In India, an IIT or IIM degree is seen as a golden ticket to success. It guarantees high-paying jobs, a respectable position in society, and financial stability – everything a middle-class family dreams of. So when someone willingly walks away from this secure path, people are quick to call them foolish, stupid even. After all, who gives up a corporate job to start something uncertain? But Radhika Munshi did just that.
Radhika Munshi’s life was textbook perfect – an IIT Roorkee and IIM Ahmedabad graduate, a topper at IIM, and a high-paying corporate job. She was exactly where she had planned to be, but if someone had told her five years ago that she’d quit it all to sell sarees, she would have laughed.
“I have a degree… two actually (from IIT and IIM), if you’re wondering. Five years ago, if someone had told me I would be selling sarees, I would have laughed,” she wrote on Instagram.
Despite her corporate success, she realized the 9-to-5 life wasn’t for her. It was during that time that she realized that saree brands weren’t catering to modern, working women. That realization led to Anorah, the saree brand she launched in 2023.
“Five years ago, I was only focused on landing the highest-paying job. But building something of my own, despite the ups and downs, is far more rewarding than any paycheck,” she wrote.
Of course, the transition wasn’t easy. Leaving behind financial security was daunting, and there were moments of doubt. But her customers’ loyalty reassured her.
“When they kept coming back, I knew I was on the right path,” she said.
Today she has built a brand with a dedicated customer base, and the love she receives is overwhelming.
“When we read the DMs on how much our customers love our sarees, it just fills our hearts with so much pride. Life takes unexpected turns… and I’m so happy mine turned out this way,” she shared.
It takes a great deal of courage to keep one’s IIT and IIM degrees and social judgement aside to chase their true calling.
Kudos to Radhika for paving the way for many more people to follow their hearts!