BySukant Deepak

January 25, 2022 (IANSlife) She informed her parents that she was enrolling in JEE lessons (Joint Entrance Examination). However, Kashmir's youngest woman architect, Mehak Suhail (23), was preparing for NATA (The National Aptitude Test in Architecture). She didn't tell her family until the findings were released. Being young in a conflict zone is all about adapting, innovating, and not being afraid to take risks, according to someone who finished more than 70 projects in the last two years, at a time when the pandemic had disrupted everything.

When Suhail came to Kashmir to intern for eight months while finishing her architectural degree in Pune, she discovered that there was not enough material to play with, the weather was extreme, and there was no young lady in the field. "However, I chose to focus on the fact that there was less competition."

For someone who had never advertised her business, the break came when she constructed a set for an exhibition at a large valley hotel, where one of the organisers was a home baker who wanted to open her own bakery. "After then, there was no turning back." People enjoyed the cafe I built, and word got out. It was only by word of mouth that I became known."

Suhail's career requires her to deal largely with men, therefore she has had to put on a very different face at work. "My natural tendency is to speak gently, but I now favour a more 'strong' tone. Because I am a woman, there have been times when labourers and artisans have refused to listen to me. Clients will occasionally take you for a ride and refuse to pay.

A client once insulted me and assaulted my employees. My criteria for working with a client are no longer limited to whether or not he can pay; his behaviour must also be conducive," says the architect, who also works for the government and has designed two major stadiums in addition to several heritage projects in Srinagar, Budgam, Gulmarg, and elsewhere.

She emphasises, however, that she enjoys working in the Valley. "There are challenges, but there are also plenty of opportunities." The climate, as well as some people's mindsets, provide a problem. The joy of being able to pursue your interest in your own environment, on the other hand, is unrivalled."

The Derma Aesthetics and RK Beauty Studio, managed by 23-year-old Insha Muzaffar Wani in Srinagar's Barzulla neighbourhood, has created quite a stir.

Wani, an IHC Hotel Management student who founded the city's first upmarket Beauty Salon, is still at ease giving directions and answering inquiries. "After all, I launched the company at the age of 21..." While her offices are located in a building owned by her father, the young woman earned enough to launch both enterprises on her own. "And in the instance of Derma Aesthetics, which boasts cutting-edge equipment, I didn't even tell my father that I had gotten a loan from J & K Bank for roughly 70 lakhs," she laughs.

RK Studio, she claims, has become a trendsetter in the region, despite the fact that she always intended to start her own business ("academics and I rarely got along"). "There were just beauty parlours before us." What you're seeing right now would be at home in any upscale salon across the country. I haven't shied away from investing in employee training and ensuring that only the best items are used here."

Wani wanted to make sure she had at least some knowledge of the industry before starting her next endeavour, Derma Aesthetics, despite not being a medical student. "For that, I took a Medical Cosmetology course." We have a professional team of plastic surgeons from Mumbai on call in addition to the normal Botox and filler procedures."

"My partner in RK backed out on the day of the inauguration, every step has been about proving myself," Wani recalls. "There were not many young women entrepreneurs around when I started up, so it was a constant fight to make others believe in my talents." You have to work twice as hard as a young woman to gain credibility."

Aliayah Hussain, a blogger and influencer with an MBA, has a loyal clientele of jewellery firms, gaming venues, and specialised clinics for whom she handles digital marketing, in addition to maintaining her own jewellery and skincare Instagram page. It all began when a buddy who made masks requested for her assistance during the outset of the Pandemic. "After we launched an inventive and eye-catching social media campaign, sales skyrocketed. Since then, there has been no turning back. I've lived here for a long time, so I know what will appeal to people of all ages."

"Mainstream media commercials are expensive," Hussain says, adding that, contrary to popular belief, even tiny enterprises managed by educated young people in the valley recognise the benefits of social media. Furthermore, given the valley's high level of digital penetration, having a strong social media presence is a no-brainer. Newer firms are enlisting the help of experts like me to manage their accounts because they recognise the short and long term benefits." Even when skincare companies approach her to advertise their goods on her page, she claims that problems arise anytime the Internet is down because there is no way around it.

"It will mainly be about culture, tourism, and people who have stayed back and are doing interesting initiatives here," she says, as she prepares to start her next project, "Kehwa and Konversations," which will focus on the valley's culture. I'm sure it'll be as eye-opening for me as it will be for the readers and spectators."

Despite having no history in design or running a business, Kainaat's store, 'The Perfect Pair by Kainaat,' which sells personalised footwear and apparel, is highly popular among teenagers. At the age of 23, this single mother's daughter began fusing elaborate Kashmiri components (tilla) on kohlapuris and juttis. "Despite starting with a small area at a friend's office, I was able to grow the business to the point that I could afford a store space in a short period of time."

She is in talks with many large brands for a relationship with a Patiala-based supplier who supplies the basic footwear. "Negotiations with a few international businesses are nearing completion. I'm looking forward to a big cooperation in the near future."

Working in a risky region is, of course, a big challenge. "That is something unique to Kashmir that people in other parts of the world do not have to deal with." Also, convincing others to take a 25-year-old woman entrepreneur seriously can be difficult. How can patriarchy be to blame when the craftspeople I deal with are men?"

She credits social media for a large part of her success, claiming that it has made things extremely convenient for young people like her. "Today, you don't need to be physically present to be an entrepreneur. In fact, I intend to focus more on the social media aspect of my business, in addition to developing my store."

 

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Sukant Deepak can be contacted at sukant.d@ians.in