SPOT ON

“Spot” On

Aditi    is  a  lady  with  a vision,  the  will  and  the  determination  to succeed. A  mother,  a wife,  a daughter  and  a sister who  has  skilfully  juggled  her work  and  social  commitments  to merit  mention  with  the  best!  Aditi was born and brought up in where  her  father  was  posted,initially  as  an  army offcer  in  the RVC  (Remount & Veterinary  Corps.)and later as the Head of Department Medicine, in the .She went  on  to do MBA  from , NOIDA. Topping in her frst semester, she  paved  her  way  to  recognition  and  fnally  a scholarship to complete the last year of her course in the , . She joined Pernod Ricard  (Seagram) as Regional Executive , handling all defence accounts. It is here that she met her husband, Lt. Col. Surya Mukherji, who was then the ADC to GOC Area. An offcer of  the 4/3 Gorkha Rifes, he is presently on a UN mission to . He honoured her decision to continue with her career after marriage and  has given  her  unstinted  support  since.  Realising the need to spend more time with her husband, who has spent more than half his professional life on the borders and her two adorable kids (Ria, 7 & Aryaan, 4), she gave up her promising  future  in Pernod Ricard,  to  start her own venture.Along with  two other  friends as partners she manages a company called  the Archee Group with a  turnover of 45 crores today, having projects in interiors and clients like Wipro, IBM, Airtel and Aircel. The company has to their credit the artfully designed DGBR Offce, Artillery Offcer’s Mess and  the ENC Kashmir House Conference Hall  among  various  other  establishments.  Aditi  is creating  a strategic  roadmap  for  the  company  to  grow into a 100 crore plus company, by the end of three years.She  is  spearheading  the  expansion  of  the  company into  two  verticals  under  her  leadership;  hospitality- with Aditi as CEO and fashion- in partnership with her brother Akshaya Singh Chauhan (ex. Director, Planning and Operations, FDCI). Presently  she  is  spending  all  her energy into  the  resurrection  of  a 150  cover,  multi-cuisine  restaurant called  ‘Spot’, in  the Global Business Park,  Gurgaon;  catering  mainly  to corporate clients. With an investment of  2  crores and a 40 member  staff  it is the frst venture of their hospitalityvertical.  Aditi  envisions  opening many such outlets in the future. MBA  jargon  is  part  of  her  regular lingua  and  she  spells  out  strategic advice like a pro. Not employing any consultants  to  start  her  business venture,  she  relied only on her experience and hard work to carve a place for her  in the competitive corporate world. Her success mantra  is  to have a clear vision of one’s  long  term and short  term  goals  and  to  be  fexible  enough to  take mid-term  corrections  by  regularly  reviewing  present day situations and aims. “Do not allow anyone  to  take advantage of you, not even your family. Learn to leverage your  opportunities  and  change  your  weaknesses into your strengths”, says Aditi.  Delicately balancing her career and her family Aditi has carved  a  niche  for  herself  in  the  portals  of  corporate bigwigs. With her  strength,  confdence and hard work she  has  been  able  to  realise her  vision.  She  believes that  every  obstacle  in  life  should  be  capitalised as an opportunity  to grow,  just as  she  invested  the years spent away  from her husband,  into her career,  instead of moping around. With  the  invaluable support  of  her  mother,  he  has carved out an easy existence where she is able to devote quality  time  to her children, while also  taking out  the time  to meet  the  innumerable  commitments  of  her job. She  is  thankful  to  the secure environments of  the cantonments where she could leave her children behind with ease and the spirit of camaraderie which never let her loose heart, even when alone.

By Poonam Talwar Sayal