In Conversation With Chitra Balasubramaniam, A Young Indian Woman Icon

3 min read

A woman. An introvert. 32 years old. A newbie in her career. Sounds like a situation which either makes you or breaks you. For Chitra Balasubramaniam, the founder of Tres’chic Academe, this was her new beginning.

Hailing from an orthodox Tamil Family, she was always enthusiastic about entrepreneurship. She knew she wasn’t meant to do the regular 9-5 jobs. She was passionate about traveling and discovering new things. She graduated in science and got married soon after. “My parents knew that if I go out to work after college, I’ll never return, so they got me married”, says Chitra.

Chitra went on to have 2 children. A decade passed as a dutiful homemaker. And being an introvert, she wasn’t able to communicate her dreams to people around her, who only saw her as a wife, daughter in law or mother. After having her second child at around 30 years of age, she wanted to gain her lost confidence, she wanted to discover herself, her potential and her own voice. “I felt I had not done much in my life, and that bothered me”, Chitra says while adding that she joined an image management course to become a confident woman.

A self made woman, who neither got nor expected favours or support from others, Chitra is a big name in the field of image consultancy in India. After achieving top tier success in her field, with accolades like the “Women of Influence 2019” “SWAA South Women Achievers Award” “Indian Achiever’s Award” in the category Best Image Consultant, her best memory remains getting the Times of India “Power Women 2019”. The reason? “My son went to collect the award on behalf of me and he couldn’t be prouder”, exclaims Chitra with visible mirth in her voice. 

With a fair share of naysayers in her journey, what Chitra has to say to young girls looking to make a career as an entrepreneur is knowing your priority. She doesn’t judge women for having their families as their priority, but in her words, “Every woman should be independent. Everyone should be an entrepreneur”.  She urges girls to embrace their feminity and be strong, because that is what they are- brave, tough and strong!

On being asked about her children, Chitra proudly claims that the times are changing and she sees how this generation has a lot more respect for women. Her golden rule of parenting is “Teaching is not sufficient, be an example yourself”. And that is what she has been for her children – the epitome of a self made woman, with all the success in her personal and professional life!

Being someone who has risen from the ashes, Chitra hasn’t forgotten her roots. Tres’chic Academe collaborates with NGOs like Sparsha , Girl Child NGO, Bhairavi Foundation to improve the holistic development of personality of young girls and provide them with skills and confidence to face life. After knowing Chitra’s story and communicating with her, you cannot help but he in awe of the woman that she is and be happy that she is helping several other women become just as successful as she is.

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