Diksha Rajawat vividly remembers that day when she moved an 85-year-old grandmother and her granddaughter to tears of rapture. It was one of those occasions when Ms Rajawat was briefed by the grandmother to design a bespoke heirloom as a gift for her granddaughter’s wedding. When she presented the jewellery —beautifully encapsulating the family heritage and the bride’s modern taste through metal and stone — her elated clients were overcome with joy. Ms Rajawat always cherishes moments like this one. The third-generation entrepreneur and brand director of Fulchand Gulabchand Jewellers represents a seamless blend of tradition, craftsmanship and contemporary luxury that has come to be the hallmark of the Thane, Maharashtra-based jewellery house since 1949. In a freewheeling chat with Sharmila Chand, Ms Rajawat opens up about her personal and professional lives.

How do you define yourself?
A driven, independent, third-generation entrepreneur who bridges heritage and modernity

What is your philosophy of life?
You only get one life — live it with purpose, pursue what sets your soul on fire and enjoy every single chapter of the journey.

What is your passion in life?
Jewellery and bespoke jewellery design

The business leader you admire the most…
I deeply admire Michelle Obama. Her ability to break barriers, empower communities and lead with empathy while staying fiercely grounded serves as a constant reminder of what purposeful leadership looks like.

Your source of inspiration…
My biggest inspiration is my grandmother. She originally founded Fulchand Gulabchand Jewellers as an independent, visionary woman in an era when women entrepreneurship was rare.

How do you manage to balance work and personal life?
Heading straight to the gym after a demanding day allows me to decompress, reset my mental focus and transition seamlessly into my personal time.

How do you de-stress?
Getting my daily steps in, staying physically active and focusing on clean, mindful nutrition keeps my mind sharp and my body energised.

Your mantra for success…
Put your client at the heart of everything, work relentlessly hard and let the excellence of your craft speak for itself.

Your dream…
To take Fulchand Gulabchand Jewellers onto the global stage

Your message to upcoming women entrepreneurs and professionals…
Stay fiercely true to yourself and your craft. Draw inspiration from your surroundings, culture and life experiences but never dilute your original perspective.

Ten years from now, where do we see you?
A decade from now, you will find me leading FG Jewellers across major fashion and cultural capitals across the world as our “Chief Sparkle Officer & Creative Visionary”— pushing the boundaries of bespoke jewellery while keeping our family heritage alive on a truly international canvas.

Chand.sharmila@gmail.com