Cut above

Cut above
Rashmi Bansal
 I BCOM II SEMESTER
BANGALORE CENTRAL UNIVERSITY
GFGC YELAHANKA BENGALURU

Prepared By
RAVIKUMAR. A
Asst Professor
GFGC Yelahanka
Bengaluru.
 What is BIBA ?
1. What is BIBA?

BIBA is a popular brand and a company which

was created under the successful
entrepreneurship of Meena Bindra who
turned the humble salwar kameez into a
national brand with annual sales of 300 crores.
A business she started to earn some pocket
money led to the creation of, BIBA

Entrepreneurship
2. Where did the narrator meet Meena Bindra ?

Rashmi Bansal is a writer, entrepreneur

and youth expert. She is a motivational
speaker and mentor to students and young
entrepreneurs. Her four books on
entrepreneurship-Stay Hungry Stay
Foolish, Connect the Dots, I Have a Dream
and Poor Little Rich Slum have motivated
many a young mind to tread the path hither
to not taken. A Cut Above is an excerpt
from Follow Every Rainbow authored by
Rashmi Bansal. The book unfolds the
inspiring stories of 25 women
entrepreneurs whose gentle touch brought
about tremendous change in business.
Meena bindra’s story is an inspirational
who choses a stylish breakthrogh answer
to the ordinary house hold salwar kamiz to
the level of international brand.
 1.3. At what age did Meena start designing clothes?
2.1. Why did Meena start her business? What was the
secret of her success?

1.3. At the age of thirty nine she started

desining clothes.

Meena after spending twenty years of

marriage, home and family, wanted to do
something which can kill the boredom,
keep her busy and also get her some extra
money think of ‘doing something’. What
Meena did enjoy was designing clothes. So
she started it. She hadn’t done a formal
course, but she used to dabble with prints
and colours. a few of her own saris
block-printed, for fun. Readymade salwar
kameez was a new idea and every shop
was looking for suppliers. Her success
mantra was “Low cost, good quality and
timely delivery – these are the three
essential qualities of a successful
business.” and she done it.
 4. Meena Bindra ran her business with the co-operation of her sons. True/False.
10. Why was Meena reluctant to allow her son Sanjay to join her business?
2. Discuss the role of her family in her business as shared by Meena.
4. What changes did Siddharth bring about in her company?
4. True

10.Meena’s elder son, Sanjay, completed his BCom and

joined the business. she didn’t encourage him initially and
said that he didn’t know anything about salwar kames
instead of that go and do an MBA in future she might think of
him. But Sanjay was not ready to take the refusal, though
initially he was not so serious, but once they shifted to the
office he got into BIBA full-time.” In 2010, Sanjay left Biba
and started his own apparel business, Seven East.
2.In 1982, Meena Bindra started the company from her home in New Delhi. Her
husband helped her to take a loan of 8000 rupees to start a small business.Some
years later, Bindra allowed her sons, Sanjay and Siddharth, to help her to
manage the business. Biba opened its first stand-alone store in Mumbai in 2004.

4.Siddharth, her younger son, joined the company in 2002. it was a

turning point for BIBA. Then BIBA had an annual revenues over Rs
25 crore, not a well-known brand name. Siddharth had visioned to
have own retail outlets. BIBA opened first company-owned outlet in
2004,In Orbit and CR2 malls in Mumbai. Both shops did well from
day one with sales of Rs.12-15 lakh per month.hat encouragement
made them start booking shops wherever a good mall is coming up.
Siddharth, managed and handled funding. the whole company was
restructured and, in 2006, Kishore Biyani bought a 10% stake in
BIBA for Rs. 110 crores. Meena admits that siddarth’s entry made a
phenomenal growth since 2004.
 5. Who helped her to start business?
6. What was her lucky break as mentioned by Meena ?
7. What was the profit gained by Meena of her first sale?
8. Who bought her salwar suits initially?

