“I often travel 180 out of 365 days,” shares mompreneur Aakanksha Bhargava as her 10-month-old daughter Samaira plays cheerfully with her mini piano. At 32, the mom leads her three decade-old family relocation business, seen as a labour-intensive industry that’s considered largely a male domain, headquartered in Gurgaon. Samaira travels with her everywhere, making Aakanksha one of the rare mothers who is able to strike a successful balance between work and kids, no guilt pangs attached.
“I run a global mobility company, with 10 offices in India, each to be visited twice a year. Add to that the business liaisons that we have in place all across the word, our relations with foreign counterparts that help us facilitate seamless relocations from one part of the world to another, for our clients: it is a big quantum of travel woven into my schedule,” says the CEO and President of PM Relocations Pvt Ltd Excerpts from a conversation with the mompreneur:
How old is Samaira now?
Ten months, she was born in August last year.
When did she take her first flight?
At two months. Honestly, I was very scared and apprehensive when I took her on the first flight. But it was all in my mind, I realised. Samaira has already made 26 flights so far. It has been a relatively seamless inclusion in her itinerary (laughs).
Where has she travelled with you?
Till now, she has travelled to over five countries, while I’ve travelled to over 35, including Australia, Scotland, USA, Canada, Maldives, Romania, UK, Scotland, Singapore, Malaysia, China, Hong Kong, Thailand, Phillipines, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Netherland, Switzerland, Belgium, Monte Carlo, France, Germany, Italy, Portugal, Hungary, Czech Republic…One of my parents or a team member always travels with us.
Shilpi Madan for Indian Express