Some stories show how creativity and business thinking can come together to build something lasting.Across India’s creator economy, a new generation of women is doing exactly that. They are not just posting content. They are building brands, communities and businesses. Their audiences are not just followers. They are customers, collaborators and believers in the journey. From handcrafted jewellery and travel-inspired design to haircare startups, culinary empires and artisanal ice cream brands, these women turned their passions into scalable ventures. Social media became their storytelling platform, and storytelling became the engine that powered their businesses.
This Women’s Day, here are five creator-entrepreneurs whose journeys show what happens when creativity meets courage.
Simran: Founder-Creator Blending Jewellery, Fashion and Storytelling
Turning slow fashion aesthetics and jewellery styling into a platform for brand building.
Simran, known online through her Instagram presence “Simran in Progress,” represents a growing category of founder-creators who build businesses alongside content.
Her content focuses primarily on lifestyle aesthetics, jewellery styling and minimal fashion inspiration. Creators in this niche often share outfit ideas, styling guides and product showcases that highlight everyday wearability rather than luxury occasion dressing. Simran’s approach leans strongly into the philosophy of slow living and thoughtful fashion.
Through her platform, she promotes jewellery pieces while also documenting the entrepreneurial journey of running a brand.
One of the brands often connected to creator-led jewellery storytelling is DORI, a contemporary jewellery label founded by Bhavya Airan in 2016. Based in Dubai and working closely with Indian artisans, DORI produces handcrafted pieces using traditional jewellery techniques combined with modern aesthetics.
The brand’s philosophy is rooted in everyday wearability. Jewellery, according to the founders, should live alongside its wearer’s daily life rather than sit in boxes waiting for special occasions. Pieces are made in small batches using materials like gold-plated brass, sterling silver, natural stones and hypoallergenic metals.
Simran’s creator journey took an unexpected turn when a brand film associated with her work sparked controversy after being allegedly copied by a leading international actress. The incident brought attention to the originality and storytelling approach used by emerging founder-creators.
Rather than slowing down, the moment amplified her visibility and reinforced a key message for small entrepreneurs: authenticity travels farther than imitation.
Through styling reels, small-business promotion and personal storytelling, Simran continues to grow as both a creator and founder.
Larissa D’Sa: Travel Storytelling That Became a Jewellery Brand
Transforming cinematic travel experiences into a luxury creator-led business.
Larissa D’Sa is one of the most recognised travel creators in India. With around 800K followers on Instagram and over 600K YouTube subscribers, she built her reputation through cinematic travel filmmaking and storytelling-driven content.
Her journey began in 2014 with a Facebook page called We Love Customade, where she sold handmade products such as phone covers and bags. The project later evolved into lifestyle content and eventually led her to YouTube.
Before becoming a full-time creator, Larissa worked as a graphic designer at the social media company Crowdfire. Her background in design and storytelling became a defining advantage when she began creating travel videos.
A viral travel vlog shifted the direction of her career. From there, she built a unique identity around immersive travel experiences, documenting road trips, hiking adventures, surfing and cultural explorations.
Her visual style stands out for its cinematic editing, aesthetic photography and narrative-driven storytelling.
Larissa later expanded her creative identity into business by launching Beyond Larissa, a jewellery label inspired by travel and personal experiences.
The concept behind the brand is simple yet distinctive: jewellery as a wearable souvenir. Each piece is designed to represent memories, journeys and transformation.
The collection includes rings, necklaces, bracelets and earrings, all positioned within a premium design space. The label was relaunched around 2025 with refreshed branding that aligned closely with her travel storytelling identity.
By blending personal narrative with product design, Larissa transformed content into commerce.
Nikita Khanna: The Founder Who Built a ₹100 Crore Haircare Brand
Scaling a D2C startup through research, strategy and digital storytelling.
Nikita Khanna represents a different kind of creator-entrepreneur. While she built her reputation in the startup ecosystem rather than social media, her brand’s growth is closely tied to digital storytelling and online community building.
She is the co-founder of Moxie Beauty, a direct-to-consumer haircare brand created specifically for Indian hair types.
