Entrepreneur Naiyya Saggi, renowned for founding BabyChakra and co-founding The Good Glamm Group, faced an unexpected family challenge upon her return to India in 2015 after completing her MBA at Harvard Business School. Her decision to leave behind promising career prospects in the United States deeply disappointed her grandfather, who believed she was forsaking a monumental opportunity.
Defying Expectations: A Harvard MBA's Return
Saggi, a Fulbright and JN Tata scholar, had earned a full scholarship to Harvard for her MBA, following her BA LLB (Hons) from the National Law School of India University. After graduating from Harvard, she spent a year working as a consultant at The Bridgespan Group. However, her ambition to build something impactful led her back to India in 2015.
“When I moved back to India in 2015, my granddad didn't talk to me for 3 months. He was like, ‘You had the opportunity of a lifetime to be in the US, job offers, full scholarship—why do you come back to India to build?’” Saggi recalled in a recent interview.
For three months following her move, Saggi's grandfather refused to speak to her, convinced she had made a grave mistake by turning down a life in the US with secure job offers.
Building an Empire from India
Despite the initial family disapproval, Saggi remained steadfast in her vision. "I came back to change the world," she stated, emphasizing her determination to create impact from her home country. In 2015, she founded her first company, BabyChakra, inspired by her sister's struggles to find reliable information during pregnancy.
BabyChakra later merged with MyGlamm in 2021, leading Saggi to become a co-founder of The Good Glamm Group. Today, she is actively building her third venture, a consumer-tech company named EDT. Collectively, her entrepreneurial efforts have resulted in companies valued at over $1 billion.
From Government Background to Global Ambition
Saggi also addressed common perceptions about her background, clarifying that she does not hail from generational wealth. Her parents were government servants, underscoring her journey as one built on personal ambition and effort.
Concluding her reflections, Saggi passionately affirmed that Indian founders and teams possess the capability to "build globally-defining companies from India to the world," advocating for a strong, localized entrepreneurial ecosystem.