Meena’s husband helped her to start the business by

arranging a loan of eight thousand rupees, from Syndicate
Bank she bought some fabric and hired a tailor.
Her lucky break was when someone introduced her to a
block printer called Devesh. He was a young boy, passionate
about his work and he had a big factory.
Every morning, Meena would take a cab to the factory and
spend the day there, experimenting with various techniques
and colour combinations. She was experimenting with new
techniques of printing, Tie and dye, khari painting, Meena
put together 40 salwar suits-all casual wear and reasonably
priced 200. both stitched, unstitched. she had a little sale in
her house and everything was sold and got a lot of orders.
This first sale resulted in a small profit of 3000. With that
money, Meena bought fabric for 80 suits and that too sold
out quickly. Meena had a vast house where women used to
come for sitting chatting her buyers were her friends,
outside customers.Purely by word of mouth, Meena’s suits
became ‘famous’ among ladies in the Colaba and Cuffe
Parade areas of Bombay.
9. When did she move into an office at Kemp’s corner? Why?

Meena started supplying outside after initial

success within friend circle, she needed a name
for bill book. decided on ‘BIBA’. From a timepass
and hobby venture, BIBA was quickly becoming a
real business Retailers placed large orders -100
pieces at a time. And, they wanted new designs
and a wider range of fabric. She never did any
marketing, but the time was right. New shops
were opening, they needed to stock readymade
salwar kameez and they heard about BIBA got big
orders. In 1986, three years into business, Meena
moved into a 1000 sq.ft office at Kemp’s Corner.
An office which was paid for entirely by money
earned from BIBA.
And yet, there was no business plan, as such.
Though the orders flooded and had also opened
own boutique in Kemp’s Corner.”
11. What is the ‘true test of an entrepreneur’ as discussed in the article?
3. Meena rather chose to lead than follow. Elaborate.
5. Write a note on Meena Bindra, an entrepreneur.
Meena’s deep and continuing commitment is towards great
design. She chose lead by her own sensibilities – simple,
elegant, wearable design.” Working with limitations and yet
going beyond limits is the true test of any entrepreneur.
And BIBA passed that test by the year 2000, production
had scaled up to 5000 pieces per month, that was the cut
above the rest venture she marked. Nowaday BIBA
producing 60-70,000 pieces a month, and professionals to
handle all aspects, the one thing Meena oversees herself
is designing. Even after have a design team, still gives the
brief, she go through the colours. Samples are made and
gives the final approval. Designs are worked on at least a
year in advance. And once samples are approved, a
made-for-scale, scientific process takes over. Meena is
happy about that’s pace. cooking was not Meena’s passion
instead she loves to meet people, loves having a beautiful
house and very fond of interiors, gardening and meeting
friends.A woman can be a wife, a mother and an
entrepreneur. She advices ‘Live a dream and have’ cut
above the rest attitude.
13. What according to Meena are the essential
qualities of a successful business?

According to the Meena

Bindra “Low cost, good
quality and timely delivery –
these are the three essential
qualities of a successful
business.”
 12. What was the turning point for BIBA ?

Meena’s youngest son Siddarth’s entry into company

was a turning point for BIBA. Then BIBA had an annual
revenues over Rs 25 crore, not a well-known brand
name. Siddharth had visioned to have own retail
outlets. BIBA opened first company-owned outlet in
2004,In Orbit and CR2 malls in Mumbai. Both shops did
well from day one with sales of Rs.12-15 lakh per
month.hat encouragement made them start booking
shops wherever a good mall is coming up. Siddharth,
managed and handled funding. the whole company was
restructured and, in 2006, Kishore Biyani bought a 10%
stake in BIBA for Rs. 110 crores. Meena admits that
siddarth’s entry made a phenomenal growth since 2004.
14. How did Meena keep her energy up?
15. Which book has been a constant source of inspiration for Meena?

