Aniket Vaishampayan
Transcendence Learning, India
Neena Verma
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Tiffins and Thots is an idea, a platform that incubates women entrepreneurship to start up and successfully run self sustaining, profitable venture that provides healthy meals and snacks to offices and homes.
The idea is about instilling a sense of 'can do' attitude in women from less or under privileged section of the society and then supporting them to start up on their own and run a successful business venture.
4 such micro ventures have already taken shape and are operationally profitable in 4 different geographical pockets of Mumbai.
They are living establishments that show what seemingly reticent, at first; yet hardworking, sincere and aspirational women can do to come out of their shackles or constraints.
All it takes is a little support, the initial 'egging' and a booster dose of confidence through the journey.
That's what Tiffins & Thots is all about and sums up what it does.
It resonates with UN SDG 5 on gender equality and is deeply rooted in the concept of sustainable consumption.
This is an idea, a platform to seed and support women entrepreneurship to set up micro ventures in multiple geographical pockets.
It starts with seeding entrepreneurial thoughts and reinforcing a sense of belief, a can-do outlook in women who are aspirational, hard working, sincere; albeit, from lesser or under privileged sections of the society.
The journey follows through with training and grooming on the 'cooking' profession, tips and techniques, different regional recipes and business skills like basic math, planning, organizing and customer interactions etc. This is what goes within and is created within - a deep sense of confidence.
Then comes on-ground support - to facilitate sourcing of leased out smaller spaces near the customer pockets, applying for relevant necessary licenses like Food, Health and Safety and Fire. It includes acquiring customers - a critical mass that signs-of initially so that the operations are planned and run efficiently right from the start. Last mile tie-ups are also important as many customers may not walk in and prefer someone reaches the 'meal' to them, at their place - office or home.
All this takes about 4 to 8 months depending upon how things fall in place. Till that time, work goes on, small orders are fulfilled from a central 'home' kitchen of the chief incubator and facilitator of Tiffins & Thots. Idea is to be in active beta mode and build up as things progress.
After this initial, start up, set up, build up process comes slow but sure transition where the chief incubator and facilitator Sulaksha bows out of day to day operations.
This is the thought behind Tiffins & Thots, a for profitable platform to create and nurture profitable and self sustaining micro women ventures.
It is envisioned to impact and is also inspired from 3 key thoughts:
1. Women Equality and Empowerment is not just financial independence but also includes, raising their confidence, self esteem.
2. Help more and more women come forth and contribute to the business and society in a formal way; get accounted in the Indian GDP.
3. Help drive responsible consumption and health.
Sulaksha Shetty is the chief incubator and facilitator of Tiffins & Thots. The first round of training and coaching 4 women is through… their micro ventures have come to life and Sulaksha has got out of their way with regards to day to day operations.
Through this platform, she is now grooming 3 to 4 other women... this cycle continues.
Education, reading, and upbringing; all helped Sulaksha question the standard tenets of growth and look at development from a more holistic context right from early age through her professional experiences.
In that sense, Sulaksha always wanted to work for a social cause. What is defining, heart warming and inspiring is the fact that she pursued these thoughts consciously through various choices like stint at CRY to experience social sector after 15+ years of successful career, decision to undertake PhD in ‘Sustainable Leadership Framework’ from TERI.
Through these experiences, she realized how critical it is to make such projects financially independent; as often only then, does it live long to have a lasting impact on those involved.
In all this, her father was a key influence. He was an officer with State Bank of India who always found time and opportunities to do more and do good for the lesser or under privileged sections of the society. He was deeply associated with an Orphanage, Vatsalya at Kanjurmarg, Mumbai.
1. Four smiling and content faces - successful women entrepreneurs full of confidence, dazzling with dreams and eagerly working hard on journey of self realization. Psychological Upliftment and Financial Independence.
2. These micro ventures have created more formal and informal business and employment opportunities like sourcing fresh vegetables and farm produce, supplier tie-ups, kitchen helpers etc
3. Armed with proof of concept, it underscores the potential 'scale up' possibilities
4. Customers get a Balanced and Healthy meal.
The idea has been successfully implemented with 4 women micro entrepreneurs running their own kitchen services and each of these ventures are operationally profitable.
Women get an opportunity to formally contribute to the Indian GDP.
They are financially independent.
Micro ventures help allied business activities and employment generation.
It will help more and more women break their shackles or come out of their constraints to gain confidence and financial independence.
A sense of belonging and achievement ... to create a bigger impact as they will also eventually spread the chain once they grow and / or employ more women helpers and cooks for their own micro ventures.
Customers get to gain with regards to their health and balanced diet plans spread over the course of weekly and monthly food menu.
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Sulaksha Shetty, Mrs.
Kaanta Kathe, Chief Officer
Sakshi Vaishampayan, Customer
Micro women entrepreneurs start up and run their own self sustaining, profitable venture to provide healthy meals and snacks to offices and homes.