“A creative person is motivated by the desire to achieve, not by the desire to beat others.” ~ Ayn Rand

Unless you try, you are just like anybody. She is intelligent, she is creative, she is successful, and the most important thing is that she is an inspiration. Swati Bhargava is an entrepreneur who has given India an option to save in this world of expensive things with the website CashKaro, which is India’s no.1 coupons and cashback website. She is more special because her ideas have not only enlightened India but the U.K. as well. Let us have a look at her inspiring journey.





A Study enthusiast





Born in Ambala, Haryana, Swati was a study buff from the very beginning. She secured high marks in her 12th standard and had a dream of serving in the Indian Foreign Services and the Indian Administrative Services. Besides this, she had a great interest in extracurricular activities like dramatics and debates. Her 12th marks gave her a once in a lifetime opportunity, and she landed up in Singapore after getting selected for a scholarship program by the Singapore Airlines. The small-town girl was nervous and excited at the same time.





“Opportunity does not knock; it presents itself when you beat down the door.”~ Kyle Chandler

London Calling





We all have dreams and fantasies; Swati’s was to study at the prestigious Oxford University. But guess what? She didn’t go there when she got a chance, because she found the scholarship offered by the London School of Economics better. For her, economically thinking was also important, and hence, she made a rational choice.













The Golden Job





Being a girl is never easy unless you ignore the stereotyping world. After getting her honors degree in Mathematics and Economics from the London School of Economics in 2005, it was time for a job. Soon after Swati completed her internship at Goldman Sachs, she decided to join the company on being offered a full-time role. The next four years saw her working as an investment banker in the same company. Later, she worked in the executive office and managed client relationships and engagements. She worked with the top management of the company, which helped her gain immense communication skills and boosted her confidence.





“Don’t watch the clock; do what it does. Keep going.”~ Sam Levenson.

On her own





Swati did what no one would, typically, ever dare to. She left Goldman Sachs to start something of her own. She knew that this was a risk, a huge one, indeed. But, she had a mantra in life- keep doing your best and leave the rest. She started pouring Pounds in 2011 in the UK. It was a B2B cashback business. Swati was confident and backed her idea of being consumer-oriented. In this, she was not alone; she had her life partner with her, Mr. Rohan Bhargava.













Their idea was not a worry for them, but its expansion was. They took this to metro, a free daily newspaper, and luckily, very soon tasted the success by signing their debut contract with them.





“They can conquer who believe they can.”~ Virgil

Homecoming





Their idea was a hit in the UK. Now, it was about time to apply the same to India. Swati knew that people always want to save something out of what they are going to spend, and when it comes to India, the answer can never be different. The idea of cashback was unique at that time, and the duo capitalized on just that. They constituted a talented team in India and started the business while they stayed in the UK. CashKaro was the name, and it clicked with the people in India immediately.





Funding





Call it Swati’s hard work or her way of handling things, she had a target of raising $250k but ended up with $750k in just 48 hours. This was a further boost to their already high morale.





“Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Willing is not enough; we must do.”~ Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

The difference with CashKaro





Swati says that what differentiates their venture from that of others is that it provides cashback along with coupons. The blend of these two things was missing and is still missing to some extent in India.

Swati wants to expand her business to various parts of the world and sees Southeast Asia as the current target.













Conclusion





Women empowerment is mostly seen on paper than in the real world, but Swati has proved her mettle. She is an inspiration for all of us. A small-town girl going to a foreign country and following her heart after that is in itself an example of grit and courage. Beginning from scratch and creating a team of competent people and managing all of this was never easy but she did it without getting affected by life’s challenges. She indeed is an example of women empowerment.





“There’s only one corner of the universe you can be certain of improving, and that’s your own self.”~ Aldous Huxley.