"All Problems Are Small If You Choose To Solve Them": Nikita Kumawat on Building Brandworks Technologies

Entrepreneurship often begins with curiosity and the courage to try something new. For Nikita Kumawat, the co-founder of Brandworks Technologies, the journey from being an engineer and consultant to building a thriving manufacturing organisation has been shaped by resilience, experimentation, and a constant urge to create impact.

Today, Brandworks Technologies employs over 1,200 people directly and impacts nearly 3,000 families indirectly, supporting leading brands by designing and manufacturing innovative products. Here is an insightful conversation with Nikita Kumawat on building and scaling Brandworks Technologies, embracing AI, and inspirations.

This is part of our FounderHer series, where we spotlight inspiring women entrepreneurs and their unique journeys. If you are a woman founder, apply for our flagship Womenpreneur Awards 2026 and Nomination Form Here.

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Early Life: Curiosity and The Urge to Build Something

I am a person who has always been driven by curiosity and energy. At 37, I balance running a company and growing a company while also being a mother to a 7-year-old son. Coming from a modest family, my upbringing played a crucial role in shaping my outlook. My father worked in service, and my mother was a homemaker. They gave me the education and exposure I needed, but I always felt there was more to explore.

Trained as an electronics engineer, I worked with several multinational companies, gaining valuable corporate exposure. However, I still felt the urge to build something of my own.

During the early 2010’s, the rise of India’s digital startups captured my attention. I realised that technology could create opportunities for anyone willing to experiment. This curiosity eventually led me to launch my first entrepreneurial experiment, StartupBuzz, which focused on blogs on emerging startups. Later, I ventured into product businesses such as Custom Shape and Soul Fit, which eventually failed. Yet, these early failures laid the foundation of  Brandworks Technologies.

From Consulting to Entrepreneurship

Before stepping into the entrepreneurial world, I had a promising corporate career. After completing my MBA, I worked with consulting firms, including Ernst & Young (EY). Quitting a stable consulting role to start a business was a defining moment of my life. It was a big jolt. When you leave a stable job, the biggest question is, what's next?

Fortunately, I had a strong support system. Former colleagues reassured me that if nothing works out, we'll take you back. That safety net gave me the confidence to leap.

As I navigated the early stages of entrepreneurship, I realised that it was more than having a good idea; it was about mastering risk-taking, leadership, customer management, product lifecycle planning, and innovation. Hence, you never build a business alone; you create a community of people who believe in what you are building.

The Vision Behind Brandworks Technologies

Brandworks Technologies was founded with a distinctive vision. Rather than building its own consumer brand, the company positioned itself as a 'brand behind the brand.' The organisation operates as an R&D-led OEM, ODM, and EMS company that helps leading brands design and manufacture safe, reliable, and high-quality products.

As the co-founder, I initially handled almost every aspect to build and scale the company, from governance and finance to operations and team building. Presently, the company has dedicated leaders for sales, finance, and operations, while I focus on governance, strategic decisions, and mentoring the next set of leaders.

Challenges of Building and Scaling a Business

Building and scaling a business are two very different areas. In the early stages, you build your identity and showcase your services to the consumer. The biggest challenge is creating products that customers are willing to buy, also called 'product-market fit'. It takes years of iteration to get the right product at the right price.

Once the foundation is built, the next challenge is scaling the business. To manage this, we built an in-house entrepreneurship model where employees are allowed to launch new product lines within the company using its manufacturing infrastructure. This approach helped us to expand from two business verticals to four while having our own strategy. Some might work, some might not, but it helps you to scale, to diversify, and reach out to brighter markets. Scaling is not linear; it's about continuously solving problems and unlocking new opportunities.

AI: An Enabler, Not a Threat

With AI transforming industries worldwide, it has both pros and cons. I believe AI to be a powerful enabling tool and not a replacement for human innovation. We will always have something unique as humans, and AI just pushes us to think more creatively. Brandworks is already preparing for this shift by investing in AI-driven hardware products, including AI note-taking devices and AI glasses. We are also working on integrating AI into internal workflows and product development processes. Our goal is to ensure every employee proudly says that they use AI in their work. We want people to feel empowered, not threatened by it.

Empowering Women in Manufacturing

One of the most unique aspects of Brandworks Technologies is its workforce. We have nearly 70% female employees working in electronics manufacturing roles that require precision and attention to detail. This was partly intentional and partly a natural outcome of operating in areas where local women were eager for employment opportunities. 

We provide transportation, training, and safety infrastructure to ensure a supportive workplace. For our women employees, working in electronics manufacturing rather than the traditional labour force showcases a sense of pride. They take pride in saying that they make electronic products like Bluetooth speakers, as it upgrades their skills and confidence.

Advice for Emerging Women Entrepreneurs

I want every woman to explore entrepreneurship, specifically in emerging sectors like AI and manufacturing. I urge young founders to act quickly on their ideas. Your speed of acting on an idea decides your fate. I also emphasise a crucial skill that many founders may overlook: financial discipline. Anyone who wants to run a business must understand finance. It is the most critical resource in building products and scaling companies.

Further, I believe that aspiring entrepreneurs should develop a broad understanding of all business functions, from marketing and operations to product development.

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