From IT to Fashion: The Journey of Ramya Devanathan

“Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it is”, a powerful quote said by Ramya Devanathan. She is an entrepreneur, Founder, and Creative Director of Madras Sarees. Ramya Devanathan’s journey from IT executive to fashion entrepreneur reflects adaptability and keen business acumen. 

Ramya has an experience of 18 years in corporate IT delivery management and 3 years in entrepreneurship. Ramya Devanathan’s life and career are a testament to the power of dreams, determination, and the courage to embrace change. Her story is a reminder that with vision, hard work, and an unwavering commitment to one’s values, anything is possible. As she continues to leave her mark on the fashion industry and beyond, Ramya remains a shining example of what it means to be a true leader and innovator.

This article tells her story from the beginning, how she got into the entrepreneur field, what challenges she faced during the beginning of the company, what are her achievements, and what qualities a leader should have to lead the company.

Introduction:

Ramya Devanathan is a BE in Computer Science graduate, passionate about technology and corporate management.  She has experience in both corporate IT delivery management for 18 years and entrepreneurship for 3 years in the fashion industry. Transitioning into her own business as the Founder and Creative Director of Madras Sarees demonstrates her entrepreneurial spirit and ability to enter and succeed in new markets.

Her company Madras Sarees specializes in corporate wear, daily wear, occasional wear, and celebrity hit products, along with a unique customer base of 20,000 worldwide, underscores her business's reach and diversity in product offerings. This breadth proves that she successfully positioned the brand to appeal to various segments of the market, from everyday consumers to high-profile clients. As an entrepreneur, Madras Sarees developed a unique tribe of 20000+ unique customer base, and they created their website in April 2024, which they have a great response as they have sold more than 5000 sarees in just 2 months. They also have a YouTube channel with the name Madras Sarees, where they post regular content.  With corporate IT, she was leading offshore development teams to significantly increase revenue with her strong leadership and strategic skills.

Challenges and Achievements:

Ramya’s journey to a successful entrepreneur is full of challenges. When she started her own company, she had to face a new market and establish her company in that market. Similarly, when they started selling online, they faced issues around online fraudulent payments, common issues faced by companies.

She said that her greatest accomplishment is her family. She added, “It may not seem like an accomplishment to most people, but in my eyes it is huge”. Another significant achievement of her career is mentoring a coworker. She believes that mentoring her coworkers is her strength, in her office life and her boss used to call her a ‘people leader’ at her work.

Her achievements also include improving customer experience. Madras Sarees has an ardent customer base for Madras Sarees. Their unique collection and customer service will hold them tight with us.

She received the SITA award in 2023 for best startup in the fashion category. She was also featured in Kumudam Snehidhi and Anandha Vikatan. She also has been a guest of honor at Rajalakshmi Engg College, Sri Venkateswara College of Engg., Saveetha Engg. College. Moreover, she participated in talk shows on All India Radio and Neeya Naana for 3 times.

Personal Insights:

To maintain a work-life balance, she has set clear boundaries between work and personal life, established work hours, and created a designated workspace. She always identifies the most important tasks and responsibilities and sets clear and realistic goals for both her personal and professional life.  

To achieve this she does things like take breaks, go on vacation every 2 months, and plan her breaks well. She also Took care of herself, she said: “ I will make time for my self-care, I do yoga daily morning and my Saturday evening is for my friends”. At last, she sought support, she said “I ask for guidance or support when needed within family and friends”.

Her core values or principles, that help her to guide through the tough times are collaboration, honesty, excellence, and joy. Collaborative wisdom and diverse thinking, Honesty in dealings, Always holding to high standards putting forth to best work every time and Always finding unique ways to bring joy to my customers and employees. These are some values that she carried herself throughout the year and that helped her to become a successful entrepreneur.

Impact and Visions:

Talking about her leadership style, she finds leading with delegation is the best way to identify the team's strengths and leads to optimized results. She firmly believes in leading with transparency and communication. As a leader, she believes in leading with example. Actions speak louder than words, and she strives to set a positive and inspiring example for her team members to follow.

Talking about the future of Madras Sarees, she said that they are currently working on a project to bring back our 80's and 90's heroine sarees in action. Also, they are curating sarees exclusively for corporate employees with unique stylish blouses.

Her goal regarding Madras Saree is to serve customers with genuine and unique products at the right cost. She has a great aim for her company, she aims that every Indian female should have at least one Madras Sarees product with them.

Conclusion:

Ramya’s advice to young women is to be passionate about the work they are doing. She advises “Don't be afraid to take on calculative risks. You should know where you will fall when you fall”.  She also says to keep learning and be curious about the work you do. She also tells them to know your limits and set boundaries with yourself and others.