HZ Exclusive: How Aakanksha Bhargava Made It Big In A Male-Dominated Industry

“Time can never change our will, courage, and determination to chase our dreams. It can make or break you but it can’t stop you!”

This is the leadership mantra that Aakanksha Bhargava swears by as she moves up the ladder of success every day in her life. In an exclusive interview with Bhavishya Bir from HerZindagi, Bhargava took us through her journey that inspired many women to dream big.

At the age of 21, Bhargava joined the legacy business of her family, PM Relocations, the one she had always identified herself with. Being an MBA grad and having a creative mind, it was astonishing for her father when he found out how inclined she was in joining the business. She told us, “He thought that I would maintain the business at the same level but when the rapid expansion started happening to our company, he was taken aback.”

Making It Big In A Male Dominated Industry

This industry is hands down, naturally labour-intensive. From packing to moving, the whole process demands a lot of physical effort, lifting, loading, unloading, and transitioning. But what it also demands from the back end is proper coordination, management, supervision, decision-making, and problem-solving. The popular notion asserts that labour-intensive jobs are for men. However, other aspects also need to be taken care of.

Women have functioned as the manager of their households for ages now. Their cognitive abilities allow them to supervise & manage every aspect that a relocation industry could demand of them. And abiding by the same reasoning, even though termed a “male-dominated sector”, the mobility sector requires women the most.

She said, “Initially, I was considered an “underdog” in the industry, the one who wasn’t competitive enough to meet the demands of the sector. However, it was my zeal to prove this popular perception wrong that kept me going. I allowed myself maximum exposure and went all out to do the first job I undertook.” She did it all to prove what she was capable of.

“It took 16 years of hard work, passion, perseverance, and teamwork to reach the heights we are positioned at and the ones we aim to progress in,” Bhargava noted

“But above all, for me, what it demanded was a commitment to the vision and the right intent. Irrespective of one’s gender, age, or expertise, if one works with those values and is open to new learnings every single day, nothing is unconquerable,” she said.

Her Inspiration

She said, “ I admire my father the most for the kind of nurturing, guidance, and exposure he has allowed me.” He has always been the guiding light of her life. The unwavering hard work and dedication he put forth for the company were the major driving forces behind her zeal for joining & working for it as well.

As a kid, she would accompany him to client sites & warehouse visits. This enabled her to observe and learn everything from the ground level, the basics of packing & moving.

Challenges In The Industry

From the entrepreneurial aspect, one of the major challenges has been sustaining through the price-sensitive economy. In the Indian market, people have had a behaviour of valuing quantity over quality. In such a situation quality-driven legacies have often been challenged.

The term "relocation" is not well known among the general public. Because of this lack of knowledge, fewer people contact such companies to move their goods. They simply go about packing and moving their valuables themselves, rather than hiring a professional to do so safely and securely for them.

There is no entry-level barrier in India to participate in the Policy-Making Forum. To begin working in this industry, no certifications or accreditations are required. The GST markup is frequently manipulated, and the percentage of taxes levied exceeds the point at which businesses must struggle and sacrifice their targets and planned revenue. As a result, overall costs rise, leaving less room for growth and scalability.

However, Bhargava, along with her team, was successful in overcoming all obstacles.

Support System

She said, “I have never had any male counterparts by my side who believed in the gendered curve that distinguished men and women in the workplace. My father has always believed in me for making possible what might have seemed impossible before it was executed. It is through his constant support and the values both my parents raised me with that I could challenge the stereotypical approach of society towards working women and do wonders as a female entrepreneur in a sector which is otherwise termed ‘male-dominated’.”

She also considers herself to be lucky to be married to someone who supports her through every hardship in life, and encourages her to learn and grow every day.

She said, “He has been a constant support for me, a dear friend, a great business companion, and a beautiful partner.”

“I don’t feel like there has ever been a point where any of the men at the workstation felt demotivated or threatened by my position. We are proud of being a company run by a woman. We participate in decision-making, problem-solving, move managing, team building, and all sorts of such activities that help with the betterment of the company together and stay as one unified family, the PMR family’” she said.

Advice For Young Women

She said, “My words of advice to all the women aiming for leadership roles out there would be that no matter how many roadblocks are in our way, or how many challenges we get to face every day, we are going to be the masters at achieving what we set our mind to.”

She feels that what we need is the right intent, passion for the vision, and consistency in reaching our goals. “There might be 'n' number of hurdles in our way, but none of them could defeat us. We should just keep going and not look back till we reach the destination we intended for. We shouldn’t be intimidated or convinced to stop what we’re doing. If the intent is right, nothing is going to be invincible.”

We should also keep contributing to the welfare of society and the environment as we pave the way to success because there is nothing as satisfying as the act of giving. “This love and compassion will help you gather blessings and reach unimagined heights,” she added.

For more such stories, stay tuned to HerZindagi!