Change makers, catalysts Srinagar sisters generating employment, empowering people
Haaika, Malika come up with out-of-box ideas to bring affordable western wear to consumers in Kashmir
Srinagar, Jan 20: Two sisters from Srinagar are leaving no stone unturned to make their mark in the field of entrepreneurship in the summer capital. .
Haaika Ghalib and Malika Ghalib from Srinagar through their endeavor want to empower themselves and generate employment for locals in a job-starved place. Haaika, who is a young graduate in Business administration, said that as Kashmir was getting a boost in the clothing market with young girls opening many ethnic brands, she wanted to do something out of the box in the same field.
“With my previous job experience and a degree in Business administration, I thought of a street-wear brand that most of the young generations relate to. During my market research and my personal experience, I found out that the market for western wear, particularly street-wear, is huge and unexplored, that is how the journey began,” Haaika said.
Following all the market research and collaborating with different business partners, the enthusiastic entrepreneur formulated a plan for her journey in early 2022. Within a short span of time, her brand ‘Solid Water’ which manufactures western wear came into being.
“Through my brand, I wanted to provide what I could get while looking for comfortable clothing. People in Kashmir and across India are into western wear, and they end up buying stuff at exorbitant rates. I wanted to provide the same and at an affordable price, while keeping the quality intact,” she said.
Haaika has outsourced most of her work by collaborating with manufacturers, logistic agencies, and other experts in the field. She said that her team chooses the material and designs it, then puts everything through the manufacturing process. Haaika, who has worked with companies like Olx and Zomato, said that her marketing skills and communication skills helped her in getting the right people together and creating this new brand.
“We have launched our website with the same name. All of our work in the context of selling and reaching out to customers goes through online platforms including our Instagram page,” she added.
She said that her brand wants to be very inclusive and provide comfortable and affordable clothing at the click of a finger. She said that she is providing employment to half a dozen people and scores of vendors and other people are associated with her brand indirectly.
“I aim to go international because the field has scope for that. I am grateful that I was able to get guidance from the right people who helped me to overcome all the challenges, and that is why in less than a year, the brand is getting a good response. We are getting online orders, and we are shipping across India and delivering within a week,” she said, adding that the unending support from her parents and friends kept her going despite little experience in the field.
Sources: (GK)