As the University of Warwick celebrates its 60th anniversary, meet its impressive alumna and changemaker, Gauri Malik
Image credit: Sirohi
Most of us would agree with Benjamin Disraeli's quote: "A University should be a place of light, of liberty, and of learning." Our alma mater plays a significant role in shaping us. It enriches us with knowledge and skills that prepare us for the future. At The University of Warwick, a culture of excellence, creativity, and vibrant learning empowers students to dream big and make their mark on the world. With a robust legacy of 60 years, The University of Warwick has produced commendable talent that is transforming the world with their ideas and grit.
One such alumna is Gauri Malik from Muzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh, India, who studied for a Masters in Finance & Economics from The University of Warwick. Today, Gauri Malik is a proud founder of Sirohi, a certified, artisan-backed brand that offers sustainable home décor and lifestyle products. Sirohi creates large-scale income opportunities for over 1,500 women with innate craft skills, with the aim being to take handmade products from India to the world - so buyers and corporates move toward conscious consumption. As she credits The University of Warwick for her accomplishments, let's take a look at her inspiring journey, which can motivate students to start their own.
Gauri's transformative journey
Gauri's entrepreneurial journey began while studying MSc in Finance & Economics at Warwick Business School. While at The University of Warwick, Gauri based her Master's dissertation on the "Success of Microcredit", which was inspired by Mohammed Yunus's model and secured an internship in Peru in South America. She spent three months in Peru, volunteering at a not-for-profit microfinance organisation where she supported single mothers to start their own businesses. It was in Peru that Gauri met people from different cultures and walks of life, which expanded her worldview and helped her see opportunities beyond the traditional path of finance and banking. She understood the mechanisms of women at work and how, if they are empowered, they can work wonders in the fields that they choose.
Image credit: The University of Warwick
It was The University of Warwick and the internship that seeded the thought of entrepreneurship in Gauri's mind. "My time at The University of Warwick was so fundamental to the founding of Sirohi, as it exposed me to new concepts which directly inspired me to want to empower women through sustainable entrepreneurship. The University of Warwick not only provided me with foundational skills to bring Sirohi to life, but it also gave me the confidence, network, and practical experience to lead my own business,' Gauri tells us, reiterating the significance The University of Warwick had in her entrepreneurial journey - equipping her with the skills to think big and transform academic learnings into a scalable business idea.
The University of Warwick – Empowering future leaders with in-demand skills
Image credit: The University of Warwick
A successful entrepreneurial story is a combination of hard and soft skills. Technical know-how, financial literacy, and business acumen, paired with communication, leadership, and creative problem-solving, lay a strong foundation for well-established businesses. Students turned entrepreneurs often owe much to their universities, where both soft and hard skills are nurtured and honed. For Gauri, it was The University of Warwick, where she learnt to envision goals and turn them into reality. "The skills I learnt during my time at The University of Warwick were so varied, from analysing data sets to honing leadership skills and developing a broader global perspective - no two days were the same. These skills were pivotal in turning my vision for Sirohi into a reality, and they continue to guide me as I lead the company towards greater impact and sustainability," she says.
United by dreams, bonded by diversity
A global University is a tapestry of cultures, strong friendships and fond memories. It is here where students of different cultures and traditions come together, exchange ideas and collaborate on projects that create innovation, broaden perspectives, and prepare them for bigger challenges. Gauri found her tribe at The University of Warwick. Reminiscing about the good old days, she recalls some fond memories - "I made some of my closest friends at The University of Warwick. From travelling to cities around the UK to celebrate our birthdays together, they have been nothing short of a family to me. The University is so diverse in terms of culture and people. My class had students from almost 15 different nationalities, and I am now connected to almost 30-40% of them professionally."
Learning from Gauri's experience at The University of Warwick
Choosing the right university for further studies is a crucial decision that will shape your academic and professional future. It is, therefore, imperative to consider not only the institution's reputation but also the programmes' relevance, faculty expertise, and overall learning environment. Gauri made a wise decision by choosing The University of Warwick, which aligned with her career goals, offered her strong support systems, and gave her a conducive environment that encouraged personal and intellectual growth.
If you're a student who has big dreams and needs a foolproof plan to chart them out, Gauri has advice for you. "The environment at The University of Warwick goes hand in hand with academic excellence and personal growth. My main tip for candidates considering a programme at The University of Warwick is to embrace the challenge and step out of your comfort zone. Beyond textbooks, you'll develop essential skills that prepare you for success in any field!" she advises.
A robust legacy of 60 years
On January 22nd 2025, over 600 members of The University of Warwick came together to celebrate their 60th anniversary. The University has a strong legacy of innovation and impact, backed by pioneering research. Stuart Croft, Vice-Chancellor and President at The University of Warwick says, 'As we celebrate The University of Warwick's 60th anniversary, we remain deeply committed to our University Strategy - driving innovation, inclusion, and impact. Empowering students to pursue entrepreneurship is central to that mission, we believe in turning ideas into impact.
