.
Shingora, which had a modest beginning in 1976, is now one of the best-known and most reputable brands. It uses the best raw materials to produce high-quality products. Mridula‘s hardships,efforts,and ability to recognise opportunities account for the brand’s success. Shingora has expanded to 6 Exclusive Brand Outlets and more than 60 Multi-Brand Outlets across the country.