How Nina Lekhi Established Baggit as a Global Bag Brand

The entrepreneurial journey of Nina Lekhi, Founder of Baggit, was nothing short of extraordinary. As a young woman, she faced setbacks in her academic pursuits, finding herself forced to take a year off from college. However, Nina was not one to be deterred by challenges. Determined to prove her worth, she embarked on a journey fueled by resilience and ambition. As she continues to shape the future of entrepreneurship, Nina’s journey serves as a beacon of hope for generations to come.

What do you think helped you the most to become a successful entrepreneur?

I am an accidental entrepreneur who took refuge in making and selling handbags when I failed in my first year of college and was forced to sit out a year. I had a burning desire to prove to myself and others around me that I am not a failure and I can accomplish things in life. The rest is history."

Could you share some key milestones or turning points in your journey as a woman leader?

I started selling my bags in exhibitions and got noticed. There were lucrative offers to supply to retail chains under their branding which I refused. Then I had big breaks with Regal shoes, Shoppers’ Stop, etc., under Baggit branding. I also invested in brand building by opening exclusive stores, even though the initial 2/3 stores were loss-making until I perfected my retail concept. When we started franchising the retail concept, I knew we had become a brand.

What unique challenges have you faced as a female entrepreneur in franchising or the entrepreneurial industry and how have you overcome them?

There were no unique challenges as a Female Franchisor per se. In fact, some of our franchisees are women as our category is largely women-focused. Before we could franchise, we had to perfect the retail concept in terms of optimal location, size, look & feel, investments, assortment, likely sales, and predict likely return on investment for the franchisee. We got better in identifying the right location/franchisee as we had more outlets over a period of time. Today we have a single franchisee running/setting up over 10 locations in a selected territory, which is a great testimonial to the success of our retail franchise concept.

How do you maintain a work-life balance while managing your business?

For entrepreneurs, work-life balance is a myth. One has to be extremely passionate and mad about some idea to succeed in business. However, through meditation and inner growth, I have been able to live in the present and embrace the future without worries or fear. That helps me to see work not as a chore but as something that I enjoy doing.

Can you discuss a specific success story or achievement that you are particularly proud of in your career?

Most of the competing brands go the easy route of importing finished products from China with their brand labels. Baggit has been doing the difficult task of designing and manufacturing locally for the last 35+ years, much before Make in India became fashionable. I am proud of the fact that Baggit is contributing to the local economy and employment (3000+ families both in direct and indirect) even at the cost of profitability.

What advice would you give to other women who are interested in becoming entrepreneurs in the retail industry?

Forget your gender. Sometimes, being a woman gets you noticed much better. Retail is all about details. You need to be hard-working and rely upon vast amounts of transaction data that are available every day to make the right decisions. Ultimately, all businesses are digital, and you need to embrace data analytics and technology to compete with Retail Goliaths, who may not be as nimble and adept as you can be.

In your experience, how important is mentorship for aspiring women entrepreneurs?

Having a Mentor eases your pain when things don’t seem to go your way (more than 50% of the time initially). A mentor can be dispassionate and offer the right advice, irrespective of how unpalatable it is to you at that point in time. Cultivate a few trusted mentors for your long-term success and mental equilibrium.

How do you stay innovative and adapt to changes in the market within the industry?

Most innovative ideas come from talking to current/potential customers and listening to their feedback attentively and taking the right actions based on it. We at Baggit insist that all our designers, sales/marketing people, and manufacturing personnel spend at least 2 hours every week talking to customers in multi-brand outlets as their needs & wants in our category.

What role do you believe women leaders play in shaping the future of entrepreneurs?

Women are generally more balanced in their mind and focus on long-term results more than short-term results. All leaders, including men, will benefit if they at least had one stint with a woman as the boss.