Archana Garodia Gupta
{{Short description|Indian author and entrepreneur}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2025}}
{{Use Indian English|date=April 2025}}
Archana Garodia Gupta is an Indian author, entrepreneur, business leader, and quizzer.{{cite web |title=Archana Garodia Gupta"Biographies tend to paint unrealistic portraits |url=https://www.shethepeople.tv/books/archana-garodia-gupta-author-interview |access-date=27 November 2019}} She was the president of the FICCI Ladies Association in 2015.{{cite web |title=Ms. Archana Garodia Gupta took over as President of FLO from the outgoing President, Ms. Neeta Boochra |work=FICCI FLO |url=http://www.ficciflo.com/events/31st-flo-annual-session-indias-inclusive-growth-story-skilling-entrepreneurship-of-women/ |access-date=8 April 2015}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Archana Garodia Gupta
| image = Archana Garodia Gupta.jpg
| caption =
| birth_date =
| birth_place = Kolkata, India
| education = Delhi University (BA Hons)
Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad (MBA)
}}
Early life and education
Archana was born in Kolkata and grew up in Delhi.{{cite web |title=Archana With TOI |work=The Times of India |date=13 November 2018 |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/speakers/archana-garodia-gupta/articleshow/66487858.cms |access-date=13 November 2018}}
She did her schooling in Modern School, Vasant Vihar and graduated from the Lady Shri Ram College for Women, Delhi University, with a BA (Hons) in Economics in 1986. She did her MBA from the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad, in the top 15 of her class with a merit scholarship.{{cite web |title=Member Board of Governors At IIM Sirmour |url=https://www.iimsirmaur.ac.in/iims/iim/board-of-governors |access-date=12 April 2019}}
Business career
Archana Gupta owns and runs Touchstone, a successful gem and jewelry business, which is a pioneer of Indian costume jewelry. Touchstone has a pan Indian retail presence and also exports, primarily to the US and Europe.{{cite web |title=PenKonnect with Archana Garodia Gupta |url=https://penmancy.com/penkonnect-with-archana-garodia-gupta/ |access-date=15 December 2019}}
Public sphere
Archana was the President of FLO, the women’s wing of FICCI, the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry, in 2015- 2016.{{cite web |title=Ms. Archana Garodia Gupta took over as President of FLO from the outgoing President, Ms. Neeta Boochra |work=FICCI FLO |url=http://www.ficciflo.com/events/31st-flo-annual-session-indias-inclusive-growth-story-skilling-entrepreneurship-of-women/ |access-date=8 April 2015}}
She has been working in the sphere of women’s development for the last two decades. Among other women empowerment initiatives promoted were Swayam, a handholding, mentoring, and consultancy cell nationwide for women, and a number of skilling and employment initiatives under the umbrella WE (Women Empowerment).{{cite web |title=Kalraj Mishra launches support cell 'SWAYAM' for women entrepreneurs |url=https://www.business-standard.com/article/news-ani/kalraj-mishra-launches-support-cell-swayam-for-women-entrepreneurs-115091100254_1.html}}
Archana Garodia Gupta has been the National Chair of the FICCI MSME Committee.{{cite web |title=National Chair of the FICCI MSME Committee |url=http://www.ficci.in/sector-chair-co-chair.asp?sectorid=36}} She is a member of the Brics Financial Committee from India, leading the SME Taskforce.{{cite web |title=Brics Financial Committee From India |url=https://fibac-india.com/ga16/ga16.pdf}}
She has been a spokesperson on behalf of FICCI in many national and international forums and for print and television.{{cite web |title=FICCI India VIDEO ON YOUTUBE | website=YouTube | date=15 March 2018 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dHg37atJ26Q}} She has been a key board member of the Noida Women Entrepreneurs Association for the last 20 years.{{cite web |title=ENTREPRENEUR INDIA 2013 KEY SPEAKER |url=https://www.entrepreneurindia.com/2013/speakers2013.php}} She helped promote a successful women’s industrial park along with the UP Government, Mahila Udyami Park, in Greater Noida in 1999. She is on the governing body of the Indian Institute of Management Sirmaur.{{cite web |title=MEMBER-Board Of Governors @ IIM Sirmour |url=https://www.iimsirmaur.ac.in/iims/iim/board-of-governors}}
She is on the Board of Trustees and Governing Body of I.P. College for Women, Delhi University.{{cite web |title=Board of Trustees and Governing Body of I.P. College for Women, Delhi University |url=https://penmancy.com/penkonnect-with-archana-garodia-gupta/}} Other posts held previously include being a member of the SAARC Committee, FICCI.{{cite web |title=SAARC Chamber of Commerce & Industry in Collaboration with SCWEC |url=https://www.scwec.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=23}} She is widely traveled, both in her business capacity and as a speaker in international conferences.{{cite web |title=Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media - Global Symposiums 2016 Mumbai Bios |url=https://seejane.org/symposiums-on-gender-in-media/global-symposiums-2016-mumbai-bios/}}{{cite web |title=. Archana Garodia Gupta, forseti FLO, og Ólafur Stephensen, framkvæmdastjóri FA og Íslensk-indverska viðskiptaráðsins |date=29 September 2015 |url=http://www.atvinnurekendur.is/frettir/indverskar-athafnakonur-i-bodi-iiv/ |access-date=29 September 2015}}{{cite web |title=SPAIN INDIA COUNCIL FUNDATION Diálogo FCEI |url=http://spain-india.org/en/media_gallery/dialogo_fcei_la_mujer_y_su_papel_en_la_politica_en_india_y_espana |access-date=30 October 2015}}
Quizzing
Archana has been quizzing since school and has won many competitions. She won the television quiz BBC Mastermind India in 2001, which was conducted by Siddharth Basu. She won the Champion of Champions title for BBC Mastermind India in 2002.{{cite web |title=Archana Garodia Gupta, a Noida-based businesswoman, is Mastermind India 2001, the third woman winner of the BBC |url=https://zeenews.india.com/home/noida-businesswoman-is-mastermind-india-2001_30143.html}}
