Sangeeta Singh, director of National Institute of Fashion Design, at her office in Ranchi.

She did her Ph. D. on a somewhat spiritual theme ? ?The isms in the Upanishads?. Once in her life, it was in synchrony with her previous qualification ? B. A. (Philosophy) and M. A. (Philosophy). But her belief that learning is an open-ended process, made her pursue a post-graduation degree in Hindi as well. Not satisfied, she topped it all with a B. Ed. degree.

Sangeeta Singh, director of the National Institute of Fashion Design (NIFD), has had a chequered career. She wanted to be a doctor and looked forward to set up her own clinic. Destiny, however, had its own path chalked out for her and Sangeeta finally became a teacher ? a profession she was probably overqualified for.

Medicine, teaching or anything else, Sangeeta was destined to ascend the ladder of success. Every time she switched over to a new marquee of profession, it was with single-pointed dedication and with unwavering determination.

Her friends and well-wishers took pride in her when she became a teacher. They knew she would excel in the profession of educating children. Some, however, scorned her for switching schools once too often. Sangeeta was probably made to interact with as many as children as she could. She kept moving and silenced her detractors by proving her mettle.

More than once Sangeeta showed that she could successfully mould innocent minds. Children were always at ease with her and she spent more than 10 years teaching in various schools in Ranchi. She liked her job, but quit to embark upon a new career ? entrepreneurship ? an idea she had been toying with ever since she passed out of college in 1979.

When Sangeeta launched her computer centre, a franchise of Brilliant Tutorials ? she was prepared to be scorned once again. ?Kuchh to log kahenge,?(people will say things), she says. ?More so in a male-dominated society,? she adds. ?It is difficult for a woman to start an independent enterprise. People are not prepared to accept a single woman, without any support, starting a venture,? she says about her initial days of struggle. Computers, however, was not her cup of tea either. In 1998, Sangeeta finally discovered that she had to carve a niche for herself in the world of fashion.

With her switching over to the creative industry of fashion technology, Sangeeta had come a full circle. ?Very few people know that I started my career as a teacher and wanted to be a doctor. People were surprised when they discovered that I have no certificate or formal training in fashion designing. They compared it with my academic qualifications ? Ph. D. and B. Ed ? and doubted my success in this field. ?How could one excel in a field without any formal training?? The apathy and doubt, rather helped me as I became determined to pursue what I wanted to,? she says.

Sangeeta claims to have learnt her lessons. ?Sting of apathy, some' doubt and people?s scorn ? these are the ingredients of my success. People often take criticism and apathy in a negative manner, not realising that things like this force us to do something in a vigorous way. I have always enjoyed being opposed and criticised. That way I can prove that I am way above people's estimate of me,? she said.

Sangeeta may not have done a particular course, but she had been nurturing her skills and creativity along with her studies.

Speaking of her non-academic training in art and crafts, she said: ?As my father kept shifting from one city to another, I have done my schooling in several cities ? in Hazaribagh, Patna, Dhanbad, then back to Hazaribagh again for my ISC from St. Columbus? College. Respite came when I joined Ranchi Women's College. I was in Ranchi for the first time, but I remained here ever since.?

Her time in Ranchi was not consumed only by academics. ?I also pursued my passion for painting, craft work, water colours, leather work, fabric painting, fashion design.? She has hundreds of creations to prove her point, but she is somewhat averse to the idea of flouting her creations. ?I want my students to excel and represent Ranchi in the fashion world,? she says.

Ever since Sangeeta launched her enterprise, she has been enjoying work. ?Initially, I had only a handful of students at NIFD, but I did not let that discourage me. I equipped my institute with computers and roped in trained people.? Things have changed for the better, Sangeeta admits. ?These days, we have more than half a dozen batches with girls flocking my institute. The very name of NIFD spells magic.?

Not worried about carving a niche for her institution anymore, Sangeeta is now focussed on promoting girls from lower-middle strata of the society, an unusual combination of business and benevolence, as she puts it.

As for the future, she is satisfied with her career as an entrepreneur and wishes to carry on with training budding fashion designers and also continue with her pursuit to create something outstanding. Satisfaction, however, is miles away. ?One should not be satisfied with one's creations and achievement. The best is always about to come,?she says, coming back to her basics. After all, philosophy is the subject she is a Ph. D. in.

Shiv Charan Singh