'We empower our students to embrace entrepreneurship by providing them with the knowledge, mentoring, and spaces to innovate. Warwick fosters a unique ecosystem where creativity and enterprise thrive - through access to cutting-edge facilities, interdisciplinary collaboration, and a strong network of mentors and industry partners.
'We will continue to welcome talented individuals from across the world, equipping them with the tools, networks, and confidence to create, lead, and shape the future."
Its alumni are dedicated individuals who chart a sustainable path for themselves and make a mark wherever they go. If you're planning to take up further studies, you can find out more about courses at The University of Warwick
here.
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Time of India
19-05-2025
- Time of India
As the University of Warwick celebrates its 60th anniversary, meet its impressive alumna and changemaker, Gauri Malik
Image credit: Sirohi Most of us would agree with Benjamin Disraeli's quote: "A University should be a place of light, of liberty, and of learning." Our alma mater plays a significant role in shaping us. It enriches us with knowledge and skills that prepare us for the future. At The University of Warwick, a culture of excellence, creativity, and vibrant learning empowers students to dream big and make their mark on the world. With a robust legacy of 60 years, The University of Warwick has produced commendable talent that is transforming the world with their ideas and grit. One such alumna is Gauri Malik from Muzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh, India, who studied for a Masters in Finance & Economics from The University of Warwick. Today, Gauri Malik is a proud founder of Sirohi, a certified, artisan-backed brand that offers sustainable home décor and lifestyle products. Sirohi creates large-scale income opportunities for over 1,500 women with innate craft skills, with the aim being to take handmade products from India to the world - so buyers and corporates move toward conscious consumption. As she credits The University of Warwick for her accomplishments, let's take a look at her inspiring journey, which can motivate students to start their own. Gauri's transformative journey Gauri's entrepreneurial journey began while studying MSc in Finance & Economics at Warwick Business School. While at The University of Warwick, Gauri based her Master's dissertation on the "Success of Microcredit", which was inspired by Mohammed Yunus's model and secured an internship in Peru in South America. She spent three months in Peru, volunteering at a not-for-profit microfinance organisation where she supported single mothers to start their own businesses. It was in Peru that Gauri met people from different cultures and walks of life, which expanded her worldview and helped her see opportunities beyond the traditional path of finance and banking. She understood the mechanisms of women at work and how, if they are empowered, they can work wonders in the fields that they choose. Image credit: The University of Warwick It was The University of Warwick and the internship that seeded the thought of entrepreneurship in Gauri's mind. "My time at The University of Warwick was so fundamental to the founding of Sirohi, as it exposed me to new concepts which directly inspired me to want to empower women through sustainable entrepreneurship. The University of Warwick not only provided me with foundational skills to bring Sirohi to life, but it also gave me the confidence, network, and practical experience to lead my own business,' Gauri tells us, reiterating the significance The University of Warwick had in her entrepreneurial journey - equipping her with the skills to think big and transform academic learnings into a scalable business idea. The University of Warwick – Empowering future leaders with in-demand skills Image credit: The University of Warwick A successful entrepreneurial story is a combination of hard and soft skills. Technical know-how, financial literacy, and business acumen, paired with communication, leadership, and creative problem-solving, lay a strong foundation for well-established businesses. Students turned entrepreneurs often owe much to their universities, where both soft and hard skills are nurtured and honed. For Gauri, it was The University of Warwick, where she learnt to envision goals and turn them into reality. "The skills I learnt during my time at The University of Warwick were so varied, from analysing data sets to honing leadership skills and developing a broader global perspective - no two days were the same. These skills were pivotal in turning my vision for Sirohi into a reality, and they continue to guide me as I lead the company towards greater impact and sustainability," she says. United by dreams, bonded by diversity A global University is a tapestry of cultures, strong friendships and fond memories. It is here where students of different cultures and traditions come together, exchange ideas and collaborate on projects that create innovation, broaden perspectives, and prepare them for bigger challenges. Gauri found her tribe at The University of Warwick. Reminiscing about the good old days, she recalls some fond memories - "I made some of my closest friends at The University of Warwick. From travelling to cities around the UK to celebrate our birthdays together, they have been nothing short of a family to me. The University is so diverse in terms of culture and people. My class had students from almost 15 different nationalities, and I am now connected to almost 30-40% of them professionally." Learning from Gauri's experience at The University of Warwick Choosing the right university for further studies is a crucial decision that will shape your academic and professional future. It is, therefore, imperative to consider not only the institution's reputation but also the programmes' relevance, faculty expertise, and overall learning environment. Gauri made a wise decision by choosing The University of Warwick, which aligned with her career goals, offered her strong support systems, and gave her a conducive environment that encouraged personal and intellectual growth. If you're a student who has big dreams and needs a foolproof plan to chart them out, Gauri has advice for you. "The environment at The University of Warwick goes hand in hand with academic excellence and personal growth. My main tip for candidates considering a programme at The University of Warwick is to embrace the challenge and step out of your comfort zone. Beyond textbooks, you'll develop essential skills that prepare you for success in any field!" she advises. A robust legacy of 60 years On January 22nd 2025, over 600 members of The University of Warwick came together to celebrate their 60th anniversary. The University has a strong legacy of innovation and impact, backed by pioneering research. Stuart Croft, Vice-Chancellor and President at The University of Warwick says, 'As we celebrate The University of Warwick's 60th anniversary, we remain deeply committed to our University Strategy - driving innovation, inclusion, and impact. Empowering students to pursue entrepreneurship is central to that mission, we believe in turning ideas into impact. 'We empower our students to embrace entrepreneurship by providing them with the knowledge, mentoring, and spaces to innovate. Warwick fosters a unique ecosystem where creativity and enterprise thrive - through access to cutting-edge facilities, interdisciplinary collaboration, and a strong network of mentors and industry partners. 'We will continue to welcome talented individuals from across the world, equipping them with the tools, networks, and confidence to create, lead, and shape the future." Its alumni are dedicated individuals who chart a sustainable path for themselves and make a mark wherever they go. If you're planning to take up further studies, you can find out more about courses at The University of Warwick here.
