Meet the female serial entrepreneur who is also Ms. India Universe

Shruthi Cauvery Iyer is flush with his victory at Ms. India Universe beauty pageant held in Gurugram last month. And now she is ready to show her talents on the international stage as Ms. Universe contest will debut in Seoul in October this year.

With no modeling, ramp or beauty pageant experience, Shruthi entered the pageant on a lark. She also won “Best national costume” for his Coorg-inspired costume and Ms. Intelligence.

Lakshmi Seshadri, Ms. India Universe 2016, and last year’s winner Ayessha Wadiwala are her friends. They encouraged her to participate, and the rest, as they say, ended in a victory. What attracts her most about the competition is the emphasis on fight against domestic violence, a cause that she defends.

But it’s not just the beauty or the contest of Ms. Universe that defines Shruthi. The mother of two is also a Serial entrepreneur – who successfully ran a commodities business in Indonesia and Hong Kong, a skincare startup in Boston, and returned to India in 2016 to launch CaHa Capital, a global impact and advisory firm with Sachindra Rudra in 2019.

Impeccable identifiers

Shruthi graduated in Environmental Engineering and went to Wharton Business School, after which she also pursued a Masters of Public Administration at Harvard.

“I lived in South East Asia for many years as a commodities trader, which was a very profitable business at the time. But I also wanted to change my career path and moved to the United States, ”she says.

With its Dean of Innovation in Wharton, Shruthi launched Mix 8, a skin care brand.

“We wanted to democratize the skin care segment and bring high quality products to women looking for unbiased information, clear advice and quality products at reasonable prices. I had to close the business in 2016 when I had to move to India unexpectedly, but as a pioneer in the field, I learned how to build a D2C brand, ”she says.

Back in Bengaluru, she discussed with Sachin, her friend and co-founder, the creation of an investment advisory firm. Sachin was the investment director of the Acumen fund in New York City and both believed that enough capital was being invested in the impact space.

“My weak point was that entrepreneurs, especially those working in the impact sector, needed to be accompanied by the investors approached, but also to raise funds. We wanted to make a difference by moving the needle towards impact and adding more family offices, more funds and HNIs to invest in this space. This led to CaHa Capital, ”she says.

The aftermath of the pandemic

CaHa Capital started with a few big clients and more in the works when COVID-19 hit.

“Honestly, I was optimistic that the situation would change in two months. We never thought it would last nearly two years. Many of the companies we represented were doing so well before COVID. For example, one of them in the F&B space, their operations stopped and they could not raise funds. In contrast, tech companies are doing well. Overall, as a young company, we were motivated enough not to be discouraged by challenges and are now doing pretty well for ourselves, ”she adds.

Shruthi admits that when he returned to India in 2016, the startup ecosystem was not as mature as it is today.

“It’s encouraging to see a lot of investors and also unicorns. At the time, there were very few exits, and startups weren’t able to pay huge salaries to Ivy League graduates. I don’t regret going back to India, I knew it would be a hard landing, but the decision paid off, ”she says.

As the mother of daughter Leia, 13, and son Luka, who is two, Shruthi has her hands full to juggle work, house and prepare for Ms. Universe. It’s not easy, she says, being disciplined certainly helps.

“I don’t use social media on my phone, and as a family we don’t watch TV and that gives me plenty of time to spend with my family. My husband, who is an impact investor with Omidyar, is very supportive and it is an equal partnership. We also have a strong support mechanism that helps me fulfill my roles with ease, ”says Shruthi.

She also began preparations for the Mrs Universe contest supported by a team that put her on a strict and disciplined lifestyle.

So, does she think a woman can have it all?

Can a woman have it all?

“I really mean it,” she said, adding, “It hasn’t been easy for me. I’ve had to overcome a lot of obstacles, professionally and personally. I think in order to be successful there has to be a goal. constant, and I believe women can do it if we don’t compromise or give up on our dreams.

“I want to be a role model for my children and that motivates me a lot. I love my life and my journey, and there is still so much to do, ”she adds.

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