Besides being a successful entrepreneur and devoted mother, Ghazal has been recognised amongst top 10 women artists in India, nationally and internationally. With a Bachelors in Information Technology and Intensive Courses in Modern Art, Design and Applied Arts from New York Academy of Arts Ghazal started her career with NIIT as Corporate Trainer, as a part of her role, Ghazal trained managers and engineers from various IT companies. As the co-founder and Chief Mama at Mamaearth, India’s first toxin-free baby care brand, Ghazal Alagh is responsible for product development and community management.

When and how did you realise that this is what you want to do?

The journey started with a personal experience. When Varun and I had Agastya, our first child, we started looking for chemical-free products for our baby, but we could not find options that were easily available in India. We mostly ended importing baby care products or asking friends to bring carry them, which was both expensive and time-consuming. Identifying this gap, we decided to create Mamaearth and venture into ‘Toxin-free’ baby care products. While we started as a brand for baby care products, we soon realized that most millennials were looking for safe and toxin-free products for themselves too. Hence, we diversified into personal care products for adults as well.

What are the hurdles you had to face to reach where you are today or was it fairly easier for you compared to some others?

We were regular people who quit our jobs and decided to get on this journey. There were challenges but nothing deterred us from our path. But isn’t that the case with every entrepreneurial journey. We have our share of challenges but the fruit to overcoming them is far sweeter.

Please share some of the highpoints of your journey?

Our journey over the last four years has seen many highpoints. Being the first brand in Asia with Made Safe certified products, to diversifying into personal care for adults, to building a product portfolio of 120+ products, to winning awards for our work. It has been an exceptional journey and an overwhelming experience.

Celebrating Women’s Month, what in your view do women have that makes them what they are?

Women are enablers across various aspects of our lives. Woman are multitaskers, hustlers and jugglers, irrespective of the role they are playing at any point in their lives and I strongly believe that they are the only ones who can do this best.

It’s not easy the way we women juggle around so many things- our work, homes, families, social life, fitness etc. Some tips on how you balance it all so beautifully?
With the sheer number of responsibilities on our shoulders, it can get overwhelming at times. However, one thing that has helped me a lot is planning my day and prioritising my tasks, at home and work. Also, a very important thing I have learnt over the years is the art to say ‘No’, it is difficult to imbibe but extremely powerful.

What is your fitness mantra?

I am extremely conscious of my health and I am a fitness junkie. I enjoy power yoga as it helps build stamina, flexibility, metabolism along with releasing body tension, which is important. I focus on eating right through the day and I ensure dinner I have my dinner by 7pm. A very important aspect of health is sleep, hence I ensure I am off to bed by 11 pm, to get my 6-7 hours of sleep.

What does family mean to you?

Everything. Family is my number one priority.

What is in the pipeline in terms of your work currently?

The objective is to further innovate and create a product line with varied offerings to serve consumer needs. While we launched in baby care and personal care with face and hair care products, we have recently expanded into the body category with body lotions and body washes. Apart from that, we are focusing on understanding consumer needs and creating brands and propositions that help serve our consumer base better. Additionally, we plan on building our latest launch under HCPL, The Derma Co., which is a brand for science-based skincare product with potent active ingredients to heal skin concerns like acne, pigmentation, open pores, aging and more.

— By Namita Gupta