Hindustan Times
08-05-2025
- Hindustan Times
Digital education can bridge inequality and shape the future
The EWE program empowers rural women entrepreneurs across India, providing skills, training, and financial literacy. Through initiatives like Gauri's sewing collective and Smita's beauty parlor, women are transforming their lives, driving economic growth, and challenging systemic barriers.
Hindustan Times
07-05-2025
- Hindustan Times
Empowering women entrepreneurs to lead economic transformation
We often discuss India's economic trajectory through numbers and milestones—Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth, infrastructure investments, workforce projections. But a recent conversation brought home a truth I have long believed--spreadsheets track progress, but people define it. Women entrepreneurs (representational image)(Pixabay) I was reminded of this when I recently read about Gauri from UP's Shravasti district. Her story captures the quiet revolution powering India toward the Viksit Bharat vision. Like millions of women in rural India, Gauri's life was a cycle of survival. With a family to support and her husband's daily wage stretched thin, her sewing talent remained untapped. In 2022, she enrolled in Empowering Women Entrepreneurs (EWE) programme, a three-year partnership between Visa and United Way Mumbai, that equipped her with a sewing machine and offered her training in the basics of business and overall financial literacy. Today, she runs a sewing collective, mentoring village girls to stitch garments and steward them to better futures. Gauri's journey is one of 11,000 such underserved women entrepreneurs that EWE has connected with across over 360 villages in UP, Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Assam. Last month, when I visited a program centre in Mumbai's suburbs, I met one of them, Smita, who has turned ₹ 50 beauty tutorials into a thriving parlour. Her monthly income of ₹ 25,000 is not just a number—it is her children's education, her parents' health care, and her community's roadmap to financial independence. India's economic narrative is shifting - women now drive 41.7% of the workforce and lead 20% of MSMEs, employing over 25 million. Beneath these milestones lies a reality often overlooked: struggle and progress coexist. Take the story of Revati from Assam's Muduki village. When her husband's health failed, financial survival fell on her shoulders. Her answer came through goat rearing—a skill she honed with training in livestock management and financial literacy from EWE. Today, her herd has grown, inching her closer to becoming a Lakhpati Kisan, with an annual income of ₹ 1 lakh. Her journey underscores a larger truth - when women prosper, communities thrive. Bain & Company estimates India needs 400 million working women to realise its economic potential but faces a 145-million shortfall. The hurdles? Limited credit access, fractured market linkages, lack of financial know-how, and entrenched stigma. The EWE programme addresses this through peer-led financial literacy training, seed funding for Self-Help Groups (SHGs), and startup (Saksham) kits that turn skills into sustainable businesses. This creates self-sustaining ecosystems where skills translate into sustainable livelihoods. The stories of Gauri, Smita, and Revati highlight that financial literacy alone is not enough. It requires dismantling systemic barriers and democratising access to digital tools for budgeting and formal banking, bridging the $158 billion credit gap with financing models attuned to informal incomes, and linking grassroots entrepreneurs to markets through e-commerce and government schemes. The success of such social-impact programmes lies in their multiplier effects. Smita's parlour now employs three women from her neighbourhood, while Gauri's sewing collective has doubled school enrolment for girls in her village. These micro-impacts, when scaled, become macro-solutions fostering growth and sustained progress. Empowerment cannot be a checkbox--it demands consistent commitment to nurturing skills, expanding credit access, and amplifying market opportunities. Time and again, public-private partnerships demonstrate how collaborative approaches create sustainable models for women's empowerment. The data is clear--investing in women entrepreneurs could create 150-170 million jobs by 2030, adding $700 billion to global GDP. Beyond numbers, it is the human stories that resonate and transform societies. When Revati speaks of her goats as family, or Smita shares how her income restored her father's pride, we are reminded that economic empowerment is deeply personal. Gauri's training centre, Smita's parlour, and Revati's livestock—each adding another thread in India's ongoing progress. As we stride onward to 2047, the question is not whether we can afford to invest in women, it is whether we can afford not to. This article is authored by Sandeep Ghosh, group country Manage, Visa India & South.
