What It Takes To Be An Indian Creator

At SheLeads India in Gurgaon, the conversation around success moved beyond the polished version we are used to hearing. With creators and founders like Sejal Kumar, Harshita Gupta and doctor-designer duo Rishi & Vibhuti, the panel focused on what ambition actually looks like in real life. Not just the wins but the fear, the rejections and the stubborn decision to keep showing up anyway.

Sejal Kumar On Validation And Showing Up Anyway

“I’m f***ing scared of failure,” Sejal Kumar unabashedly revealed. For her, failure is not a contradiction to success; it is part of it. After years of building a career across content, music, and storytelling, fear has not disappeared. If anything, it has simply become something she works alongside.

“And even though I am afraid of it, I still do what I have to do because I have one life.” It is a perspective that feels both honest and freeing. Courage here is quiet consistency. It is choosing to act even when doubt is very much present.

Sejal also addressed something many people feel but rarely articulate. “Public-facing things… It’s a lot about validation, it’s a lot about wanting to be seen at a certain level.” The desire to be recognised, to be liked, to be acknowledged is real. But it cannot be the only thing holding everything together.

Harshita Gupta On Failure And Refusing Limits

“I think growth is the best drug that I do,” expressed Harshita Gupta, whose approach to ambition is unapologetic. For her, growth is not optional; it is the driving force. “Because I can have it all. So why not have it all?”

What makes that belief compelling is the journey behind it. “I failed my NIFT exam.” There is no attempt to soften that moment. Instead, it became her turning point. “No college can tell me that I cannot have a brand.”

There is something deeply empowering about that shift. Taking a moment that once felt like rejection and turning it into motivation.

She also reframes failure. “When you’re failing, you’re weaving a beautiful story that the world is waiting to hear.” It changes how setbacks are seen. Not as wasted time but as something that adds meaning to your journey.

At the same time, her take on the creator economy is grounded in reality. “You’re a bit late. The market is saturated. You need to be exceptionally good.” There is no illusion about how competitive the space has become. “Don’t fake on social media. You won’t sustain it.”

Rishi And Vibhuti On Building Beyond Expectations

Rishi Roy and Vibhuti Dhaundiyal’s journey does not follow a typical script. Both trained as doctors, they began designing garments during medical college, almost as a side experiment. “We made our first garment for our college annual function.”

What started casually soon grew into something much bigger. More orders came in as their interest grew. A brand slowly took shape. 

What also came with it was doubt. Being told, “you’re doctors, you can’t stitch clothes,” being laughed at, and being questioned. The kind of reactions that often make people second-guess themselves. 

Instead of choosing one path over the other, they held on to both. “Our X-factor is that we are doctors and designers. Why leave that?”

It is a reminder that not everything needs to fit neatly into one box. Their story shows that it is possible to build something meaningful without abandoning where you started.

Owning Your Narrative

“You must allow flexibility to evolve because you are a human being,” Sejal said.  Across the panel, one idea kept returning. The importance of owning your own story. Because if you do not define it, someone else will. Growth is rarely linear. People change, interests shift, paths take unexpected turns. And that is not a flaw. It is part of the process.