Niketa Sharma is a passionate entrepreneur who began her career as the CEO of her family’s hospitality firm. Coming from a financial background, she pursued her interest in the business field. Initially, the now-restaurateur aspired to be a journalist because she wanted to “make things and give meaning to them.” She then moved on to hotel management school, where she learned how to manage and administer a hotel. Niketa shares with Bidisha Barik how her business path since early age was driven by her desire to establish a magnificent hotel.
When she was 22 years old, the restaurateur decided to enter the business world. Niketa received a lot of support from her parents as an investor in her idea to start her own business in the early years. She expresses appreciation while highlighting the success of the parent company’s four eateries. As the family’s eldest daughter, she was granted unlimited financial independence as well as power and responsibility in pursuing her own profession. “My parents always taught me that it’s up to me to make it or break it,” Niketa explains.
Niketa developed the Magna Cafe and Bar venture in 2022, which was delayed due to the COVID pandemic, but was successfully launched in the evolving and growing city right on time. She shares the importance of demand and supply, “If I had opened Magna seven years ago, people would have received a cultural shock. As a result, I feel this is a good moment to shatter preconceptions,” she says. Her goal of opening a stylish and stunning boutique hotel and a chain of restaurants keeps her going. She has shown a strong desire to work in a position that allows her to meet new people and connect with fresh ideas on a daily basis.
Her belief is that maintaining a strong connection with coworkers and respecting others’ opinions while working in a team is the key to dealing with bad days, and while she encourages her employees to be vocal about their ideas, she also ensures that she brings the emotional connection to the workplace. “
If my chef believes a certain ingredient brings out a greater flavour, I have to follow his opinion and look into the alternative, because he is trained in it,” Niketa adds.
The creator discussed how meticulous she is about décor and ambience, stating that everyone wants to be in a location that gives off a positive feeling while enjoying wonderful food. Magna Cafe and Bar will be expanded by Niketa in Mumbai and Pune, as well as other locations where the cuisine is loved and new venues are discovered. Good cuisine that is also affordable is a difficult nut to crack, and her goal is to reach out to all of those establishments to create a premium atmosphere.
Quick Take:
Believe in your concept and do it. Don’t let the fear take over!
One quote to live by?
One piece of advice to women entrepreneurs struggling in the male-dominant industry?
I live by this quote by Ratan Tata, “First take the decision and then make it right.”
