Zarine Manchanda: Changing the Narrative for Women Entrepreneurs in India

Zarine 2 min

In today’s rapidly changing world, there are women who are breaking barriers and paving the way for a better future. These women leaders demonstrate qualities of courage, innovation, and compassion, making an impact on the minds of other women with their achievements. One such inspiring women leader is Zarine Manchanda, the founder of the Zarine Manchanda Foundation.

Despite facing numerous challenges, Zarine’s tenacity and resilience have allowed her to overcome setbacks in both her professional and philanthropic pursuits. Through her foundation, she has made a significant contribution to society, serving as an example of what can be achieved through perseverance in the face of adversity.

Today, Zarine’s accomplishments extend beyond her philanthropic work, as she has also made a name for herself in the glamorous world of Bollywood. She has acted in the short film ‘MeToo Meets Aarey’ and served as a Second Unit or Assistant Director for Superstar Sunny Deol’s movie ‘Bhaiyyaji Superhit.’

The Rise of the 'Princess of the Poor'

Born in Himachal Pradesh, Zarine had the privilege of growing up in a well-known family in HP. With a father who was not only a successful businessman but also a respected minister, he was often referred to as the ‘King of Himachal’ by the locals. As a result, Zarine’s childhood was filled with many luxuries and unique life experiences.

However, she always wanted to establish a name for herself. This is why Zarine moved to Mumbai with the dream of becoming a Bollywood actress. But when that dream didn’t pan out, she didn’t give up. Instead, she embarked on a political career and established the Zarine Manchanda Foundation in 2019. Since then, she has organised almost 400 donation programs for the poorest residents of Mumbai, earning her the nickname “Princess of the Poor” and widespread media coverage.

Zarine Web Image min

A Taste of Success

Today, Zarine Manchanda is a name synonymous with success. With her philanthropic and socially active nature, she has earned herself many accolades, including two National Awards, two Governor Awards, and the prestigious Nelson Mandela Peace Award, which conferred a doctorate upon her. But success didn’t stop her from pursuing her entrepreneurial ambitions,

as she followed in her father’s footsteps. She created India’s first seven-star café, the Zarine Manchanda Cafe, which became a talk of the town venue for Bollywood’s A-listers and other well-heeled guests.

Not one to rest on her laurels, Zarine then went on to open a premium security agency bearing her name, followed by a cloud kitchen, Zarine Manchanda’s Heavenly Flavors. Recently, she opened Mumbai’s first Himachal Cuisine Restaurant, Flavors of the Himachal Pradesh, cementing her place as a young woman entrepreneur engaged in multiple business expansions.

Zarine’s driving principles for her business enterprises are luxury and spiritual charm. Blessed to grow up as a princess, luxury has always been a part of her life experience, and she wants to bring this element into all of her businesses so that her guests and clientele can enjoy the finest things in life. Therefore, everything in her café and restaurant exudes elegance and luxury, from wall to wall and floor to ceiling, including crockery and cutlery. She wants everything to be the finest possible so that patrons and guests have a unique and memorable experience.

Spiritual Integrity in Entrepreneurship

Zarine’s upbringing instilled in her a strong spiritual component that defines her life. She believes in good karma and good intentions, which she wants to bring into her business enterprises. Zarine’s café and new restaurant feature beautiful Tibetan bells from Dharamshala, which her staff rings to bless guests whenever food and drink are brought to the table. Even with her premium security agency, Zarine emphasises an element of spiritual charm in her business practices, training her staff to be courteous, polite, professional, and ethical. She believes that every client should feel blessed by their presence.

Zarine’s strong spiritual practices are well-known to everyone who knows her. She believes that God is always watching her, and the more she serves him through good deeds and good intentions, the more her life feels blessed. This quality defines her, giving her life meaning and purpose.

As CEO of many business enterprises, Zarine takes responsibility for whatever happens on a day-to-day basis. Fortunately, her businesses have seen impressive success and growth, leading her to consider franchising and other business growth opportunities outside of Mumbai, both in other cities in India and internationally.

Leading by Example

Zarine’s approach to business is anything but ordinary. She’s not one to follow the trends, preferring instead to set them. Her father instilled in her the importance of being bold, having a unique and far-reaching vision, and being a leader, not a follower. She believes that trends are fleeting and can change in the blink of an eye. That’s why she’s chosen to be the trend, not follow it.

Her USP of luxury and spiritual charm is a winning combination that appeals to everyone and ensures long-lasting growth on a global scale. In her opinion, the initial branding is paramount, and if done right, it can bring lasting success without the need for constant rebranding or changing course.

That’s why she believes that leadership requires bold thinking and a bolder vision, creating new pathways to success rather than copying someone else’s success. She’s passionate about bringing the luxurious lifestyle she enjoyed growing up to India and beyond, infused with her spiritual charm.

Charting Her Own Path

Zarine is a natural leader, and her leadership style is authentic and organic. Her personality, background, upbringing, passions, and interests all contribute to her unique approach to leadership. Zarine believes that these concepts are revered worldwide and highly desirable in the commercial world. By crafting her business USP in this way, she feels that leadership becomes a natural extension of herself and easy to lead. This type of leadership is inspirational because others sense her authentic passion for the enterprises that bear her name and follow her USP.

As a young woman in the entrepreneurial world, Zarine sees huge opportunities to make a difference and help address societal challenges. She recognises that the playing field between men and women is not yet equal, but she is determined to show that a woman-owned business can be bold, strong, and robust. In her view, business leadership cannot be subordinate or demure simply because it is a woman-owned business.

