International Womens Day: Meet three girls entrepreneurs in Visakhapatnam who’re redefining success

Fit with Fab

Farzana Begum walks into Fit with Fab each morning in Visakhapatnam, her hijab neatly tucked in place, a logo of her id. “My hijab is part of me, similar to my power. It doesn’t restrict me; it empowers me,” she says. In a discipline the place girls are sometimes under-represented, she stands tall. “Fitness is for everybody, it doesn’t matter what you put on. Strength comes from inside,” she provides.

When Farzana Begum misplaced her mom in 2014, she realised how usually girls’s well being takes a backseat in households. Determined to alter this, she started advocating for health amongst girls, solely to face resistance from households reluctant to ship them to gyms. Undeterred, she pursued certification to develop into a health coach.

Her journey, nevertheless, was not with out challenges. In 2017, a tumour in her backbone required surgical procedure, forcing her to pause. Yet, she moved to Visakhapatnam and began coaching a small group of girls on Beach Road. Just as she was gaining momentum, one other hurdle got here in 2019 — a analysis of T-cell lymphoma after a malignant tumour was present in her rib. The battle with most cancers was gruelling, with rounds of chemotherapy testing her resolve.

The section was one of many hardest. Looking again, Farzana says: “That setback was a setup for a comeback.” In 2020, post-treatment, she based Fit with Fab, an all-women’s gymnasium in Visakhapatnam, making a protected house the place girls can prepare with out inhibitions. Her journey caught the eye of many, even resulting in an look on a tv present hosted by actor Balakrishna, the place she was honoured within the presence of Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu.

Farzana believes that girls, particularly these of their peri and menopausal phases, must prioritise power coaching. “It’s not nearly health; it’s about reclaiming power at each stage of life,” she says, including, “Women of their 40s and past should embrace power coaching, take cost of their health, and by no means let societal restrictions outline their limits. It’s not nearly staying match however stopping osteoporosis, enhancing metabolism, and boosting confidence.”

Cocoabuzz

Latha Pudi is redefining cocoa farming along with her sustainable enterprise, Cocoabuzzz. Returning to her agricultural roots in Vizianagaram after years within the company world, she has reworked a standard follow right into a climate-smart enterprise in Andhra Pradesh. As a finalist in IIM Bangalore’s NSRCEL Women Startup Entrepreneurship Programme, Latha is pioneering eco-friendly cocoa farming whereas including worth to the regional cocoa business.

Founded in 2021, Cocoabuzzz initially targeted on post-harvest processing, producing cocoa nibs, cocoa powder, cocoa butter, flavoured cocoa nibs, and vegan cocoa unfold. Recognising a rising demand for high-quality cocoa, she not too long ago expanded her plantation with 1,500 new saplings, set to mature over the following three years. Today, her 2,000-tree cocoa farm sequesters round 20 metric tonnes of carbon yearly.

What units Cocoabuzzz aside is its fruity-flavoured cocoa beans, a specialty in excessive demand. “The weather conditions in Andhra Pradesh are appropriate to develop cocoa. Here, we get one harvest cycle from April to July,” says Latha. To preserve constant high quality, Latha plans to combine digital grading and benchmarking applied sciences. Her efforts have already gained traction — Cocoabuzzz has a buyback settlement with Mondelez, a significant international participant within the chocolate business.

Beyond cocoa, Latha is targeted on supporting farmers who should wait 4 to 5 years earlier than cocoa timber yield earnings. She is creating dietary, plant-based edible merchandise that maximise returns for growers. In June 2024, her startup was chosen for Google’s DigiPivot programme, a six-month digital advertising and marketing coaching initiative in collaboration with the Indian School of Business, Hindustan Unilever, AVTAR, and Off Experiences.

In Andhra Pradesh, the place few farmers enterprise into worth addition as a result of excessive processing prices and issues about agriculture’s viability for future generations, Latha sees a chance. With Cocoabuzzz’s 100% sell-out fee, she is proving that sustainable farming will be worthwhile. To guarantee year-round productiveness, she has diversified into low season crops like peanuts, white sesame, and coconut to provide cold-pressed oils.

“We are additionally utilizing soil sensors to watch humidity, pH, and vitamins, together with automation for farm operations and pest detection,” provides Latha. Even agricultural waste is repurposed — cocoa pod shells are changed into compost and mulch.

Vidhya

Traditional profession counseling usually reduces a pupil’s future to grades and standard pathways. Aparna Kolagatla, founding father of Vidhya, challenges this norm with a personalised mentorship mannequin that nurtures self-discovery, long-term progress, and alignment with a pupil’s true potential.

Vidhya goes past aptitude assessments and predefined decisions. “We concentrate on topic choice, aptitude assessments, interview preparation, and making certain college students steadiness teachers with sports activities or the humanities,” Aparna explains. Shadowing and mentorship are central — like when she guided a 15-year-old pupil torn between effective arts and utilized design. “By connecting with a UI/UX and product designer, the coed explored artistic expertise and industrial design, ultimately securing admission to a high design college with scholarships,” says Aparna. Vidhya right now has mentees throughout India, for profile constructing, interview preparations, hole yr mentoring and summer season college programmes.

Since its choice for the Women Startup Programme at IIM Bangalore’s NSRCEL in 2020, Vidhya has confronted challenges — notably in gaining credibility. Parents usually evaluate unbiased mentoring with massive teaching institutes, and faculties lean in direction of broad-based counselling. “Those who worth holistic improvement respect our method, particularly for international alternatives like Ivy League admissions or entrepreneurship. But resistance comes from mother and father targeted solely on conventional careers,” Aparna notes.

Her imaginative and prescient for Vidhya is obvious: high quality over enlargement. She goals to construct structured programmes and a powerful community of skilled mentors, making certain that each pupil receives the steering they want — not only for instant success, however for a lifelong journey of self-evolution.

“Education ought to develop self-awareness, adaptability, and real-world competencies, bridging the hole between training and employability, entrepreneurship to create future leaders and change-makers,” says Aparna.