Before entrepreneurship, Nikita worked as a consultant at McKinsey & Company, where she focused on strategy and business transformation. She studied at XLRI – Xavier School of Management and holds a bachelor’s degree from Shaheed Sukhdev College of Business Studies.
Moxie Beauty was launched in 2023 with co-founder Anmol Ahlawat and an initial investment of approximately ₹30 lakh.
The brand addresses a gap in the market: many global haircare companies design products primarily for Western hair types. Indian consumers, dealing with humidity, pollution and diverse hair textures, often require different formulations.
Moxie’s product portfolio now includes 19 haircare products, spanning shampoos, conditioners, leave-in treatments, scalp serums and styling sticks.
Some of the brand’s innovations include advanced dandruff treatment serums combining acids and oils.
The startup scaled quickly:
- INR 17.3 crore seed funding led by Fireside Ventures in 2024
- $15 million Series A funding led by Bessemer Venture Partners in 2025
- Crossed INR 100 crore annual revenue run rate within two years
The brand follows a D2C plus marketplace strategy, selling through its website, Amazon, Nykaa and salon partnerships.
Nikita’s story demonstrates how deep product research combined with a strong digital presence can rapidly scale a modern beauty startup.
Madhura Bachal: The YouTube Chef Who Built a Culinary Empire
From homemade videos to a global Maharashtrian food brand.
Long before Instagram Reels became popular, Madhura Bachal was already building a digital food community.
Born in Pune and originally trained in accounting and taxation, she worked in banking before moving to Chicago in 2007. After becoming a homemaker, she began experimenting with cooking videos.
Around 2009–2010, she launched the YouTube channel Madhura’s Recipe to share authentic Maharashtrian dishes.
At that time, Marathi cooking tutorials were extremely rare online. Her niche focus helped her stand out.
Her early videos were recorded at home using basic cameras and table lamps for lighting.
Today, her brand has grown dramatically.
The Madhura’s Recipe ecosystem includes:
- 3,000+ recipe videos
- 7+ million followers across platforms
- Channels in Marathi, Hindi and English
Her Marathi channel became the first Marathi YouTube channel to cross 4 million subscribers.
Madhura turned her audience into a business through multiple ventures:
Madhura’s Recipe Masala
Launched in 2018, this spice brand offers traditional Maharashtrian blends such as Malvani masala, Goda masala and Byadagi chilli powder.
The idea emerged after fans repeatedly asked how to recreate the flavours of her recipes.
Her products are sold across India through e-commerce platforms, grocery stores and her website.
She also expanded into publishing with bestselling cookbooks and collaborates with major brands including ITC, Dabur, Himalaya, Marico and Reliance Fresh.
Madhura’s success lies in a powerful model:
content → community → product → ecosystem.
Saloni Kukreja: From Viral Recipes to a Premium Ice Cream Brand
Turning creative dessert experiments into a fast-growing food startup.
Chef and creator Saloni Kukreja built her digital presence through creative dessert recipes and modern twists on traditional Indian flavours.
With nearly 1 million Instagram followers, she quickly became known for inventive recipes such as rasmalai cheesecake, pistachio baklava ice cream and ragi hot chocolate.
Her professional background includes a diploma in Culinary Arts and Pastry from the Northwest Culinary Academy in Vancouver.
Before launching her own brand, she worked in restaurants and food companies across Canada and India. Her social media presence later helped her transition into full-time content creation.
Saloni’s entrepreneurial leap came in 2023 when she launched Indu Ice Cream in Mumbai.
The concept behind the brand combines Indian dessert nostalgia with modern artisanal ice cream techniques.
Popular flavours include:
- Pistachio Baklava
- Malai Custard
- Filter Coffee
- Kulfi-inspired varieties
Initially, production was outsourced to test demand. As the brand grew, Indu opened its own micro-factory and production kitchen in Bandra, allowing greater control over quality and flavour experimentation.
The ice creams are now sold through Swiggy, Zomato and direct online orders.
Saloni’s impact in the food space earned her a spot in Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia (2025) and an appearance as a guest judge on MasterChef India Season 7.
Her journey perfectly reflects the creator-to-product model shaping the modern food industry.