{
  "id": 19913038,
  "title": "After Covid closed jewellery biz, Bengaluru woman builds Rs 20-lakh bindi brand",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/14/after-covid-closed-jewellery-biz-bengaluru-woman-builds-rs-20-lakh",
  "topic": "health",
  "section": "Health & Medicine",
  "published": "2026-11-14T03:29:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Times of India",
    "slug": "times-of-india",
    "url": "https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/people/in-2020-bengaluru-woman-meghna-khanna-shut-her-jewellery-business-amid-covid-two-years-later-she-invested-rs-5-lakh-in-handmade-bindis-and-built-a-brand-with-rs-20-lakh-annual-revenue-by-2025/articleshow/135795617.cms"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Meghna Khanna, a Bengaluru entrepreneur, built Levitate, a handcrafted jewellery brand, over 18 years before the Covid-19 pandemic forced its closure in 2020. While reflecting on her lost identity, a conversation about a grandmother's gold bindi inspired her to create a new business. In December 2022, Khanna launched The Bindi Project, an Rs 20-lakh venture based in Bengaluru. The brand creates handcrafted, reusable bindis in various shapes, colours, and materials. By FY25, the brand had achieved annual revenue of Rs 20 lakh, double the Rs 10 lakh generated in its first year. The Bindi Project has gained recognition among Bollywood actors like Kareena Kapoor, Kajol, Sonam Kapoor, and Tamannaah Bhatia, with stylists using its designs for their looks. The brand has reached over 1,500 customers and featured in Shark Tank India's Season 5. Meghna Khanna aims to make bindis \"funky again\" while preserving their cultural heritage, and plans to collaborate with more artisans across India to provide employment opportunities for rural women.",
  "summary": "Meghna Khanna, an entrepreneur, closed her handcrafted jewelry business, Levitate, due to the Covid-19 pandemic. After a conversation about bindis, she launched The Bindi Project in December 2022. The brand creates handcrafted, reusable bindis, and achieved annual revenues of Rs 20 lakh by FY25. Bollywood stylists have recognized the brand, increasing its visibility through celebrity endorsements.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}