She has been an expert for many episodes on the popular Indian television show Kaun Banega Crorepati hosted by Amitabh Bachchan in 2019{{cite web |title=Kaun Banega Crorepati 11, Episode 54- Rajiv Makhni and Archana Garodia Gupta were today's experts |url=https://www.ndtv.com/entertainment/kaun-banega-crorepati-11-episode-54-written-update-amitabh-bachchan-welcomes-virender-sehwag-dutee-c-2126036 |website=1 November 2019}} and 2020.{{cite web |title=Amitabh Bachchan guides another contestant to a significant victory |work=Gossip Mantri |url=https://gossipmantri.com/amitabh-bachchan-guides-another-contestant-to-a-significant-victory/}} She conducts quizzes on a national and international level.{{cite web |title=Archana's Quizzes On National & International Level |date=25 July 2019 |url=https://gulfnews.com/uae/the-right-answers-1.406262}}
Literary career
Archana Garodia Gupta is the coauthor, along with Shruti Garodia, of the bestselling two-volume A History of India for Children published by Hachette, which was nominated for the Crossword book award,{{cite web |title=Crossword Book Award - Celebrating Indian Writing: 17TH YEAR |url=https://www.crosswordbookawards.com/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170824221703/http://crosswordbookawards.com/|url-status=usurped|archive-date=24 August 2017}} and included in The Times of India list of "10 books every Indian child must read".{{cite web |title=10 books every Indian child must read BY TIMES OF INDIA-TNN |work=The Times of India |date=2 June 2023 |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/books/photo-stories/10-books-every-child-must-read/photostory/68377398.cms}} It comprehensively covers the history of India from prehistory to modern times.
She is also the author of The Women Who Ruled India, which details the stories of 20 women who ruled in India.{{cite web |title=The Women Who Ruled India: Leaders. Warriors. Icons. |url=https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/45732651-the-women-who-ruled-india}} She writes on retail, women’s issues, and history for newspapers and magazines.{{cite web |title=The Watertight Men - Outlook India Magazine |url=https://www.outlookindia.com/magazine/story/the-watertight-men/282338}}{{cite web |title=Leading the Way - Marwar India Magazine |url=http://www.marwar.com/leading-the-way/}} She co-writes the column "Revisiting History" in The Hindu in School.{{cite web |title=Revisiting History THE HINDU |work=The Hindu |date=30 January 2020 |url=https://www.thehindu.com/entertainment/art/bharatanatyam-of-their-choice/article30690970.ece}} She has written regular columns for Indian Express Parenting.{{cite web |title=Columns for Indian Express Parenting |date=4 October 2018 |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/parenting/learning/history-paneer-makhani-world-indian-dish-5319434/}} She has written a column on Women in Indian History for Swarajya magazine. She has spoken at many literary festivals across the country.{{cite web |title=Disha Literature Festival |url=https://dishaliteraturefestival.nlkschools.org/archana-garodia-gupta/}}{{cite web |title=Hyderabad Literary Festival 24-26 JAN 2020 |url=https://www.hydlitfest.org/speaker/archana-garodia-gupta/}}
Awards and recognition
- Winner of BBC Mastermind India TV Quiz, 2001{{cite web |title=Noida Businesswoman is Mastermind 2001 |work=The Times of India |date=January 2002 |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Noida-businesswoman-is-Mastermind-India-2001/articleshow/916399354.cms}}
- Winner of Champion of Champions BBC Mastermind India TV Quiz, 2002{{cite web |title=Noida-based businesswoman, is Mastermind India 2001, the third woman winner of the BBC |url=https://zeenews.india.com/home/noida-businesswoman-is-mastermind-india-2001_30143.html}}
- Bharat Nirman Award for Women Entrepreneurship{{cite web |title=12th Asiad Literature Festival was held at India International Centre |url=http://www.ismatimes.com/2020/02/26/12th-asiad-literature-festival-was-held-at-india-international-centre/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200314110615/http://www.ismatimes.com/2020/02/26/12th-asiad-literature-festival-was-held-at-india-international-centre/|url-status=usurped|archive-date=March 14, 2020}}
- FLO IWAAF 2018 award for Outstanding Contribution for Mobilizing Women Entrepreneurs{{cite web |title=FLO Indian Women Artisans Awadh Festival - FLO IWAAF |url=http://www.ficciflo.com/flip/annual-report/2017-2018/FLO-ANNUAL-REPORT-2017-18.pdf}}
- Nominated for Crossword Popular Choice Best Children’s Book 2019{{cite web |title=Crossword Book Award |url=https://www.crosswordbookawards.com/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170824221703/http://crosswordbookawards.com/|url-status=usurped|archive-date=August 24, 2017}}
- Selected in The Times of India "list of 10 books every Indian child must read"{{cite web |title=10 books every Indian child must read BY TIMES OF INDIA |work=The Times of India |date=2 June 2023 |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/books/photo-stories/10-books-every-child-must-read/photostory/68377398.cms}}
References
{{reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gupta, Archana Garodia}}
Category:Year of birth missing (living people)
Category:Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad alumni
Category:Lady Shri Ram College alumni
Category:21st-century Indian women writers
Category:21st-century Indian businesswomen
Category:Businesswomen from Delhi
Category:Businesswomen from West Bengal
Category:Quiz championship players
Category:Indian jewellery designers
Category:Indian children's writers
Category:21st-century Indian non-fiction writers