Rashi Indra

Indriya Spa and Salon Owner, Businesswoman

"I am Rashi Indra, owner of Indriya Spa and Salon, Coimbatore and believer of the 3 D’s - Dedication, Determination and Discipline. Might sound cliched but all cliches are inspired by real life.

Originally from Mumbai, my family and I belong to a Defence background and after all the relocating, when my parents decided to settle down in Coimbatore, and my mother set up her own business - Rashi Salon and I remember spending my evenings among the fruit-scented face packs, soothing candles, potent nail polish, the decadence of Mehendi and the sound of a hairdryer was something I was too familiar with.

I worked in a bank for a year and soon realised that all my memories of a salon and beauty weren’t just that. They aren’t a hobby or an option, it was a choice I wanted to make for myself. I began my journey into the world of vocational training. Self-taught skill is wonderful until you discover the science behind it. As a certified Hair and Beauty Therapist from Marium Zaveri’s institute made me understand the skill of Beauty; and my qualification from CIDESCO International engraved my goals as I did not just want to copy my mother, I wanted to do more! I worked hard for it, I learned and continue to learn the evolution of the Beauty Industry. This is not just the world of lipstick and pedicures, this is a world of a person who wants to look and feel their best and to be able to do justice to that is doing it right.

Things were never easy as someone can see today, of course, I had my fair share of struggle, delays and discrimination but I did not let that disturb my conviction. I realise that I was fortunate enough to be born in a family that does not contradistinguish between goals and ambition for a woman, from a man’s. They did not necessarily lay out the path for me, rather they sat back and let my life carve its course. And I value the sense of individuality my work and ambition give me. A woman’s ability to even nurture ambition is not a common practice sadly in many parts of the world. Her fate is decided before she can even think about herself, leave alone knowing what she wants in life. To be able to know what the right path is, the first step is self-awareness, to know what YOU are and want in life. When a source of identity is recognised, you are in some way or the other working to fulfil it. Always.

Today, I am a married woman with my own business and responsibilities. 2020 has given me more time to express my skill and showcase my passion for what “I” do. Not a believer in stagnancy, I continue to learn what all my work evolves into. I am the friend with honest advice, I am the wife with identity, I am the leader to my team of professionals and I am the boss."

Interviewed and transcribed by Maryam Syed