Speaking at the ShePower event in Kochi, C.K. Kumaravel, Chairman and Managing Director of Naturals Salon, delivered a powerful address that blended personal experience, social insight, and forward-looking business wisdom. Addressing a hall full of women entrepreneurs, professionals, and leaders, he spoke about courage, responsibility, technology, and the urgent need for women to take charge of their rightful place in society.
Lessons from a Mother’s Strength
Kumaravel began with a deeply personal story. In 1979, after the sudden death of his father, his mother, then 42, was left to raise six children. Instead of surrendering to grief or seeking sympathy, she took full responsibility for the family. She ran farms, factories, a tailoring unit, and even a bakery, while also embracing life through music and dance. That courage, he said, shaped not just their survival but their success.
Her life became his earliest lesson in leadership: talent and intelligence matter, but courage decides outcomes.
The Missing Women Problem
Drawing attention to a familiar social pattern, Kumaravel pointed out how women dominate academic excellence in schools and colleges, yet gradually disappear from the workforce after marriage and motherhood. Many return only later in life. This “theory of missing women,” he argued, must end with the current generation, especially in Kerala, where women are already stepping forward with confidence.
Society, he said, is like a bird. Men and women are its two wings. A bird cannot fly with just one.
Data Bias, Not Conspiracy
Kumaravel stressed that the world is largely designed by men, for men, not out of malice but due to data bias. From early musical instruments to car safety systems, products were tested primarily on men, leading to outcomes that disadvantaged women.
The same bias exists in business, sports, and leadership representation. However, he noted, data bias can only be corrected with new data. As women perform, lead, and succeed visibly, the narrative changes. Representation is not given. It is taken.
Power Beyond the Home
While women wield influence at home, in education, and within families, they remain underrepresented in corporate boardrooms and politics. Calling this imbalance an injustice, Kumaravel urged women to demand responsibility, not wait for permission. Quoting Gandhi, he reminded the audience that real change begins with becoming the change.
India’s Moment and the Need for Big Dreams
Kumaravel highlighted that the 21st century belongs to Asia, and especially India. With a young population, digital readiness, and massive opportunity, there has never been a better time to build from India.
The difference between traditional businesses and modern giants like Airbnb, Uber, and Nykaa lies in business models that unlock hidden value using technology. India, he said, is filled with such untapped potential.
Artificial Intelligence Is Not the Future, It Is Now
A major portion of his address focused on Artificial Intelligence. Entrepreneurs today have only two choices: adopt and lead, or deny and disappear. AI, he explained, helps businesses understand customers better, automate routine tasks, predict future trends, personalize offerings, and scale faster.
AI will not replace humans. People who understand AI will replace those who do not.
Sharing an anecdote of a farm worker using AI tools to manage bird health more efficiently, Kumaravel illustrated how technology is already democratizing intelligence across education and class.
Curiosity, Small Experiments, and Speed
He urged the audience to stay curious, ask better questions, and run small experiments instead of waiting for perfect plans. The ability to execute quickly, he said, matters more than ideas alone. Speed and execution are the real currencies of this era.
The 30-30-30 Formula
Kumaravel introduced a simple framework for the future:
– An average team age below 30
– A team size under 30
– A vision spanning the next 30 years
Small teams with big dreams, powered by technology and youth, will shape the future.
Be Unreasonable, Dream Bigger
Sharing his own entrepreneurial journey, Kumaravel spoke about choosing action over endless discussion. Progress, he said, has always been driven by unreasonable people who refuse to accept the world as it is.
The size of life, like rain, depends on the size of the vessel you place outside. Ordinary and extraordinary lives demand the same effort. The difference lies in the dream.
Self-Belief Is Non-Negotiable
One of the strongest messages of the address was personal responsibility. No parent, partner, teacher, government, or fate determines success. The quality of one’s life is entirely one’s own responsibility.
Within every individual, he said, lies an “angel” waiting to be revealed. Belief in oneself is the first step to unlocking it.
Courage Above All
Concluding his speech, Kumaravel emphasized courage as the ultimate differentiator. Wealth, talent, and opportunity follow courage. With Dhairyalakshmi, the goddess of courage, all other forms of prosperity follow.
The future, he asserted, belongs to women. As women rise, their success becomes a shared victory for society itself. The call was clear: lead boldly, dream fearlessly, and help build a better world together.
