Dr. Shweta Singh

On inquiring from Dr. Shweta Singh, Where did the idea to start something like this come from? Please also talk us through your background and your journey as a womenpreneur; she replied;

The instinct to start an IPR firm started when I was pursuing my IPR program from the WIPO, where people were criticizing Indians, claiming that Indians are highly intellectual, but not competent enough to safeguard their property. That’s why India had a very weak IP ecosystem and India’s are way behind in global innovation Index ranking. Since that very moment, I was intent that once I am back in India, I shall work for it. Hence after coming back, I started working in the IP industry and with academia. Post gaining experience and finding more core problems i.e IP pain points in academia and start-ups I started Ennoble IP. And the main story behind starting WIEF is my own journey toward being an entrepreneur and struggle for creating my own identity. When I look back to the time when I was still working towards achieving the dream of becoming an entrepreneur I remembered facing many problems especially because of the fact that I was a woman hailing from a small town where women had very limited exposure to opportunities. My struggles became the primary source of my inspiration to start something to support other women who hail from small towns and cities as they get very less exposure to the business ecosystem compared to those who come from metros and tier 1 & 2 cities. I realized that women are still far behind in achieving equal rights, and the main problem lies in the patriarchal system of our society which considers women as mere subordinates to men and creates different types of methods to subjugate them. I realized that there was a need for acknowledgment about the situation that lurks upon our society, which ranges from violence against women to lack of nutritional needs.

On inquiring about, Why did you choose entrepreneurship over a job? Dr. Shweta Singh apprised that;

When I got a pre-placement in MBA, the first thing my dad said to me was that if I had the proficiency to be recruited by someone else it means I do possess enormous potential. So, instead of working for someone else why don’t I work for myself in a direction where I can actually make a difference to the world? And since I always had the vision to do something on my own and make my unique identity of myself, I knew that entrepreneurship was a way to do that. Along with this, I knew being an entrepreneur I will always have an opportunity to do something for the society and change lives. Therefore, I chose Entrepreneurship over a job.

On inquiring about her source of motivation, Dr. Shweta apprised that;

I always try to find a new source of motivation every day. Initially, my parents gave me the greatest motivation to become self-independent and make my own identity. Further, my own journey and the gratification of overcoming obstacles is my greatest motivator. The feeling of accomplishment that comes with exceeding challenging goals is what drew me to start up my career in IP. Also, I’m motivated by the fact that, when I leave work at the end, I know I have helped some women and helped some start-up in putting afoot in this never-ending competitive world. Along with this, all the people from my company motivates me in some or other way.

On inquiring about the uniqueness of her startup WIEF i.e Ennoble IP & Women Innovation & Entrepreneurship Foundation, Dr.Shweta Singh recounts that;

The uniqueness of my enterprise lies in the fact that we aim to support and empower the people who are relatively newer in their businesses. We work for the IP generation and protection of small and medium enterprises, start-ups, and educational institutions which boosts their economies and as a result work toward the development of the economy of the country. And if I talk about WIEF, it is dedicated to the cause of empowering women so that they could achieve their full economic potential. We seek to inspire women from both rural and urban areas so that they become advocates of change, innovators, leaders, and decision-makers who can bring a much-needed change in their community. WIEF is helping the women aware of their ability and make them aware of various government initiatives, it not only helps to start their own business but will also support them with entrepreneurial, marketing and financial guidance and monitor their growth for coming years. The vision of WIEF will help the women to overcome the various societal barriers and change their mindset which will help them to be vocal about the much-needed change in society and be independent.

On inquiring, how did she handles the pressure and manage stress when comes in her way, Dr. Shweta said that;

Honestly, pressure and stress are a part and parcel of life. I have learned to be aware as well as acknowledge it fully. Also, there are two kinds of pressure. One that’s the survival kind and the other one that pushes you to grow. As long as it’s the latter (growth), I don’t mind it! It helps in learning something new and improving myself. Moreover, I don't like to let stress take over a situation. Instead, I like to stay focused on the task at hand. For example, if a client isn't happy with our services, instead of dwelling on it, I like to focus on proactively communicating with them. I like to get to the bottom of the issue, troubleshoot it, and then find a common ground that'll allow us to move forward. Moreover, I'm a very foodie person. I like to try different cuisines, so when stressed, I love going out and trying different cuisines and spend some quality time with my kid. This works as the best stress-busting therapy for me.

On inquiring from Dr.Shweta about how did she generate new ideas, she replied that;

For me, there is no fixed plan or one stick solution/ way to generate new ideas. I always try new things. But few things which have always worked for me are: firstly examining old mousetraps and then building a better one, deep study of the particular field and finding out the loopholes and then thinking about the solutions to meant them have always helped to generate new ideas, moreover always being inquisitive and being interested and involved in what is going around the world and finding at least 30-60 minutes a day to read popular blogs, news portals, etc have also helped me in idea generation.

On inquiring about her opinion about “the keys to success”, she explains that ;

According to me, the very first key is faith. If you honestly believe in yourself and in your goals and work towards it with lots of patience nothing can stop you to be successful. And try changing your relationship with failures. This will bring you tremendous freedom. Another key is consistency, to find success is to be great at something and to be great at anything it involves practice and practice is being consistent. Whatever it is that you do or love to do, working on your craft and dedicating the time to it every single day will surely deliver success at some point in time. I love how a famous American author Zig Ziglar, quotes

“Repetition is the mother of learning, the father of action, which makes it the architect of accomplishment”

How did she come up with the name for her company? On inquiring Dr. Shweta apprised that;

I took around 4-5 months to decide on my company’s name as I wanted it to be very different and unique and something which should reflect my vision and since my vision was to help Indian firms in a unique way, therefore basing the name on a noble cause after a rigorous mind mapping I came up with “ENNOBLE IP” which was a combination of noble work in an innovative way.

What piece of advice would you give to college graduates who want to become entrepreneurs?

Follow your passion, as an entrepreneur, it is very important to do what you love. Doing something that has meaning to you will provide the motivation needed to get through the rough patches and tumultuous times that are an inevitable part of building any new venture, secondly, network constantly because a strong professional network often makes the difference between success and failure for your business and lastly always remember if you’re starting a business, remember that companies need to take a risks to grow, and sometimes these risks, lead failure, so always understand that failure is a path of the process and should be taken as a teachable moment.

There's only one life, so be confident and determined to create your own identity because once you know who you are "you are unstoppable" - Dr. Shweta Singh ​