Started 24 Yrs Ago With No Plan, This 78-YO’s Babywear Venture Is a Lesson in Doing What You Love
It was February 2000. Krishnaveni Bangara stood outside the operation theatre of a private hospital in Chennai, awaiting the birth of her grandchild. In her hands were two freshly stitched newborn kits, one in blue, the other in pink.
“Congratulations! It’s a baby girl,” the doctor announced. An overjoyed Krishnaveni handed over the pink set, which included a baby bed, a head cap, mittens, and clothes for the newborn.
Little did she know that this simple moment of love and readiness would mark the quiet beginning of a business that would go on to shape her journey of financial independence, while supporting hundreds of new mothers.
Krishnaveni’s business, Kitty’s Care, creates safe and comfortable newborn clothing.
Now 78, Krishnaveni settles into a nostalgic conversation about her journey, her belief in self-sustenance, and what keeps her going even today.
It all began in a hospital waiting room
“It was the doctor’s recognition which gave wings to me and my business, ‘Kitty’s Care’,” she smiles.
After the surgery, Dr Shantha, the gynaecologist, called Krishnaveni in and asked her about the newborn clothing she had brought. “It all started from there. The doctor was delighted to see what I had done for my grandchild, and in just a few days, the hospital reached out to me to supply newborn clothing, as they were planning to give all new mothers the same kit,” Krishnaveni recalls.
Being someone who always believed in self-sustenance, this was the beginning of an entirely different world for her, she shares.
Recalling the words of Dr Shantha, who gave her the idea and lots of reassurance, Krishnaveni says, “She told me: ‘You can do it, you are doing it’. After I began and supplied the first batch of clothes, I felt independent and loved the feeling of keeping myself busy.”
From baby towels to nappies, Krishnaveni stitches everything a newborn needs with utmost care and love.
The hospital was impressed to see her so prepared for her granddaughter’s arrival, while many families were not, she adds.
The daily rhythm of a business built on care
An ideal day in Krishnaveni’s life after starting Kitty’s Care looked like this: an early bird by nature, she would wake up as early as 5 am to finish all household chores and begin working on newborn clothes by 10 am. “I usually spent a good six hours a day organising everything. I used to cut the material and give it to my tailors, who were a part of the Kitty’s Care team.”
From baby towels to nappies, Krishnaveni stitches everything a newborn needs with utmost care and love.
The 78-year-old Chennai-based entrepreneur procures cotton and microfibre towels to customise them according to client needs, makes baby dresses, jablas (loose baby tunics), langots (cloth nappies), mittens, socks, baby beds, dry sheets, and bibs.
“My clients choose what they want in the kit and place orders. Each kit costs around Rs 250 to Rs 350, approximately, depending on what they pick in the kit. Each hospital has their own preference when it comes to customising their newborn kits,” she explains.
When the world paused, she kept going
The routine was smooth and well set for Krishnaveni, until COVID-19 hit. “My daughter and grandchildren were worried about me and refused to let me step out for business. That’s when I went online with Kitty’s Care.”
She contacted customers over the phone, asked her tailors to work from home and deliver the goods on time, and ensured orders reached her clients promptly. “I accepted online payments, and with a lot of help from my grandchildren, I learnt how things worked online,” she smiles.
After moving to Muscat, Krishnaveni continued to run it remotely, thanks to the relationships and goodwill she had built in Chennai over 24 years.
It wasn’t easy to unlearn old ways and start anew in her seventies, but Krishnaveni did it anyway. “I learnt how to receive payments from my clients, how to pay online to my vendors and made Kitty’s Care more an online business model,” she shares.
After the pandemic, Krishnaveni moved to Muscat, Oman, to be with her family. But her business didn’t pause. She continued to run it remotely, thanks to the relationships and goodwill she had built in Chennai over 24 years. “Thanks to the pandemic, I can now do my business wherever I am. I moved to Muscat a year ago, and from here, I continue to receive orders and manage everything,” she shares.
Even distance couldn’t stop her. She adapted, stayed connected, and kept the business running — quietly, confidently, and on her own terms.
Why her work matters, even today
Having supplied kits to hospitals in both Chennai and Hyderabad, Krishnaveni says most of her feedback comes through the hospitals. “New parents don’t usually give me direct reviews. But the hospitals often share what the mothers need, and I make changes accordingly,” she says.
She remembers how some parents used to ask for printed fabric, but she insists on using only plain material. “It helps identify any insects or dirt stuck on the cloth. My priority is that babies wearing Kitty’s Care should be safe and comfortable,” she shares.
Krishnaveni refrains from heavy prints because her priority is safety and comfort when it comes to babywear.
And it’s not just about safety; it’s about relief. “The hospitals often say that the kits I supply are a huge relief. Many families come unprepared, often using old clothes. Having a ready-made newborn kit makes a real difference.”
She didn’t start with a plan or even call it a business at first. But over two decades later, Krishnaveni has built something that gives her purpose, keeps her active, and helps others in the process. And that, perhaps, is what real success looks like.
To those who think it’s too late to start something new, her story is a reminder that independence often begins with what you already have and what you choose to do with it.
Edited by Khushi Arora; All images courtesy Krishnaveni Bangara
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