From being married at 19, becoming a full-time homemaker, and bringing up two wonderful children, to scriptingan interior design company - Belita Design Solutions - that would become a National Leader, the journey of Dr. Masooma Rizvi (Founder & Managing Director) narrates an awe-inspiring narrative. Her portfolio today boasts of an entire gamut of private and public sector projects, including the Rashtrapati Bhavan. Belita Design’s clientele presently includes various ministries under the union government. While possessing 22 years of experience and wisdom that spans across art curation, interior design, and museology, Dr. Masooma is on a constant quest to learn, evolve and keep up with the latest trends and technology in her field. She recently completed her PhD along with all her other activities of work; women empowerment and artisan welfare.

Women Entrepreneur India engages in an exclusive interaction with Dr. Masooma.

You worked for over two decades in interior design, museology and art curation before you established belita design in 2008. What was the inspiration and what are the biggest milestones that you have crossed?

For me, being an entrepreneur is all about doing what you love, assisting those you care for and solving problems that matter to you. My inspiration was Abdul Kalam ji who always said to me 'You have to dream before your dreams come true'. My mantra with this has always been 'Dreams wont work unless you do!' The biggest and proudest moments of my journey have been the day I got my first project 22 years ago, and the creation of my dream -my company almost 12 years ago.

How has the journey been so far?

Following my heart & choosing Design was a bold step back then. In my days, if you went into arts, you were considered a mediocre student! Today, the world has slowly opened up to the possibility of female entrepreneurs and careers beyond doctors and engineers! When I began my journey, it was more of giving an expression and honing a skill that came naturally to me. I did it as a way to utilise my talent & love for design, challenge my creativity, and make a difference to the scene as a designer and propagator of Indians rich cultural heritage and art. I was one of the few female designers back then who took this up as a profession and in this I also found my purpose in life- to help women artisans.

“It was such a high, not only to interact with the first citizen one-onone, but also to be appreciated by such eminent personalities”

However, witnessing the way design was always given a ‘backseat’ at every architectural firm (there were hardly any ‘Design’ companies back then), I decided to start my own company. I was determined to not only hire designers, but also ensure that interior design was given its due importance in every project by making it the foundation and not an afterthought. Well, to be honest, professionally when I began, everyone thought I was into interiors because it was a convenient and glamorous pastime. It took me a while to build a team and take the plunge: so to say! I’m really proud of how far I’ve come, but I’m more excited about what the future holds. I am thrilled that I can mentor and nurture young talent towards experimenting, designing, visualising, innovation and gaining knowledge, with a balance of client brief, budget, and functionality. For me came an irrational conscious decision to use and revive Indian art forms, especially those done by woman artisans. A tough call, as this undertaking was not driven by reason and economics, but a desire to help this section of society along the way.

You have designed some of the most iconic buildings of india, including the rashtrapati bhavan. How has been your experience of transforming these iconic structures of india?

It was life changing! The Rashtrapati Bhavan, Manekshaw Center, Pravasi Bharatiya Kendra and the White Horse Indian Temple in Luoyang,China to name a few were completely different in scope, content, and design aesthetics. Each project needed a different approach and different mindset. With each project, I used different design elements and experimental spatial aesthetics to match the client’s need and honour the space, while keeping in mind the correct protocol and required functionality issues. It is always very tempting to think of interior design as simply ‘making a space pretty’. While that has to be the major outcome of interior design, it is actually a science based on rules and principles of design. Along with making spaces look good, I always aim to make them functional, as ‘form must always follow function’.

During my work at Rashtrapati Bhavan, I in fact interacted personally with President Abdul Kalam and President Pratibha Patil. It was such a high, not only to interact with the first citizen one-on-one, but also to be appreciated by such eminent personalities. Along with the high came the realisation that greater the person, more humble and down to earth he or she is. What touched me the most was being personally invited by President Patil for a family get together on her spouse's birthday. While designing the interiors of Manekshaw Centre, not only did I interact with the Defence Minister, and the RRM, but also with the three consecutive Chiefs of the Indian Army. That was what helped me to give a totally military feel to the building. As I wrote in my book on Manekshaw Centre, it is a ‘Military Tradition with Contemporary Elegance!’

What are your future plans? Where do you see the company heading after the world resumes?

The future is promising. We will continue to do projects that are exciting and challenging. I want to explore green spaces and smart spaces. As people get more techsavvy, so will the spaces they interact with. I am exploring new vistas and this Covid-19 lockdown has created a plethora of thought provoking changes. Going forward, I believe that people will realise that being surrounded by comfort & their own ideas of beauty & décor could help them stay indoors too. As my team leads gain more and more experience and require less supervision, I see my company definitely doing more ambitious and unusual projects. But like I said - only the ones that excite me!

Dr.Masooma Rizvi, Founder & Managing Director

One of the eminent leaders in the design industry, dr.masooma has more than 22 years of experience in art curation, interior design, and museology. Her prestigious portfolio includes the most iconic buildings of india like rashtrapati bhavan, manekshaw centre and pravasi bharatiya kendra, as also the white horse indian temple in china.