My Journey Back to Odisha and the Birth of NILADRIKA

Welcome to WordIn 2015, just a year after my marriage, I was working in Delhi for a US-based MNC. Unfortunately, that year turned out to be one of the toughest phases of my life due to severe health issues. My health struggles affected both my professional career and personal life.

That was the turning point when I decided to take a bold step—to return to my roots in Odisha and start a new journey. It was not an easy decision since Odisha was not known for high-paying corporate jobs compared to metro cities. With anxiety and curiosity, my husband and I finally shifted from the National Capital to the State Capital—Bhubaneswar.Press. This is your first post. Edit or delete it, then start writing!

Entering the E-Commerce World

When I started my job hunt in Bhubaneswar, it was the time when startups were evolving rapidly, and E-commerce in India was booming. After a few interviews, I was selected in an E-commerce startup, where I worked for 1.5 years.

That experience was truly life-changing—it gave me exposure to E-commerce operations, vendor management, product handling, and business processes. More importantly, it helped me build meaningful vendor connections. This stepping stone later helped me land my next role as a Digital Marketing Manager in another E-commerce company.

Growing into Leadership

During my career journey, I spent almost 8 years in the E-commerce sector. Out of that, 2.5 years were dedicated to Digital Marketing before I was promoted to Manager and later took up leadership responsibilities.

The shift from handling Digital Marketing to managing Vendor Management, Supply Chain, Product Procurement, Product Uploading, and Documentation Processes was not easy. But each challenge shaped me for something bigger.

Realizing the Demand for Odisha’s Products

During these years, one thing became clear to me—there is a huge demand for Odisha’s homemade products and ethnic handicrafts outside the state. Friends living in metro cities often asked me to start something of my own, but back then, I didn’t feel ready.

However, by 2022, after gaining significant experience, I realized the true potential of online platforms and how Odisha’s authentic products were still underrepresented in the digital marketplace. That’s when the idea of NILADRIKA was born.