Built from Legacy, Fueled by Instinct
I come from a family that has been entrenched in
business for generations. This year marks 75 years of the business legacy
started by my grandfather, who brought the first automobile into Vijayawada. My
upbringing was surrounded by stories of determination, grit, and purpose. My
grandmother served as a Member of Parliament and assembly for 30 years and was
also a freedom fighter. My mother became Delhi University’s first female
student union leader and started her entrepreneurial journey at 21.
The women in my family weren’t just strong—they were
trailblazers. I grew up believing that not doing something impactful simply
wasn’t an option. I never felt like I had to make a choice to do something with
my life. I just assumed I would. That belief was the foundation of everything
that came next.
Of
Tapes, Turmoil, and Turning Points
As a child, I was passionate about both volleyball and
music. I played volleyball very seriously and even thought I’d pursue it
professionally. But one day, my mother—without telling me—recorded my singing
and sent the tape to Padutha Theeyaga, a Telugu music competition hosted by the
legendary SP Balasubrahmanyam. I was selected.
From there, things changed rapidly. I became known for
being energetic and expressive. I danced while singing—something unusual at the
time. That uniqueness made me memorable, and I kept winning week after week.
Eventually, I was the runner-up, but it wasn’t about the title. I had found my
space.
My journey into music continued when I released my
first album, Hai Rabba, in Hindi, not Telugu. It premiered on MTV on Christmas
Day in 1999, a few days before its official release in 2000. I was probably the
first South Indian indie artist to be featured on MTV, and that moment is
etched in my memory. It was the pre-digital era—cassettes, CDs, and then pen
drives. I saw the entire evolution. We printed 95,000 cassettes and 5,000 CDs
for Hai Rabba. My next album shifted those numbers to mostly CDs. Soon, it was
all digital, and revenue models changed overnight. I saw the highs of touring
the world for over 200 performances and the challenges of an industry shifting
to free streaming.
Eventually, in 2010, I chose to take a break from
performing. I wanted to return only when concerts were better designed and
truly valued. I stayed connected to music through production, and now, after
years, I’m preparing for a comeback with six music videos and a full tour.
Bubbles: Where My Business Story Began
Parallel to my music career, I stepped into
entrepreneurship in 2003. I noticed a huge gap in Hyderabad—there were no
luxury salons outside of five-star hotels. I invested my music earnings,
supplemented it with a little help from my parents, and launched Bubbles.
It was exciting and yet stressful. But within the
first month, numbers spoke.
We now have over 10 large format premium salons across Andhra Pradesh & Telangana. We made a conscious decision not to franchise. I wanted to protect the brand’s soul. My foundation in business came from real-life exposure—working in my parents’ retail showrooms as early as 10 years old, learning billing and customer engagement instead of attending coaching classes. Business was never theoretical for me.
Old School Rituals: Where Nature Meets Science
Old School Rituals, to me, is more than just a
brand—it’s a legacy in a bottle. It started from a deeply personal space. After
I had my daughter, I became acutely aware of what I was putting on her skin. I
started making oils, bath powders, and lotions at home using ingredients I grew
up seeing my grandmother and mother use. These were rituals I had seen as a
child—massages with hibiscus-infused oils, nalangu powders made from turmeric
and lentils, ghee freshly churned in our backyard.
At my daughter’s birthday, I gifted some of these
homemade products to our guests—mothers and babies. The feedback was
overwhelming. Everyone wanted more. That’s when I realized this could be
something bigger.
I decided that if I was going to do this, I’d do it my
way. I didn’t want to outsource manufacturing. Each product had to maintain
purity and integrity, and I couldn't trust anyone else with that process. So I
set up our own small-scale unit and began rigorous R&D. What resulted was a
product line that married ancient Indian ingredients with modern
science—grapes, potatoes, ice apples, root powders, niacinamide, enzymes. It
was the best of both worlds.
The detan mask, for example, contains over a dozen natural
ingredients—each prepared carefully, dehydrated, mixed with precision. And it
works. Not just because of the ingredients, but because of the love and legacy
behind them.
We began by using the products in Bubbles, our salons. For nearly two lakh clients, Old School Rituals became a part of their self-care routine before it even officially launched. Our salons became our live testing ground. The feedback was invaluable. It told us what worked, what didn’t, and how people were connecting with these products emotionally and physically.
Today, dermatologists recommend our serums and oils.
Men, women, and even children use our line. We’re not just a wellness
brand—we’re a problem-solving brand. Whether it’s acne, pigmentation, or
dullness, we offer solutions rooted in tradition but proven by science. This
isn’t just skincare—it’s soulcare.
Being Everything, Everywhere, All At Once
My day doesn’t have borders between work and life.
Everything blends. My husband handles daily operations across businesses. I lead
ideation, design, product creation, and marketing.
My daughter is a huge part of my day. We’re best
friends. I joke that I’m cooler than her Gen Z gang, and they love hanging out
with me. That balance of being a full-time entrepreneur and a full-time mother
gives me joy.
People say women are natural multitaskers. I believe
that. I thrive when I’m juggling many things. I feel bored doing just one. I
move from brainstorming a serum in the morning to music rehearsals in the
afternoon to parent-teacher meetings in the evening. That chaos is my rhythm.
The Soul Work: My Real Purpose
Beyond music and business, I’ve always felt pulled
towards impact. I started contributing independently to social causes but
realized I needed a more structured approach. That’s when I created my
charitable trust.
We’ve done everything—from tsunami and cyclone relief
to setting up rural oxygen banks during COVID, and installing over 600 beds in
underserved hospitals. But my real passion is education. I believe if we can
shape our children well, the future takes care of itself.
We’ve given digital tablets with curriculum apps to
over 400 top students in Telangana. In schools where one teacher handles
hundreds of kids, our content-filled tablets became silent teachers.
To me, children are the true investment. If we shape
them with the right tools and support, they’ll build a world better than we
could’ve imagined. And if I can contribute to that—through education,
inspiration, or action—then every success I’ve had finds its real value.
Don’t Think. Just Begin.
If I’ve learned anything in this life, it’s that the
biggest barrier is your own mind. The excuses—my family won’t support me, I
don’t have funding, I don’t have time—they’re just ways of saying, “I’m not
ready.”
Readiness is a myth. You’ll never feel fully ready.
But you must begin anyway. Start messy. Start scared. Just start.
That’s how I’ve done everything—from my first tape
recording to launching a national beauty brand.
And trust me, once you start, magic shows up. Every
single time.