Heading home after dropping out of college, all she had was 500 rupees in her pocket and a dream of being an entrepreneur. Years on, at 28, Tanya Mittal stands as a self-made entrepreneur, motivational speaker, and beauty pageant winner.
Her Parents Kept Aloof from Her Business Dreams
Born in 1996, Tanya comes from a business family in Gwalior, India. As a child, she loved flaunting her creativity before her parents. She loved sports and was always into exploring new things and thinking outside the box.
Her parents didn’t mind this, but when she shared her dream of running a business like her father, her family shut it down—they’d never let that be her path. She could study anything, and learn anything, yet the risky business world was off-limits for her.
After several failed attempts to convince her parents, Tanya joined Chandigarh University to study architecture but soon saw her heart was not in it. She wanted to build something of her own instead of following a traditional career path. So, she took a bold step and dropped out of college to chase business.1
Starting her own Gifting Company
At the age of 19, she started her own gifting business, HandMadeLove on Instagram, with just ₹500. Her first order earned her nothing—the customer took the product and blocked her. Despite being disheartened, she poured Rakhi money from her brothers into growing her business. Success didn’t come easy, though—hardships hit. Her Instagram got hacked, wiping out all her gains. 2
Tanya rose, trademarked HandMadeLove in real life, this time in an organized, smarter way. What started as a small idea turned into a brand due to her creativity and determination.
Winning Miss Tourism Asia in 2018
Even though Tanya had started her business, she wasn’t completely confident about her personality. Her boyfriend at the time dumped her, blaming her looks and ‘unattractive’ traits.
Heartbroken yet determined, Tanya chose to flip the narrative. She worked on herself, shed 13 kg in two years, learned English, and started competing in beauty pageants. In 2018, she won Miss Tourism India and Miss Tourism Asia. This got her recognized on an international level and proved that she could succeed in multiple fields.
Over time, she started giving TED Talks nationwide, sharing her journey in business, self-growth, and women’s empowerment, inspiring youth to chase their dreams.
Promoting UP and MP Tourism
Tanya also promotes tourism in Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh by collaborating with the state governments. Particularly interested in these states’ cultural heritage, she visits various temples and lesser-known religious places to put them on the map for devotees and tourists.
Her Viral Moment at Mahakumbh
Tanya gained widespread attention after claiming to save lives during an alleged 2025 Mahakumbh stampede. She said that in Prayagraj’s Jhunsi area, a massive crowd left people suffocating and collapsing. Tanya and her team rescued many children, pulling them into a store for safety. Despite her repeated calls to higher officials, timely help never came.
Her claims blew up on social media, sparking a debate over whether the stampede happened and why the government denies it occurred. People also began challenging the VIP culture that favours influencers, putting them ahead of the public at big events.3
Note- Her biography will be updated here as new details emerge.
