Media entrepreneur Parthip Thyagarajan and networking platform founder Shaan Khanna stay connected with more than just each other
Parthip Thyagarajan and Shaan Khanna at Ministry of New in Fort. Pic/Sayyed Sameer Abedi
Parthip Thyagarajan, 50, co-founder and CEO, WeddingSutra.com
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Shaan Khanna, 35, founder CEO, Networking Now India
To establish India’s first wedding website considerably ahead of the marriage marketing boom, is a dream Parthip Thyagarajan turned into successful reality, establishing WeddingSutra.com in 2000. As the leading destination for information and trends related to nuptial functions, he collaborates closely with hotel chains, jewellery and lifestyle brands for wedding-specific initiatives. In addition to helming this enterprise, Parthip serves as a mentor to creative entrepreneurs, and writes on consumer behaviour and the travel-tourism ecosystem.
Describing herself as a serial entrepreneur, Shaan Khanna started her career at the age of 15. She is the award-winning founder of Spicy Sangria, an exhibition platform in Bombay and Bangalore, and Networking Now India, a community with over 51,000 members across industries, who empower and support each other. Entrenched firm in the events space, she co-founded Sound Rise, the organisation facilitating live music in parks and other city venues. The go-to person for key media events, she offers consultations diving deep into issues faced by small business ventures.
The friends on mutual learning experiences that have led them to emerge as culture and consumer specialists.
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Parthip Thyagarajan: Shaan and I had interacted for a year over email before meeting at a brunch. She had a lovely smile and warmly introduced me to her mother, Sharmila Khanna.
Shaan Khanna: Everyone seemed to know Parthip. What a joy it was with him on a shoot—easy, relatable and fun. I loved hearing his plans for Wedding Sutra and all the wonderful things he’s worked on.
Parthip and Shaan with Zarine Khan (second from right) at her Juhu multi-designer store Fizaa, in 2013. Pic/Shreya Sen
PT: I’m older by fifteen years. Initially, we had a formal equation discussing ideas. Gradually, she became a window to a world I wasn’t a part of. Spending time with her, not on the work front alone, helped break barriers I had concerning her generation. Getting to know her friends has left me a more open person. She’s made me overcome mental blocks.
SK: There are less differences than he thinks. Our working styles are similar, our people skills too. And our love for hosting events. We approach clients the same way—conversations are engaging, in-depth, with details discussed, feedback exchanged.
PT: Networking initiatives not only bring people together, but also enable them to interact as friends. We are creative entrepreneurs with offbeat journeys. Anything new in our lives is shared. When Shaan first told me about starting her platform, I didn’t know what to say. Ten years later, I’m proud to report everybody we meet knows Networking Now.
SK: Networking Now India promotes collaboration over competition. Parthip began building a community way before me. He has a very strong hold of the wedding industry. I ask many questions, acting like an eager child wanting to know what he has coming up next.
From him I have learnt being direct, tackling situations head-on. His calm demeanour and ability to bring people together in one industry is fascinating. Parthip makes warm connections and remembers people well. Keep doing what you’re doing, he advises. There will be naysayers, but you do you. He shows the importance of sticking to one’s niche. Consistency and direction are learnings from him.
PT: With humility and passion at work, Shaan is fully grounded. I’d like to emulate her work-life balance, figure when to switch off. She’s sporting, with a great sense of humour.
We inhabit separate worlds. I’m from a services background, while her mother is well-known in the glam industry. Shaan lives in South Bombay where I used to, now I’m in New Bombay. I joke that if we need to meet, I should suggest a spot within five-kilometre radius of Colaba. I can travel anywhere from Navi Mumbai. I have flexibility, I have wings. She laughs about this. That said, we’ve often met in Andheri.
Before moving to Bombay, in school days in Punjab and Calcutta, where my Army officer dad was posted, I read articles about the challenges of life in Dharavi, families and business houses contributing to the city’s commercial and social development. From the balcony of our Churchgate home I’d watch the bustle around Kamling restaurant below, on the road packed with office-goers and street kids—uncommon in the cantonments of my early childhood. Unique in the ’70s was the elevator, not that known in other cities.
SK: It’s always been Bombay for me. I’m grateful for the best head-start, encouraged and groomed by my fashionista mother who hosted the best brand events.
PT: Yet she quickly developed her own identity. It’s a level playing field, professionally and personally. We have clients ranging from divas to Mulund mithaiwalas and friends from every walk of life.
SK: We thoroughly understand the other’s operative style. It isn’t enough growing a company. Sustaining it is tricky. I’m totally a people’s person, a
quite curious being. Could never be a wedding planner because I’m bad with ego control and drama management.
PT: Every wedding is a cultural construct, so understanding individuals within a particular milieu is essential. It’s fascinating to see communities migrate to certain areas, growing in life and business there—Sindhis in Colaba’s Pasta Lanes, TamBrams in Matunga and Dombivli, vegetarian pockets of Gujaratis in Vile Parle
and Walkeshwar.
We get so many opportunities. The good thing about Shaan is her lack of pretence, just honest friendship. I’ve never heard her complain about anything. Something I’d like changed is reaching her. Shaan doesn’t respond promptly to WhatsApp messages or answers calls.
SK: Ha ha. We’re still in pretty regular contact, with catch-up calls or while working on a project. What has cemented the bond between us over these years is joy in what we do. The driving force and commonality remain a mutual love for putting people in touch.
Even if it is mostly about presentation today and not so much trust, I respect some influencers a whole lot. We, however, aren’t into status management. As Parthip says, we both travel Economy but build people First Class!
Author-publisher Meher Marfatia writes monthly on city friendships. You can reach her at meher.marfatia@mid-day.com/www.meher marfatia.com
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