Leading the way

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Archana Garodia Gupta, a national quizzer, an Entrepreneur and an author. A multi faceted personality who is passionate about books, travel and writes articles on history and business for magazines.

She did her MBA from IIM Ahmedabad. A very humble & a strong personality. She has also won the ‘Champion of Champions’ title from BBC Mastermind India.

Let’s read more about her…..

How did you decide to venture into writing a book?

I have been a very passionate reader all my life, and read on a wide variety of subjects. I have probably read one book every day all my life.  I think the writing was a natural progression, though I came to it quite late.

You have written a book “History of India” for children, which is in two Volumes. How was the experience of writing for young readers and what inspired you to write for Children?

I have always loved telling stories for children and telling them about this wonderful world of ours. History has always been a passion. Children learn best if there is an element of fun, and they get to think and work out things themselves. That has been a very strong element in these books, that they should be fun, and that each historical person should be presented as a relatable character.

“The Women Who Ruled India: Leaders. Warriors. Icons.” A book was written by you wherein you have showcased the amazing stories of 20 strong women from Indian history to the limelight. Pl. share insights on this book and why this topic is very close to you?

As I said earlier, history has always been a passion. I have also been working in the field of women’s empowerment for the last 30 years, and gender issues and challenges concern me a lot. This book combined these two passions. It was very interesting for me to see how these women overcame challenges and triumphed in very hostile environments. These women can serve as role models for us even today. I also feel that the stories of these amazing but relatively unknown women need to be told.

You have played an integral role in various positions of several Industry Chambers.  How do you think you have created an impact in the lives of Women during your tenure and thereafter?

I was the national president of FICCI Ladies organization, and thereafter chair of the FICCI National MSME committee. My focus was economic empowerment of women. I was instrumental in setting upskilling programs for women which to date have helped thousands of women at the grassroots find employment. I also set up mentorship cells for women entrepreneurs under SWAYAM. I am also working to get women entrepreneurs onto e-commerce portals, as I feel it is the way of the future, and particularly easy for women.

You are a leading national quizzer, and also seen as the member of expert panel on KBC, how was your experience with the Quiz Master, Mr. Amitabh Bachchan.

Quizzing is a passion that comes out of my love for reading. I have been on KBC as an expert for two seasons over more than 20 episodes. It is indeed a pleasure working with Mr. Bachchan, who is extremely warm and encouraging. He makes you feel very special even in brief interactions.  His behavior is always impeccable.

You play two major roles of the Author & an Entrepreneur. How do you balance them as both demands a lot of time & focus?

It is quite hard, and I do face the conflict. I try to keep aside days for writing and for going to the office, but given deadlines, or unforeseen emergencies quite often the schedules get disrupted. However, I enjoy both the processes, and sometimes a change is as good as a rest.

What do you enjoy doing in your free time?

As I mentioned earlier, reading on any subject is a great passion. Besides that, I am very fond of traveling and have been to many countries. I am also quite a foodie.

What message for readers and aspiring ones to become Authors & Entrepreneurs?

The first thing I would like to say is that never underestimate yourself, or be afraid to start something, thinking you are not good enough. As women, we tend to hang back. One should just start what one is interested in, and quite often the way ahead will keep opening up.  There always has to be a leap of faith – and important to keep going on step by step, and not give up. You are better than you think!

It is also important to understand that there are bound to be failures.  This is part and parcel of life. It should not stop you from trying again. Just analyze what went wrong and try and correct it. Failure should be taken cheerfully, and quickly forgotten, as we move on.

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