An MBA in sales and marketing with 13 years of corporate experience Sinami Shetye took the plunge from being an employee to being a boss by setting up her own venture to manufacture women’s sanitary napkins in Goa. In a chat with The Goan, the young entrepreneur shares the motives to start her own company
BHARATI PAWASKAR
This is a story of a small town girl who through her grit, determination and persistence not only became an entrepreneur but also took up a mission to spread awareness about women’s hygiene through her talks, events and camps on menstrual education.
Sinami Shetye, owner of Sinami Hygiene Company (SHC) that produces sanitary napkins under the brand name ‘Hy Femme’ in Goa, is very happy to see some people’s outlook being changed towards women’s menstruation due to her various awareness campaigns.
“There is nothing wrong in discussing personal hygiene on public platforms. Why should one be ashamed of talking openly on this subject? Yes, it was considered to be a taboo some decades ago but that was a long time ago. Today, times have changed,” says Sinami on the reason for her public outreach.
Explaining her reasons for starting a sanitary napkin manufacturing unit, Sinami says, “Hy Femme sanitary napkin brand is not just a ‘say no to cloth’ initiative, but it’s much more than that. I chose to research on menstruation, menstrual hygiene and social work because I have a passion for working with people and helping others in whatever I can. Growing up with a sister who has autism gave me a different perspective on the world. I always knew I wanted to go into a field where I could help others.”
The Goan entrepreneur claims her product is of high absorbent quality and it is available is all the major pharmacies across the state.
The company was set up on January 1, 2019. Since its inception, the company has focused on creating awareness about women’s hygiene. Sinami has personally conducted menstrual hygiene camps in the schools and villages across the state.
“My career began in 2004 after the completion of my BBA. Initially, I took up a part-time job as an intern for sales and marketing. At that point of time I was 18. And I guess, that’s when my projects, my creativity and my skills impressed the corporates. Over time, it paved the way to several academy awards. Today I am an MBA in Sales and Marketing,” said Sinami who is successfully managing her production plant at Corlim Industrial Estate. Her team helps her to achieve her targets and score best of the results.
Sinami is an ideal example how a career can be built from scratch on the strong foundation of determination and confidence. Even though her parents could afford to pay for her education, she chose to take an education loan.
After working for 13 years in the corporate field, Sinami took the plunge to be her own boss. “The only reason was, I chose to work for myself (rather then for others) and wished to turn some of my dreams into reality. I saw a dreamt of becoming a successful lady entrepreneur. I also wanted to offer similar opportunities to others who worked with me. And believe me, I am not exaggerating, I am almost living my dream now,” Sinami explained.
She launched her product in regular size. The cost of soft version pack of Hy Femme is Rs 28 and the dry net costs Rs 30. Hy Femme in XL size and ultra-thin size will be launched in this month. “Besides this, I have more exciting products lined up,” the entrepreneur claims.
Sinami explains that for anyone to achieve their dream, they need to have a detailed plan and should be disciplined enough to follow through with it.
From being a BBA student to a successful career in the coporate sector and then venturing into the business world, Sinami has seen many ups and downs and has enjoyed the support of her family throughout her journey.
