Women Entrepreneurs of Digital South Asia
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IBNS: With the number of social media users expected to touch six billion in 2027, a new, dynamic market is emerging. South Asian women entrepreneurs are here to reach that whole new world of consumers as they break the stereotypes and patriarchal norms. Anum Hanif, Lubna Jerar Naqvi, Shreya Pareek and Zeba Warsi report from across the border
Thirty-one-year-old Kriti Gupta has a busy morning ahead. She needs to get her daughter ready for school while her toddler demands her attention. Amid this hustle, Gupta’s phone chimes. It’s an Instagram notification.
One of her clients has left a thank-you message for the timely delivery and premium quality of soap she sold on the social networking app. Gupta is a social media entrepreneur who has built a credible brand of customized soaps and toiletries.
Nearly 500 miles away, in Karachi, Pakistan Sara Zafar Mir is busy making her own money. Like Gupta, she too is running her own little online empire. She specializes in premium baby products and Facebook is her social media platform of choice. Every day, she reaches more than 150,000 followers who are all potential buyers, bringing to them customized baby clothes and postpartum care packages at the click of a button. She leads this while also raising two young pre-teens.
Mir said: “I am blessed to have a supportive husband and in-laws, who go out of their way to help me in my work. Both my kids help me in my business. It is great to be able to lean on family when needed.”
Both Gupta and Mir may be separated by the India-Pakistan border, but their similarities far outweigh their differences. They both belong to a new generation of South Asian boss ladies who are taking social media by storm.
They’re creating unique online businesses. They use Instagram, WhatsApp, and Facebook, not just to post selfies, or share pictures of their baby showers and family dinners but to earn a livelihood, chase their dreams, and be financially independent.
Over 4.26 billion people use social media worldwide, a number projected to increase to almost six billion in 2027. That’s where a new, dynamic market is emerging, and South Asian women entrepreneurs are here to reach that whole new world of consumers. They are breaking…
