The vigor and willingness to start Indian entrepreneurs to solve problems in real time is no longer limited to metropolitan cities. The pandemic not only caused many people to return to their native homes in Level II and III cities, but also resulted in the startup ecosystem in Bharat.

As a result, existing and new businesses from non-metropolitan cities create more employment opportunities, while solving unique problems for non-metropolitan audiences.

His history take a look at eight women entrepreneurs who bring change and give their entrepreneurial dreams a chance from non-metropolitan cities.

Kruthika Kumaran, Vilvah

Former engineer Kruthika Kumaran has watched her mother struggle with complications from a skin disease for over a decade. The death of his mother prompted Kruthika to launch Vilvah, a natural cosmetic brand which uses goat’s milk, in 2017.

Based in Coimbatore, she pursued an online degree in natural cosmetology and started experimenting with soaps, before starting the business with an initial investment of Rs 10,000. Sold on major e-commerce platforms including Amazon, Flipkart and Nykaa, and on his own website and Instagram store, he now records annual revenue of Rs 15 crore. Besides a flagship store in Coimbatore, online channels contribute over 80% of its revenue.

Unnati Mittal, Plament

A camping trip to the Admarkantak Hills in Madhya Pradesh opened the eyes of Sunny Goyal and Unnati Mittal to the widespread use of single-use plastic in local grocery stores – plastic waste is believed to cause more pollution from air as people burned them with wood during the winter season.

This encouraged them to take matters into their own hands by founding Plament, a coat rack of the words plastic and management. Based in Indore, the company recycles plastic waste and converts them to furniture and decorative items.

Plament claims to have sold their product to furniture makers in Indore and expects a profit of Rs 12 lakh for the 2021-22 fiscal year.

Ami Baxi and Deepika Lakhani, Buy HomeMade

As the pandemic-induced lockdown led to an increased appetite for home-cooked meals, housewives from Ahmedabad, Ami Baxi and Deepika Lakhani, jumped at the chance and founded Buy HomeMade, a platform online form that allows people to discover and buy regional and homemade snacks.

Launched in October 2020 with an initial investment of Rs 20 lakh, it has more than 30 chefs on board with a wide range of homemade snacks, pickles, organic oils, chocolates and baked goods.

The platform currently provides 23,000 PINs across the country and plans to go international through franchising, starting with Canada and the UK.

Neeta Vijay Kumar, Stardom Accessories

Kochi-based entrepreneur Neeta Vijay Kumar makes the most of India costume jewelry market, which is expected to reach Rs 65,620 crore by the end of 2022, thanks to its company Stardom Accessories.

Prior to founding Stardom Accessories in 2018, his first entrepreneurial stint started with his passion for fashion in college making and selling jewelry to friends.

Sourcing from artisans in Jaipur and Delhi, the jewelry is sold on social media platforms like Instagram and Facebook, starting at Rs 300. The brand is looking to work with more artisans and increase its offering of products.

Shabna and Shaiba Salam, Maneraa

Pune-based sisters Shabna and Shaiba Salam have embarked on a journey to bring small unbranded fashion retailers to Indian youth in Tier II and III cities across Maneraa, a lifestyle and fashion e-commerce Platform.

Launched in 2019, the omnichannel platform is a “Made in India, Made for India“Adventure. Shabna claims that about 70 percent of India’s $ 100 billion fashion retail space includes unorganized and unbranded retailers, smaller brands and unknown designers.

With over 80 sellers on board offering over 9,000 SKUs, Maneraa hopes to secure another 500 unique sellers by 2021.

Started with Rs 1 crore, it has a team of 15 working from its headquarters in Pune and an office in Kochi.

Dr Meghna Sharma, Jiyyo Mitra

Chandigarh-based startup Jiyyo Mitra e-Clinic aims to bring digital health services like telemedicine in remote areas of India.

Founded in 2017 by siblings Dr Meghna Sharma and Siddharth Angrish, as well as a friend Jahid Ali, it works with local health staff in rural and semi-urban facilities to help patients connect with specialist doctors in across the country.

Started with an initial investment of Rs 1 crore, it has more than 250 e-clinics in more than 70 districts of the country. The startup was recognized by the Google for Startups program held last year and also received recognition from Atal’s innovation mission, NITI Aayog, for its role in managing the COVID-19 crisis in India.

Shivani Soni and Sakshi Soni, BeYoung

Fashion designer Shivani Soni targets Indian youth, aged 16 to 45, through her clothing and accessories boot Be young.

Founded in 2018 with Shivam Soni, Sakshi Soni and Shankar Mali, the company focuses on plus size and custom clothing where users can also submit their own designs.

Based in Udaipur with a team of 75 people, the founder’s goal is to reduce the exodus of talent from small towns to metropolises.

The startup claims to record over 40,000 transactions per month, recording monthly revenues of around Rs 2.85 crore and projecting revenues of over Rs 125 crore by March 2023.

Sanidhya Pareek, Mtoto

Parents’ concerns about what is best for their child, led Shujalpur, couple Sanidhya Pareek and Shuchi Sharma, based in Madhya Pradesh, to launch Mtoto, a childcare company. Founded in 2020, it offers chemical-free baby care products such as shampoos, moisturizers, diaper rash creams, etc., priced between Rs300-400.

Despite the initial challenges due to the coronavirus-induced lockdown, the startup was able to continue the manufacturing process in October 2020 and hit the market within a month. The products are now available on their website and in e-commerce marketplaces like Amazon, Flipkart, and FirstCry. With a team of 10 people at the moment, the brand is looking to diversify its product offerings and increase its reach.