My country has a reputation of holding women back. But women here in India have a way of holding their own. Despite their demure manners and deferring behavior, they can be astonishingly strong.

For the most part they are hardworking, unafraid of making decisions and sticking by them. Also most often they will be enthusiastically contributing members of any group they belong to. “We do our best in whatever we are called upon to do,” they will tell you.

Many strong, focused women of ambition choose to start their own enterprises, rather than be trapped in the often limiting, ritual-strangling, demeaning jobs that a regular company has to offer. One such person, Davinder, is a perfect example. She started low, observed, learned, held onto her dreams, and worked her way up to where she is now the owner of her own business.

Davinder started working in elementary school because she wanted to study in America. She delivered newspapers. She worked nights and weekends, saved her meager income to make that dream come true. She only went to the USA for a few weeks, but that time in a foreign world changed her life forever. She realized that she wanted to go overseas again and her route to do that was to work in the travel industry.

Davinder did not go to college. Rather after high school she got a job as a customer services agent for a local travel agent. She wore a cute suit and hat and carried out transactions for the local people. She did that for three years and really got a feel for the business.

Still holding on to her dream, she then went to work for a company that has branches overseas and specialised in tour packages. The manager was a woman and extremely tough. The turnover of employees was like pancakes on a hot griddle, but Davinder stuck it out for four intense, challenging, very instructive years. During that time she worked extremely long hours in the office, progressed within the company, and most importantly she made contacts and learned the ins and outs of the trade. She did this until she had the confidence that she could start her own company.

And that is exactly what she did. Of course, that meant she worked even longer and more difficult hours. But since the business was her own she did not mind budgeting her cash, and she had more energy and motivation than she ever knew for it!

For years she did most of the work herself: interviewing customers and arranging tours, learning about packages and flights. She ran programs for students to learn about the travel sector and roles that they might not of known they were eligible for. She went out of her way to match each person’s program to their needs and wishes.

Davinder focused on her dream of opening her own business. “My passion is to open people's eyes to what they can achieve with perseverance”

And that dream has never wavered

Work expanded, the company grew, “You can never stop learning and growing,” she says. “When I first started, people only wanted to travel abroad. But now they want special programs and even yearlong overseas experiences. Plus there are more companies now, so we have to keep expanding, changing, being in the forefront. It’s not easy. You can never really relax.”

After her company was well established, Davinder decided to try college. She wanted to test what she had learned from life by comparing it with what she could learn in university. So, eight years after she started her own company, she entered an institute of higher education to study business. It took four long years of both studying and working full time, and then she proudly got her degree.

University was interesting for her. She was by far the oldest student there, but she enjoyed the energy of 18 to 20 year olds. And she understood them well. Several times she even had some of the youngsters in her class over to her new house for all night study sessions and pajama parties.

“I love my work. I love my life. I am helping people and at the same time making friends all over the world. I’m a very lucky person.”

But she has also worked hard to become who she is today. And she added, “I can never stop my efforts. There’s always so much more to do, so many more avenues to explore – always.”

And what new frontiers does she have now? “Well”, she said reflectively, “as surprising as it may seem, maybe I’d like to have a child. I’m 42, so it’s about my last chance.”

As for juggling career and child-rearing, she said, “Why not? I could do it. I know I could. Nothing has ever stopped me before.”

Hopefully if she does have a child, she will shower it with the wonderful attention and opportunities she has provided for so many young people who are not her own. Or maybe they are. “My clients become like family, “ she says, “I know and love them all.”