Brief introduction about yourself and tell us something about Wedding Wishlist?
Wedding Wishlist is a pioneering concept of a wedding gift registry in India launched in February 2016. It’s a cool, new way for prospective couples to:
The couple makes a Wishlist of gifts they would like, and share it with guests they feel comfortable sharing with including - friends, family and colleagues. Gifts chosen by the couple typically range in price.
Wedding guests can buy any gift from the couple's Wishlist that fits into their budget. Guests can even give a gift as a group. This way, the couple receives gifts that are relevant to their married life. And wedding guests can be certain their gift is meaningful and cherished by the couple. Overall, it reduces waste, discourages recycling of gifts, and ensures that the considerable money spent on gifts is spent well.
What ignited the spark in you to start Wedding Wishlist?
Analyzing the immense gap that exists between gifts received and gifts desired at weddings by the couple, I thought of creating a one-stop destination for prospective couples and their guests to create a single platform where couples can decide:
And thus was born the unique model of weddingwishlist.com. At weddingwishlist.com, the team’s goal is to help bridge the gift divide, and create a gifting experience that is rooted in practicality, while still ensuring that the happy couple has a fun and memorable experience.
The idea took form when a friend shared her experience of receiving irrelevant and duplicate gifts at her wedding, an experience most newlyweds in India will relate to. During my stay in the US, I saw the concept of wedding registries firsthand; the benefits were compelling - gifting was extremely easy and relevant. Every wedding I attended had a wedding registry built by the couples. Eighty nine per cent of all weddings in the US have a registry.
Please share your future goals.
A well defined communication plan that dovetails impactful strategic online and offline communication driven by events, workshops, meets and initiatives will continue to be our predominant focus. To further educate and share the awareness of the concept across our target market, which comprises of prospective couples in India. Partnerships, collaborations are platforms we will relentlessly work towards in a structured and well-phased manner. In addition to this our app is scheduled to launch in a few months from now to enhance ease and accessibility of this concept.
We also intend to expand our range of offerings, product range and technology platforms included. The focus will continue to be India.
Something about the challenges you faced while starting Wedding Wishlist.
Like every startup, the issues are in the areas of execution and operation. Finding the right talent pool and marketing are two main challenges. It's not like jewellery, which people understand. Ours is a concept which needs explaining in a manner that is simple.
What are your views on the thought, that as compared to male counterparts, it’s harder and more struggling for females to make a mark professionally?
I do not agree with this at all. I believe women, if they are passionate and sincere about what they want, as just as likely to succeed as men.
What piece of advice would you like to give to the aspiring youth who wish to pursue their dream of becoming an entrepreneur?
One should dream big, and persevere towards achieving the dream. Whatever you do must ultimately benefit the community around us, or it is not worth doing.
According to you, what are the top three essential skills needed to be a successful entrepreneur?
I truly believe the skills that define an aspiring youth entrepreneur in no particular order are sincerity of purpose, positive attitude and passion.
Is it easy to maintain the work-life balance?
Prioritizing is a crucial skill to achieve somewhat of a balance, which is generally elusive for an entrepreneur.
What are your views and opinions towards the ambiguous need to promote women entrepreneurship and women empowerment in India?
Women empowerment is critical in any society and must happen in order for progress to happen. I believe entrepreneurship should be encouraged, whether it is among men or women.
