Archana Garodia Gupta

Archana Garodia Gupta is an author, entrepreneur, business leader, and quizzer.  Archana Garodia Gupta did her schooling in Modern School, Vasant Vihar. She graduated from the Lady Shri Ram College for Women, Delhi University, with a BA (Hons) in Economics in 1986. She did her MBA from the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad, in the top 15 of her class with a merit scholarship. She holds Diplomas in French, German and Gemology.

Archana Garodia Gupta, along with Manoj Gupta, owns and runs Touchstone, which is a pioneer of Indian handcrafted costume jewelry since 1996. Touchstone is also a pioneer in global Ecommerce from India. It sells under its own brand in more than 50 countries.  It retails, worldwide, products made by Indian artisans, especially rural and women artisans.

Prior to this (1988-1995), she worked with Himachal Fibres Ltd., a family owned publicly listed Spinning mill, and was instrumental in quadrupling the turnover in 6 years by developing exports across the world.

Touchstone received the international award for Socially Responsible Business of the Year from Payoneer, a major International Fintech. Touchstone has been showcased in the Amazon Export Digest as a success story from India. 

Archana Garodia Gupta received the Woman Entrepreneur award for Amazon Global Selling in 2023. 

Archana Garodia Gupta was the President of FLO, the women’s wing of FICCI, the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry, in 2015- 2016.

She has been working in the sphere of women’s development for the last two decades. As FLO President, among other women empowerment initiatives promoted were Swayam, a handholding, mentoring, and consultancy cell nationwide for women, and a number of skilling and employment initiatives under the umbrella WE (Women Empowerment).

Archana Garodia Gupta was the National Chair of the FICCI MSME Committee in 2018 and 2019. In that role, she coordinated the FICCI state MSME committees and numerous industry associations, organizing Seminars, conferences and training, and worked closely with the Government to create favorable policies for the MSMEs. She was a member of the Brics Financial Committee from India, leading the SME Taskforce. 

She has been a spokesperson on behalf of FICCI in many national and international forums and for print and television. 

She has been a key board member of the Noida Women Entrepreneurs Association for the last 20 years and as its secretary, promoted a successful women’s industrial park along with the UP Government, Mahila Udyami Park, in Greater Noida in 1999. Other posts held previously include member of the SAARC Committee, FICCI, and member of PHD Banking Committee and PHD Economic Affairs Committee.

She was a member of the Oxfam Gender Advisory Council in 2017.

The History of India for Children: (Vol 1 & 2) 2018. Coauthor along with Shruti Garodia: Hachette

• Bestselling book in this category. 
• Nominated for the Crossword book award 
• Included in The Times of India list of 10 books every Indian Child must Read.

The Women who ruled India: 2019. Hachette. The stories of 20 women rulers of India.

Her Right to Equality: 2020 Penguin.  Contributed Essay - Promoting Women’s Entrepreneurship and Livelihoods

History Hunters: Chandragupta Maurya and the Greek Onslaught: Aug 2022. Hachette. Coauthor along with Shruti Garodia

History Hunters: Akbar and the Agents from the East: Oct 2022. Hachette. Coauthor along with Shruti Garodia

History Hunters: Chandragupta Vikramaditya and the Shaka Conspiracy: July 2023 . Hachette. Coauthor along with Shruti Garodia

She writes on retail, women’s issues, and history for newspapers and magazines. 

Newspaper and Magazine Columns

1. Revisiting History in The Hindu in School – 34 Columns
2. Make History Fun Again. – Indian Express Parenting– 37 Columns

She has spoken on history in nearly hundred schools. 

She has spoken at many literary festivals across the country, some of which are-

Tata Lit Fest Kolkata

Times of India Lit fest Delhi

Times of India Lit fest Bangalore

Hyderabad Lit fest.

Bookaroo Delhi, Jaipur

Awards and Recognition

• Winner of BBC Mastermind India 2001 (TV Quiz Show) 
• Winner of Champion of Champions BBC Mastermind India 2002
• Nominated for Crossword Popular Choice Best Children’s book 2019
• Selected in the Times of India list of 10 books every Indian child must Read
• Payoneer international award for Socially Responsible Business of the Year 2022
• Amazon Global Selling Woman Entrepreneur Award 2023
• Bharat Nirman Award for Women Entrepreneurship 2019
• FLO IWAAF 2018 award for Outstanding Contribution for Mobilizing Women Entrepreneurs[
• IIM Ahmedabad Industrial Scholarship (given to the top 15)
• National Talent Search Scholarship