Four years ago, Siddhi from North Goa began selling ethnic wear through Instagram, backing her idea with her own money and a belief that her fashion-designing skills could become the foundation of a business. Today, she runs her own boutique, employs around seven to 10 people and ships orders to customers in countries including Singapore, the UAE and the United States.Her business reports an annual turnover of Rs 60 lakh, according to a report by the Press Information Bureau (PIB), which featured her entrepreneurial journey as part of the government’s National SARAS Mela 2026.
From an Instagram page to a boutique
Siddhi’s entrepreneurial journey began after she completed a diploma in fashion designing. Already familiar with social media, she saw Instagram as an opportunity to showcase her ethnic wear and connect directly with potential customers.She started the venture on her own and funded it herself. What began as an online business has since grown into a boutique with a team that handles different aspects of the work, from tailoring and stitching to sourcing materials and packing orders.The business also relies on its digital presence to reach customers. Siddhi manages marketing through social media and her website, Bliss by Siddhi. Orders received through Instagram are shipped internationally through India Post, allowing her products to reach customers well beyond Goa.The business is not limited to online orders. Siddhi and her team also participate in exhibitions, while continuing to manage the everyday work involved in running the boutique.
Support from a self-help group
An important part of Siddhi’s journey has been her association with Mahamaya Self-Help Group (SHG). According to the PIB report, the group helped her connect with women who could work with her and guided her on where to seek loans.The group also keeps Siddhi and her team informed about workshops related to craft skills and marketing, which they attend to build their knowledge.Today, her team includes women she has trained herself. Siddhi remains involved in the practical side of the business, too, stepping in to do the cutting when required.Her story reflects how a small enterprise can grow beyond its founder when the work begins creating opportunities for others.
Choosing entrepreneurship over a conventional job
The road to building the business was not without doubts from people around her. In the beginning, Siddhi’s decision to pursue the venture did not receive much support. According to the PIB report, those around her wanted her to take up a regular job, preferably a government position.She chose to continue with her business instead.Now, with an established boutique and an international customer base, Siddhi hopes to expand the opportunities she can offer other women.“I wish to help more and more ladies come join my team,” she says, as quoted in the PIB report.Her ambition extends beyond the current team. Over the next few years, she hopes to create work for around 100 more women across Goa and help them become financially independent.
A business with a larger goal
Siddhi’s journey was highlighted under the Lakhpati Didi initiative at the National SARAS Mela, organised by the Ministry of Rural Development in collaboration with the Government of Andhra Pradesh, with support from NABARD, NIRDPR and Kudumbashree.The initiative seeks to help women from self-help group households build sustainable incomes through skills, access to finance and market opportunities.Siddhi’s business has grown from a self-funded Instagram venture into an enterprise reporting Rs 60 lakh in annual turnover. But her stated goal of bringing more women into the team points to another measure of success: using a growing business to create livelihoods for others.For Siddhi, the next milestone is not just about increasing sales. It is about enabling more women to earn through their skills and become financially independent.
