Ep 40: Breaking Barriers: Devita Saraf's Unconventional Entrepreneurial Odyssey

Atalanta Diaries Breakthrough Women in Conversation with Enma Popli

Devita started her entrepreneurial journey at the age of 24 by founding the Vu Group in California, a leader in high-end consumer electronics. Vu Televisions has a revenue of Rs.1000 Cr ($130 Million) that has sold more than 3 million televisions to date. Her passion for technology, leadership and innovation has led Vu to become the highest-selling Indian-owned TV brand in the world, and her speech to the Prime Minister at the Young CEO Champions of Change initiative had an impact on the government's Make in India manufacturing policy.

Devita is the richest self-made woman in India under 40, according to the Hurun Report, and has been listed among Fortune's Top 50 Most Powerful Women in India. She also wrote an Op-Ed column for the Wall Street Journal for two years and is an astute observer and speaker on subjects such as leadership, entrepreneurship, innovation, technology and the empowerment of women in business.

Devita was named 'India's Model CEO' by Forbes for being the first businesswoman in the world to appear in her brand's advertising campaigns and since then has collaborated with luxury brands worldwide.

She is an alumna of the University of Southern California and Harvard Business School.

Key themes emerging out of our conversation:

• Respect is a two-way street.
• Encountering challenges in finding investors.
• Recognizing what you're good at and building on it.
• Guiding values and principles in stakeholder engagement.
• How life and experiences helped see the entrepreneur within.
• Being secure, hiring people who are younger and smarter than you.
• Surround yourself with people who will support you, role models.
• Following the path of the men in the house, having respect and power.
• Making your own money and having the right mindset, not playing victim.
• What happened, why did it happen, and what are we going to do next time?
• Entrepreneurship and modelling, embracing the beautiful and intelligent side.
• No one invites you to be a king or queen. You have to decide that on your own.
• Navigating working dynamics with family members to establish mutual respect.

Connect with Enma Popli on Linkedin:

>> https://www.linkedin.com/in/enmapopli/

Visit Enma Popli's website
>> http://www.enmapopli.com/