Today, I stand here not as Vaishali Biyani but rather as a conscious consumer. Not as someone who is the founder of an enterprise which sells furniture but as someone who believes in the power of sustainability in this technological epoch.
Greetings! You never know what may inspire you. For me, it was a scrap tyre which was lying by the side of the road. For some reason, it caught my attention and I began my company, De’Dzines, which is based out of Uttar Pradesh, in the year, 2019. I turn discarded tyres into pulchritudinous, rubber products. At present, it is the only eco-friendly furniture company in India.
As for rewards, this undertaking is highly rewarding in itself. Just the reassurance that I am making a difference to this world, makes life worth living. Nevertheless, I am immensely grateful to have been able to receive quantifiable awards as well. They say that if you are consistent and you keep working hard, one day your efforts will surely be recognized.
This was the case with me as extremely soon, my novel endeavour was recognized and even appreciated by a plethora of prestigious authorities in India. I got a chance to meet the Prime Minister of India – Shri Narendra Modi, Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh – Shri Yogi Adityanath, the head of the Swachh Bharat MIission in India – Shri VK Jindal, Union Minister of Uttar Pradesh – Shri Hardeep Singh Puri, Secretary of Housing and Urban Affairs – Shri Durga Shankar Mishra and numerous eminent Police Officers from Uttar Pradesh.
Other than that, the title of, ‘Most Promising 100 women entrepreneurs – MSME and FICCI’ has been bestowed upon me. I have also won, the ‘Startup of The Year Award’ which was presented to me by TIE UP. Other than these esteemed achievements, I have been invited by IKEA, which is the most renowned brand in the world of sustainable home decor products, to share details about my company.
Recently was the Second Wiunner in the Startup Showcase cash prize competition at Lucknow organised by Womenshine, a brand of Radiance Corp Solutions and Startin UP.
As much as I value the recognition I have been able to attain, I do not do what I do because of the glory that comes with it. I earnestly believe that it is our very duty to help preserve our bountiful environment. It is our onus and moral obligation to conserve the habitat of a myriad of animals.
I am curious, creative and driven. I believe in order to be a successful entrepreneur, you absolutely HAVE to be those three things – curious, creative and driven. When I saw that rubber tyre lying by the side of the road, it aroused my curiosity. I began to wonder. How can I contribute to this world? How can I help preserve the ecological balance? How can I save the ecosystem? I was creative with my answer and I was driven towards my goal. That is how I got my idea of starting this business.
As the venerable Swami Vivekananda put it, “Arise, awake, and stop not till the goal is reached.”
