Ruchi Chopra
She's made a career out of surprising people.
Ruchi Chopra, 24, could just as well be in the movies. Sitting in her Hauz Khas barsati, the first generation entrepreneur laughs at the suggestion. A graduate of the National Institute of Fashion Technology, Chopra worked for a couple of years in a clothing company before venturing out to do her own thing which had very little to do with either brands or clothes or even fashion. What she does is "surprise others" with her company, Any Surprise, Any Place, or ASAP as it's now getting to be known.
In other words, she customises everything -- from soap bars to greeting cards to linen, rugs, candle-holders, golf accessories, lamps, balloons, travel kits, cocktail shakers, even coffee table books. The idea struck Chopra when a friend she was talking to remarked that she felt like having a pizza. "I surprised her by getting a pizza delivered to her," she chortles. That was the germ of a business opportunity, and what started as a Rs 50,000 venture ("I needed to register my name, get the Web site in place (asap.co.in), do a lot of research") has a turnover of Rs 20 lakh (Rs 2 million) in less than two years.
The choppy waters of the markets notwithstanding, young Indians are spending willingly and happily. "People have the spending power but ironically they lack time, and that's where ASAP steps in," smiles Chopra, who says the only downside is that she has to be available 24x7 for her clients. "Some ladies call me six times in less than an hour," she admits, but with 670 clients and 30-odd vendors, this bubbly, young businesswoman says she oughtn't to be complaining.
"I do watch films, shop around, but even there my mind is thinking up new ideas, new designs," she says. Her clients spend anywhere from Rs 5,000 to a great deal more. Her most expensive (Rs 1.6 lakh or Rs 160,000) surprise package involved organising a two-day stay for a couple at a farmhouse in Mehrauli complete with personalised bath-and-bed linen, stationery, travel packs, a chef to cook their favourite cuisine, a ride on a hot air balloon with a banner announcing "Happy Birthday", a limo service, a customised cigarette holder, even a personalised newspaper.
"I specialise in personalising everything, and though we can plan parties, I don't qualify as a 'tent-rent' person," clarifies Chopra, who says that increasingly corporate houses and MNCs are showing interest in her work.
Image: Ruchi Chopra has made a career out of surprising people.
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