As part of our ongoing interview series with promising womenpreneurs, this week we spoke to Samiksha Bajaj, Co-founder at Samshék
India’s First Tech Fashion Start-up lady, she is leading lady behind solving the biggest pain point of fit in the garments by using technology and AI and bridging the gap between ready-to-wear and custom-made through technology.
Her tech startup Samshék is a fash tech (technology and fashion) brand that offers ready-to-wear or customised western clothing to one’s own style by leveraging technology, Where measurements are being taken by 3D body scanner that extracts 150 measurements in 5 seconds. Custom made order placed from the store is delivered within 48-72 hours and if ordered online, delivery is done within 5 days PAN India, the U.K and the U.S.A. The tech start-up works purely towards zero waste policy and keeps digital inventory to eliminate their industrial waste for a sustainable future.
Let’s read more about her motivational story, her journey so far and her advice for women entrepreneurs!
Excerpts from our exclusive interview with Samiksha:
Tell us a little bit about yourself and your journey, please;
Well, my name is Samiksha Bajaj and I come from Amritsar, Punjab.
If I could describe myself in the simplest way, it would be three words- passionate, focussed and adaptable. Passionate for my work, focused on my goal and vision I have for me and my company and adaptable to change that will help me grow every day. I always stay open-minded and willing to adapt and introduce new elements that help me become a better person.
My journey pretty much began when I was a little girl and I used to see my father working hard to build something of his own, I used to tell him “mujhe apni company kholni hai” and this dream stayed with me. But it was not just any other business I wanted to start to earn profits. I wanted to inspire change, leave a mark, and benefit the society, especially women. I used to watch my mother being the perfect wife, sister, daughter in law to everyone but what did she do for herself? Women are always expected to be the givers, the caretakers for others. I also wanted to give, but to all the women out there. I wanted to give them the empower them.
So after completing my masters from London College of Fashion, I developed a keen interest in the tech side of fashion. I learned that fashion is in my roots but it is the technology that will help these roots to originate into something which will be functional and practical.
That’s when the research started; I used to spend my days and nights to put this mere idea into action. And one fine day I was shopping with my aunt and we were in this store, and as usual she picked out two sizes M and L which fits her generally. I asked her- you have been shopping for years and you are still unsure of your size?
She said you know, after a certain age your size becomes uncertain. I am a medium from my upper body and an L or XL from below.”umar k sath sath weight badna aam baat hai” her exact words. That’s when it hit me! We are all different. After a woman hits the age of 35, she is not bound by the standard retail sizes, and why should she?
I then decided to use the technology we have today in terms of Artificial Intelligence to create a database that analyses measurements of women of different age groups with different body shapes. And with the help of the 3D Body Scanner, we can get 150 exact measurements which will determine what size they actually are.
That’s when Samshék happened. Eliminating the standard retail sizes and help women discover their true body size through custom-made clothing was my lifelong dream that got fulfilled.
Today, we have zero waste policy and digital customisation options and our industrial waste is minimum. In the coming 5 years, we want our industrial waste to be zero.
So, that’s my journey and it’s only been a decade and I have a long way to go, but one thing I am sure of is, that I am going to enjoy every bit of it.
Why did you choose entrepreneurship over a job?
It was not a choice, but much of a dream- a motive to help women, create something that is mine and when you have that kind of dream, getting a job is not an option anymore. I knew from the beginning that entrepreneurship was the right path for me. By choosing entrepreneurship I wanted to create more employment opportunities for the women.
How do you find the industry/niche that you’re in?
Just like in any industry, I would say it is competitive. But it’s not just that. It is highly creative challenging and fast-moving. At the same time It’s glamorous as well. FashTech industry is like Las Vegas. Every day something new and exciting is happening. There are lights and movement everywhere. Just like the city never sleeps, fashion and technology will never fade either.
What gets you out of bed in the morning i.e. what’s your source of motivation?
Learning. I always aspire to learn- from my clients, my team. Each day I am acquiring knowledge about how the customers are responding. Their likes and dislikes. Even a simple appreciation makes my day whether it’s coming from my team or from my clientele. Getting up each day, working hard to get those appreciations is what my motivation really is that gets me out of bed.
What challenges/obstacles did you face in your journey so far?
I would say developing a team that is as passionate as I am for Samshék. Passion is hard to find. Innovative minds are hard to find. And since we are a tech fashion brand, it was quite difficult for us to create a team that had the same technology-driven mindset that we have. It’s not just about the corporate staff but also the manufacturing staff. Most tailors we worked in the past had that export house mind-set. “Madam humne export mai kaam kiya hai humse ye nahi ho payega” or “humne export mai toh aisa hote huye kabhi nahi dekha”.
This is a very common practice but after several failed attempts you start choosing wisely.
Thankfully we got lucky. Today I can say that we have a team that is creative, efficient, committed and passionate.
What comes first for you – money or emotions?
Well, that’s a tricky one. Just like in most families, a father is the one helping you financially; a mother is the one who nurtures you with care and emotions. Both have their own set of responsibilities as a parent which is important for their child’s growth.
Just like that in life and in any business, both help you grow. With the money you can create the funding that is essential for the business and emotions helps you to create a healthy relationship which is again very important for a company.
How do you handle the pressure and manage stress?
Whenever I am in a stressful situation, I tell myself that this is temporary and it will go away, over the years I have trained my mind like that. Stress is just like any other emotion-be it excitement, happiness or sadness. And just like any other emotion, this is also temporary.
Another thing that I do is listening to Sadhguru, also known as Jaggi Vasudev who is a famous yogi, mystic, and author. His words create a positive vibe in my mind which really makes me calm.
What is one strategy that you believe has helped you grow as a person?
The same strategy that helps me managing stress, the fact that nothing is permanent. If today you feel like you are falling apart, tomorrow could be the best day of your life. If today you are the most successful businessman, it could all be taken away the next day.
Life works like that. If you know this, you start realising the value of relationships whether it’s business or personal life. I really think that helps you make better decisions and you grow as a person.
In your opinion what are the keys to success?
Passion for what you do. Having a passion for something is the first step towards success. A clear vision of what you want to achieve and how you plan to achieve it. Doing smart work rather than doing hard work. Hard work might get you to your destination but smart work will get you there faster! Lastly, happy and satisfied customers. Without them, you can never succeed.
What advice would you give to someone starting out particularly women?
One word. Be a Fighter. In order to achieve something, you have to hustle for it, fight for it because nothing comes easy. Especially as women, wherefrom the moment she is born, she has to fight whether it is for the right to education or just equality for that matter. She is seen as a gender that has to get hitched to a man in order to make her life stable.
As soon as she turns 25 the question of her marriage starts turning up- “Shaadi kab karogi?” “Kya rakha hai padhai mai” stuff like that. You have to fight these obstacles if you really want to create something big. Secondly, focus- that should never go away. It’s like you’re the “Arjun of your life” and “the fisheye is your end goa”land unless you’re not focussed you can never shoot.
See below how Samshék surpassed H&M in leveraging tech:
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