DEVIKA TAMIA ARORA, 420 ROOFTOP

“Ecstatic trips around the sun, as well as deep dives into the rabbit hole.” that is how this wonder woman describes the last eight years. Meet Devika Tamia Arora, who started her entrepreneurial journey in 2011 and now heads up three unique ventures. Devika, after winning a reality TV hunt by MTV, started Char So Bees / 420 Rooftop, Kolkata’s one and only roof top venue that focuses on local retail and the performing arts. She also created Magic Mind a thought-provoking space online for all things science, mental and aesthetic. And, that is not all, Devika is also the brains behind the eBook The Fit Trip, a customized “easy-peasy D.I.Y health kit” that helps you work on their mind, body and soul.

While from the outside it may seem like Devika has three of the coolest jobs ever, she shares that working solo and balancing time is definitely a challenge. She does not have the luxury of a huge crew or team, so making decisions and multi-tasking does get hard at times. Especially when time is of essence. She also had to figure out ways of funding her independent projects and learned soon enough that the only way to raise revenue is the old school way – network, ask, receive. She adds pragmatically, “You can’t have an ego in this game.”

All of Devika’s endeavours have a common thread that binds them together and she articulates passion for her work beautifully, “There is nothing more important to me than seeing talent soar.” Having powered her way through the years and also thoroughly enjoying the process, Devika adds, “Always believe in yourself. At the end of the day, even if no one else does, it’s imperative you have faith in your own ability. Be ready for a rollercoaster, because starting something new is exciting, scary, dangerous and exhilarating all at once. Confidence is key – and you can’t build it until you fail and win. So don’t be so hard on yourself if you don’t figure it out the first time. And, always carry a book with you, in case of the apocalypse!”.