BY DEBAJYOTI CHAKRABORTY
MUMBAI | 7 MARCH 2026
Q1. Women’s Day is often a moment of reflection. Looking back at your journey, what inspired you to build Mokai and take the leap into entrepreneurship?
A. Mokai really came from a personal love for spaces that bring people together. I’ve always believed that a café is much more than just a place to grab coffee, it’s where conversations begin, ideas are shared, and communities form. When I started Mokai, the vision was to create a space that felt warm, thoughtful, and welcoming. The journey wasn’t always straightforward, but the passion to build something meaningful kept me going. For me, Mokai represents the courage to follow an idea and slowly shape it into something real.
Q2. The F& B industry can be incredibly demanding. What were some of the biggest challenges you faced while building Mokai, and how did you navigate them?
A. The biggest challenge is learning to balance creativity with the realities of running a business. In the café industry, everything from operations to consistency to customer experience has to work seamlessly every single day. In the early days, there were moments of uncertainty and a lot of learning on the go. What helped me navigate that was staying patient, being open to feedback, and building a team that shared the same passion for the brand. Over time, you realize that every challenge is also shaping you as a founder.
Q3. Mokai is known for being more than just a café, it feels like a community space. How did you approach building that sense of connection?
A. From the beginning, the idea was to create a place where people feel comfortable spending time, whether they’re meeting friends, working, or simply taking a pause in their day. That meant focusing not only on the menu but also on the atmosphere, the design, and the experience.
We’ve always tried to listen closely to our customers and evolve with them. When people begin to treat the café as their regular spot, that’s when you know you’ve created something meaningful.
Q4. As a woman founder, what has leadership looked like for you while building Mokai?
A. Leadership, for me, has been about empathy and resilience. Running a business requires decisiveness, but it also requires understanding people, your team, your customers, and the community around you. As a woman founder, I’ve learned that you don’t need to fit into a traditional leadership mould. You can lead with authenticity, intuition, and collaboration, and those qualities can be incredibly powerful in building a brand and a team culture.
Q5. On Women’s Day, what message would you share with women who aspire to start something of their own?
A. I would say trust your instinct and don’t be afraid to start, even if you don’t have everything figured out. Entrepreneurship is a journey of constant learning, and no one truly has all the answers in the beginning. What matters most is belief in your vision and the willingness to keep going through both the highs and the lows. Women bring a unique perspective to building businesses, and the more we step forward with our ideas, the more inspiring stories we’ll see come to life.
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