KOCHI: Maneesha Panicker was destined to travel.
The daughter of the late K Vasudeva Panicker, who was AICC general secretary and Member of Parliament in the 80s, she travelled quite a lot as a child.
“Though my parents are from Cherthala, my father’s job took us to many villages and cities and we got to meet a lot of people. I have studied in Kendriya Vidyalaya, Kochi, and also in Bangalore and Delhi. I have a lot of friends in Bangalore even now,” says Maneesha. But with the demise of her father in 1988 she had to go to a boarding school in Yercaud as her mother’s family was in Mysore.
This self-made entrepreneur who always aimed high went to New York to do MS in Industrial Engineering at Penn State University.
Soon after her course she got a managerial post with American cosmetic giant Estee Lauder.
“I loved my job and my office on the 43rd floor overlooking the Central Park. New York is vibrant with a lot of opportunities. But I loved India as much,” she says.
But although she enjoyed her job she didn’t want to sit at a desk and deal with plastics and lipsticks all her life. “I wanted to do something bigger. I wanted to bring together India and the West (particularly New York). At the same time I realised that being in India alone won’t work.”
While she was working in New York her heart was into travel, longing to showcase India in some way. “I did try out three or four ventures which didn’t click, before starting Silk Route Escapes.”
It was during one of her holidays in Kerala that she hit upon the idea of organising unique tours to Kerala, catering to high-end clients. And she started the company with the help of her family and her mother’s sister, Indira, an MBA graduate who has years of experience starting and growing businesses across India. Once she knew she could continue with the company, she quit from Estee Lauder in October 2009.
“Silk Route Escapes is all about authentic travel experiences and features tea-tasting, jungle safaris, afternoons with local artists, stays at boutique hotels and tailor-made holidays for tourists who want to experience an India never seen before,” says Maneesha who now organises tours all across India, Himalayas and neighbouring islands like Andaman and Nicobar and Maldives.
She says when she is bringing tourists to Fort Kochi, she will look for authentic colonial buildings, which are unique to that particular region. “We organise avenues where clients can teach children at local schools and meet with artists based in Kerala so the guests get to know the art and culture of Kerala. We even organise wildlife photography expeditions, bespoke tours for art collectors, and cultural interactions not only for those from abroad but for domestic tourists as well. The groups are small so everybody will get individual attention,” says Maneesha.
No doubt, Maneesha is into a highly rewarding job. “I get to learn so much about India and meet people who are passionate about travel. Spotting a leopard during an adventure trip would certainly be more exciting than discussing about lipstick colours,” says Maneesha with a smile.
At the same time she is quick to admit that her job with a multinational company helped her as she got a lot of business exposure. “I got to meet CEOs from 120 countries and it certainly helped in my business venture.”
Maneesha came to Kochi in October as it is the peak tourist season here. She will be going back to New York and will tour Europe to promote her business venture there. “New York teaches me what a discerning global traveller wants and being an Indian I know what our beautiful country can offer,” says Maneesha whose dream is to start an eco-friendly resort in Kerala, true to Kerala culture and heritage.
Meanwhile, Maneesha will be busy shooting for a reality show in New York. “I have been selected as an Adventurous Entrepreneur and will be featured in MSN Money’s reality show called 'Invested Life'. It’s a web-series where they film real life business people with America’s top financial experts. I expect to go back to New York for filming in late February.”
