Over the centuries, women have continuously ac-quired professional goals, broken down barriers, and maintained work-life balance by displaying a distinctive combination of abilities & innovative viewpoints. But there are many more miles to go, & in the present-day scenario, when women are emerging as the guiding force of society, new-age leaders like Jasmine Duggal are evolving as role models for women who are eager to craft an identity of their own. For Jasmine, self-aware-ness, complexity to clarity, effective communication & humility & empathy (in this order!) are core foundations of being a successful leader. If need be, she often gets to the bottom level working with the team so they don’t lose faith in what they are doing. & she comes out learning a new skill or technique from them!

Jasmine Duggal is the Director at Minar Travels (India), which provides sustainable holiday experiences that are rare, authentic & experiential! All their programs are tailor-made to perfection, keeping in view the preferences of their guests who can have an incredible ‘Incredible India’ experience of what India is all about.

Women Entrepreneur recently engaged in a one-on-one interaction with Jasmine Duggal, Director at Minar Travels (India). Here are the highlights from the same.

Take us through your early educational journey and the prior industry experience that you bring to the table.

After completing schooling at Air Force Golden Jubilee, New Delhi, I went to Chandigarh for graduation in Fashion Design, simultaneously pursuing my B.A from Delhi University through distant learning. As the trend of retail in India was picking up pace, I decided to take up the course of Retail Marketing & Development at Pearl Academy of Fashion, Delhi. The latest in my academic portfolio is an Executive leader’s course namely Transitioning into Woman Leadership Program from the Indian Institute of Calcutta.

Tell us about the various roles and responsibilities that you shoulder as the Director of Minar Travels. What are your primary focus areas in your current role?

Well, at Minar, it is like wearing a new hat almost every day!! Minar Group is a family-run business, with me as the second-gen entrepreneur, my attention is more rooted in business development with developing newer incoming markets to India, curating newer itineraries & experiences for our evolved travelers who are seeking to see India differently & through our eyes, an India that is rare, authentic & vibrant!

Perhaps, the human factor to be able to converse & motivate our team members cannot be discounted. So, there are days when I play the HR & there are days when I am the creative genie.

What are some of the most pressing challenges that you encounter as a business leader? How do you successfully mitigate these challenges?

In today's era of post-pandemic, I believe the hardest is keeping the business afloat. There has been a turnaround in trends of business operations. The number one challenge is generating revenues that meet expenditure. The second would be, retaining talent. The third is, aligning vision with teams.

As a leader, one is not only the driver of a business but also the team that believes in you. Strategic thinking & having a clear objective of the growth pattern for the company is imperative at the moment. Hence, my focus is on the areas of the business that may impact our growth & yield revenues. I have been inculcating the need for smart work over hard work at Minar, with the belief that it is the need of the hour with ever-changing environments around us.

We shall be left behind soon; in case we don’t follow this approach.

In your opinion what are some of the most significant milestones that you have achieved throughout your professional journey? What has been the driving force behind your success as a professional?

I will say, no one size fits all! Just like everyone, my journey from the date of joining Minar to where I am today hasn’t been a cakewalk. I have fairly had my share of hurdles, obstructions, and rejections many a time & been considered just a boss’s daughter!

I have been extremely fortunate to have a bunch of mentors in my organization who held me by my hand, guided me & have been my best critics. They don’t shove the path for me but make me see distinctive aspects of the situation without my rose-colored glasses.

I guess, for me, it has been consistent to learn from my co-workers, seniors, and competition; that today I can think critically yet innovatively. I have been in the family business now for 7.5 years, my takeaways are to realize that leading from one’s unique strengths yields better results than trying to emulate other leaders. I like to introspect often to know & embrace my strengths, while also acknowledging & managing my weaknesses, within the culture of my organization’s values.

“I like to introspect of-ten to know & embrace my strengths, while also acknowledging & managing my weakness-es, within the culture of my organization’s val-ues”

My decision to enroll in the Woman Leadership Program at the IIM, Calcutta & the pandemic has been quite an eye opener for me to understand a bird’s eye view of an organization & to be able to practically understand the integrities of our business. It’s tough to put a positive spin on Covid-19, but the pandemic has resulted in shaping me into a complete multitasker with increased demand for my intervention by lending myself to limited staff. I learned to operate files, speak to clients myself, prepare end-to-end proposals, negotiate with hotels & track payments.

Hence, I did learn to face my fears & challenge my capabilities, believing that even if I have a limited team at liberty tomorrow, I shall be ok!

Drawing from your experience as a business leader, what would your advice be to young women & girls who also aspire to become business leaders & entrepreneurs in the future?

My advice for emerging woman leaders is to find your passion & stay curious. Always push yourself to learn as much as you possibly can, find a mentor, learn how they deliver themselves through the toughest situations, and never settle for the status quo. Know your values & make decisions in all areas of your life (business, family, & self) based on these. Look for ways to blend, not balance, these three parts of your life so you don’t feel you have to compromise anything you value & treasure Make your leadership style a part of your brand, & you'll be able to build massive trust with your audience. Nurture & nourish one day at a time.

Jasmine Duggal, Business Leader, Minar Travels

Jasmine is seasoned in strategic negotiations, business planning, operations management, & organizational leadership. Her constant endeavor is to make sure that the clients of minar receive excellent strategy-based campaigns with utmost personalization where achievement is the bottom line. She wants to walk along with team members of the minar family with their inclusion in decision-making processes & empowerment.