Avanti Kotasthane : Inspirational Life Journey
Avanti Kotasthane is originally from Solapur wife of Amol Kotasthane, from Shirdi, and she belongs to a reputed and decent family backgrounds. Unlike any other woman, she was living a very beautiful life running her own Hotel in Shirdi which brought them huge respect out there in their city. Her life was going very smoothly until she had to leave Shirdi and shift to Pune because of her Kids which took a huge turn and changed her life.
At that time she and her husband had a very tiny amount in their pockets to survive. Brainstorming about what to do in Pune, they initially started making chiwada, laddoo, and all other Diwali Faral/ snacks items and sold them door to door. Then they searched for vendors for papads and some products like mango pulp, Amla juice, and other famous delicacies. Side by side they started to take catering orders too! But this was not enough for them. They wanted to do something big.
After lots of discussions, they decided to take a shop for rent in Sai Vision Complex in Pimple Saudagar, Pune. And the journey of Avanti Shoppy begins from here. They started a retail super shopping mall!
The neighborhood she lived in was a developing one and in the beginning very quiet. Also, people didn't have good access to shop so nobody came up for a purchase. She became very tense but her husband always had her back and gave her moral support and told her not to worry and that this too shall pass. Then within one year, they purchased one more shop right beside the first one. The whole family was really happy seeing the growth along with this she started manufacturing Diwali faral/ snacks and sold it in India as well as exported to international countries like Singapore, the USA, and Scotland. Before the covid pandemic, they exported over 6000 kg abroad and in India. In 2020, the pandemic came and because of covid restrictions, for two years she wasn’t able to supply any goods abroad. But from this year she will be going to start again!
Things changed all of a sudden and there was a short-termed stagnancy in the business. She went into depression and her life was disturbed. Her husband, children, and parents always stood behind her and they all took her out of this phase. And gradually, to bring back that excitement and effectiveness in business, she started a catering business, and slowly look after the shop as well.
Apart from Avanti Shoppy business, she is also engaged in a regular community service too! She along with her family always help orphan and AIDS-affected children. They have regularly visited a Pune-based foundation, "Mamta Foundation" and have donated clothes, food, and daily supply items to such children. In the pandemic, she helped many Purohits and priests across Maharashtra by providing them with a month's groceries. She has also helped municipal corporation cleaning staff, and the police by providing them with cold drinks, buttermilk, and snacks during the March 2020 lockdown, when they were the only ones working in the broad sunlight. Also, along with this, they have provided tiffins to many covid patients.
In July 2021 they further planned to expand their business and for that, they decided to start another outlet of "Avanti Shoppy". It was not very easy now to manage a big shop and its expenses. Since they did not have much capital to initiate this enterprise. In September 2021, they took a loan, and then the work for interior design began with the help of this money. But every step was too hard as it was a very huge project and for that, they required fixtures and stock materials worth at least Rs 2 crores, and this was very challenging for them. They approached the SBI bank for another business loan under CGTMS Scheme. This procedure consumed a lot of time and they ran out of patience. Hence they decided to close the running business at Pimple Saudagar and shifted to the new shop so that the goods of the previous shop could be used in the new one.
Hurray! Avanti Shoppy's new unit was successfully inaugurated on 17 October 2021 with new hopes and greater ambitions. With the same positivity, another good news got added to the list. During Diwali time they got their loan sanctioned.
Now, Avanti has become a brand at Hinjewadi. This has happened only because she and her husband and Amol were together and trust each other. With their two children, Saideep's and Apurva's support, their parents, and her late father-in-law, Dr. Avinash Kotasthane's blessing, They are now running a full-fledged business in Hinjewadi. We all believe that one day, Avanti Shoppy will be a national as well as a global success.
