Twenty-one year old, Omkar Gaonkar founder of Beaumonde Lifestyles from Goa manufactures cloth masks and supplies face shields along with cotton and canvas bags. During the lockdown he started his own brand of cotton masks aptly calling it as “Inhale”. Having graduated in B.Com from Vidya Prabodhini College Porvorim, his focus was to start a business of his own and Covid-19 gave him that opportunity.
“Entrepreneurship was something I had seen all my life as my dad is a retailer in Panjim. Visits to cotton manufacturing hubs like Kolhapur, Solapur, Pune, Mumbai etc. gave me a wider exposure to what the entire process was about. It was there where I came in contact with cotton fabric manufacturers,” says Omkar.
However, pandemic hit him hard too in early phases as he by the end the financial year 2020 had decided to expand his business by manufacturing fashionable hand bags and taking my business online. His plans were to be implemented, that’s when a rough patch hit him. “The world had been affected with a pandemic and there was a sudden rise in cases in India. Selling my products when parts of the country were being affected was a difficult task. That’s when I realized that cotton masks would be the need of the hour,” added Omkar.
He contacted his friend in Tamil Nadu who had a factory which manufactures cotton products. Knowing exactly what consumers wanted, he and his friend developed a product at a cheaper price with the best quality possible for the common masses. “Inhale” was then developed with the idea to make the best mask possible.
Today his startup has sold over 20,000 products and has over hundred regular clients who sell his products all over Goa. Beaumonde Lifestyles is now looking forward to widening their range and adding more products in the future. Their plan is to develop a leisurewear brand of Goa because that is the Goan tagline, “sussegad”