Zarine acknowledges that she was fortunate to see her father engaged in many successful businesses throughout his life, and his enormous success inspires her. However, she wants to run her business in her own way. She deviates from how she saw her father run his successful businesses because she believes there is more than one way to achieve business success. Zarine’s business mission and purpose feel authentic and organic to her, and others have noticed this, whether it is the media or clients and patrons of her many business enterprises.

The Essence of Zarine

Zarine firmly believes that customers and clients of her businesses should expect and demand a lot from her, her managers, and staff. She considers that their user experience should not only meet but also exceed their high expectations. In fact, Zarine thinks that the concepts of luxury and spiritual charm are commercially viable and are revered and embraced worldwide. Therefore, 100% of customers and clients would desire a combination of both to have a unique experience. Whether in her café, restaurant, or security agency, Zarine ensures that her clients have high standards and luxury because she expects to fulfil their needs repeatedly, thanks to her USP.

Zarine’s innovation originates with the initial business vision and operational business model. When the concept is innovative and ingrained with desirable concepts, innovation is set in motion. For her, it is virtually foolproof because she is simply giving people what they want. As CEO, Zarine believes that bringing forth a bold vision from the beginning is critical, and she has accomplished that in each of her businesses that bear her name. The branding is alike, combining luxury and spiritual charm for each enterprise, which explains why she has a loyal and recurring clientele and customer base.

Cultivating Growth Through Leadership

Zarine knows that a bold and favourable initial concept is the key to consistent business growth. However, this vision cannot be accomplished by her alone. It requires instilling values and principles into her management team, who then pass them on to their employees and staff.

The commitment to excellence is a daily practice that starts with division and is crafted with specific guideposts and milestones. This ensures that everyone stays true to the initial vision and achieves the desired results.

Zarine believes that her employees are the cornerstone of all her businesses. They are the face of the company and interact with clients and guests on a daily basis. Therefore, she is meticulous in her hiring process to ensure that she hires management and staff who share her vision and have the skills to implement it on a daily basis.

By adhering to this process, Zarine ensures that the daily operations of her businesses match her vision, leading to success and growth for her enterprise.

Fostering Pride and Passion

The process of hiring and training is crucial for any business to flourish. As a business owner, Zarine understands the importance of moving forward without any setbacks. Hence, she emphasises that hiring and training should be done meticulously to ensure her exacting standards are met. Fortunately, her employees and management have proven to be incredibly loyal, as they share her passion for luxury and spiritual charm, which they offer to customers and clients on a daily basis.

Be it the security guards or the waitstaff in Zarine’s restaurant or café, she wants their work uniforms and costumes to reflect her unique selling point. This ensures that clients and customers are greeted with a positive and distinctive impression when they visit any of her business premises or hire her security staff. A strong first impression sets the tone for a comfortable and favourable client relationship.

Moreover, Zarine wants her employees to take pride in their jobs and company. Her employees are aware of the media coverage and awards that her businesses have received, which inspires them to be part of something special and unique. This gives them a chance to contribute and grow with the business as it expands, making it a lifelong opportunity.

Triumph Amidst Adversity

Zarine’s businesses have faced and overcome significant challenges to achieve the remarkable success they enjoy today. Despite facing adversity such as the COVID-19 pandemic, Zarine remained committed to her employees and continued to pay their full salaries even when they could not work due to lockdowns. This decision proved to be the kindest in the long run, as it earned the loyalty and commitment of her staff and management.

For Zarine, customer satisfaction is paramount. She and her team constantly seek feedback from clients and customers to ensure their experience is unique and memorable. Even when issues arise, Zarine believes in remedying them quickly and effectively to the best of their ability. After all, as she says, “the customer is king.”

Zarine’s ambitious vision for her businesses has always been to succeed in Mumbai and expand to other Indian cities and overseas. Thanks to the success she has achieved, this expansion process is now unfolding as she and her team assess franchising and other business opportunities for her security agency, cafe, restaurant, and beloved foundation.

Zarine’s enterprises are characterised by the perfect storm that arises from blending two commercially viable concepts: luxury and spiritual charm. As she continues to pursue her

bold vision, Zarine remains committed to delivering the best possible experience to her customers and clients.

Global Entrepreneur's Political Ascent

Today, Zarine Manchanda is a successful entrepreneur who has built a global network of followers and investors through her various social media platforms. Her focus on global expansion has earned her numerous prestigious awards and accolades, including her recent appointments as Regional Director for BRICS and Chairperson and Editor-in-Chief for the states of Maharashtra, Goa, and Himachal Pradesh.

Zarine’s commitment to social reform has led her to establish her own political party, the Zarine Manchanda’s People’s Party, which she plans to lead as an MLA candidate in Andheri in 2024. Her experience in leading her NGO Foundation to help thousands of Mumbai’s poorest residents has instilled in her a deep understanding of the needs of the people and a determination to bring compassion and dignity to those most in need.

As the daughter of a prominent politician, Zarine is confident in her ability to lead and govern with dynamism, charisma, and a commitment to all citizens. She plans to infuse many of the values her father taught her into her unique leadership style, which is aligned with her own life experiences in Mumbai and her political ambitions. Join Zarine and her People’s Party in their quest to represent the masses politically and bring positive change to the community.