For Meena energy is the force which moves

mountains and working mothers. She then into do
yoga, pranayama, walking and swimming to keep her
energy up And then there are deeper dimensions.
A journey within, which, for Meena, began 22 years
ago she say’s, “I came across a book called ‘I Am
That’ by Nisarga Dutta Maharaj. I didn’t understand
much of it in the beginning, but I started thinking
about questions like ‘who we are’ and ‘what is the
purpose of life?’ ”
Meena read and re-read the book, until the meaning
started sinking in. She later bought all the other
books by the same author and devoured them. She
says even today, the book ‘I Am That’ occupies pride
of place on her bedside table.
“It’s not something that you can just read 5-6 pages,
just half a page at any given time. But over time it has
changed me made me a better and calmer person.”
cooking was not Meena’s passion instead
she loves to meet people, loves having a
beautiful house and very fond of interiors,
gardening and meeting friends.”
All things bright and beautiful, all pleasures
great and small.
A woman can be a wife, a mother and an
entrepreneur.
Live a dream and have A person who does
not blame others because each one is
playing their role in life. So you accept the
world as it is, not as it should be.
And enjoy all the blessings you have.
1. Trace the growth of BIBA into one of India’s largest ethnic wear wholesalers.
2. Explain how Meena Bindra’s venture proved to be A Cut Above the rest.
3. Comment on the way Meena Bindra shaped her passion into profession.

BIBA is a popular brand and a company which was created

under the successful entrepreneurship of Meena Bindra
who turned the humble salwar kameez into a national brand
with annual sales of 300 crores. A business she started to
earn some pocket money led to the creation of, BIBA
Meena after spending twenty years of marriage, home and
family, wanted to do something which can kill the
boredom, keep her busy and also get her some extra
money think of ‘doing something’. What Meena did enjoy
was designing clothes. So she started it. She hadn’t done a
formal course, but she used to dabble with prints and
colours. a few of her own saris block-printed, for fun. In
those days Readymade salwar kameez was a new idea and
every shop was looking for suppliers.In 1982, Meena Bindra
started the company from her home in New Delhi. Her
husband helped her to take a loan of 8000 rupees to start a
small business.Some years later, Bindra allowed her sons,
Sanjay and Siddharth, to help her to manage the business.
Biba opened its first stand-alone store in Mumbai in 2004
1. Trace the growth of BIBA into one of India’s largest ethnic wear wholesalers.
2. Explain how Meena Bindra’s venture proved to be A Cut Above the rest.
3. Comment on the way Meena Bindra shaped her passion into profession.
The family proved to be a big asset. Her first sonSanjay after completion of
education he took over the ‘boring’ side of the business-handling the labour,
taking orders, keeping accounts. It helped Meena to focus wholly and solely on
designing the clothes. The next few years, BIBA grew, more range, more
outlets-not just in Bombay, but all over India. Retailers from Bangalore and
Jaipur placed orders. By 1993, BIBA had become one of India’s largest
ethnic-wear wholesalers. Working with limitations and yet going beyond limits
is the true test of any entrepreneur. And BIBA passed that test by the year 2000,
production had scaled up to 5000 pieces per month, that was the cut above the
rest venture she marked. Demand was never an issue for BIBA as new malls
opened new outlets opened, they needed more stocks. Their tailors and
masters grew along with BIBA. While tailors expected to be paid in cash, the
stores expected credit. BIBA managed its cash flows without bank limits or
overdrafts. Siddharth, her younger son, joined the company in 2002. it was a
turning point for BIBA. Siddharth had visioned to have own retail outlets. BIBA
opened first company-owned outlet in 2004,at Mumbai. The whole company
was restructured and, in 2006, Kishore Biyani bought a 10% stake in BIBA for
Rs. 110 crores. Meena admits that siddarth’s entry made a phenomenal growth
since 2004. For Meena, energy is the force which moves mountains. She then
into do yoga, pranayama, walking and swimming to keep her energy up. she
came across a book called ‘I Am That’ by Nisarga Dutta Maharaj. I didn’t
understand much of it in the beginning, but I started thinking about questions
like ‘who we are’ and ‘what is the purpose of life? Meena read and re-read the
book, and the meaning started sinking in. She bought all the other books by the
same author and motivated by them. She says even today, the book ‘I Am That’
occupies pride of place on her bedside table. All things bright and beautiful, all
pleasures great and small. Cut above the rest to
 THE END

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