Beaming, Bracing and Brilliant
With an unparalleled personality, unrivalled enchantment, and peerless elegance, Taruna Patel radiates a charm that cannot be replicated. She is an astute businesswoman, a hands-on team player, CEO of Emtici Engineering Limited, and Madhubhan Resort & Spa, the first-ever 5 Star Deluxe Luxury property in Gujarat.
Born in Kenya where she received her early education and then, later on, moved to London where she finished high school. She pursued a Computer Programming Course at the London School of Computer Programming followed by a short stint with IBM before joining TWA as a flight attendant in 1974, based in Hong Kong. After an eleven-year flying career, she moved to India in 1985 after her marriage, where she settled in a very small village called Vallabh Vidyanagar in Gujarat.
A drastic change from her earlier life, she adjusted well to the new atmosphere and with her determination, she introduced many firsts in the village including, the first air-conditioned Beauty Saloon and a café called Café Uno serving all types of fast food. Also, the first-hand tossed pizza place in Anand, Ahmedabad & Baroda called “EK ONE UNO” which after 25 years is still doing good business in Ahmedabad.
Being the CEO of Madhubhan Resort & Spa, she grappled with the fear of failing when they started the venture. Since the Resort was not in the main city and Gujarat being a dry state and with the very high cost of the project, she triumphed with flying colours having made it to the 12th year of operation. With a lifelong passion for the cuisines of the world, she embarked on a journey to make her dream come alive as she introduced a few international cuisine restaurants at her resort. Her restaurant “The Mexican Tapas Bar” is the longest-running stand-alone Tex-Mex Mexican restaurant in India.
When it comes to striking a cordial balance between her home and work Taruna says “My mantra of life is to be always on my feet, to be working, and to be very productive. I work almost 16 to 18 hours a day and I manage to balance my work, home, and social life. My flying career taught me to be resilient, and vigilant at all times. This included working within tight time schedules, facing any challenges, hardships, or unforeseen circumstances that may come my way, very positively and calmly.”
She discusses the most challenging barrier she had to face in her career was being in the shadow of two successful men, her father-in-law, and her husband. Living in an environment where the two men were treated like Gods in their organisation, she has learned to climb the ropes after 20 years of experience. She says “ I do walk side by side with my husband and I am recognized as a woman who is not only his support but an independent achiever too.”
A passionate person at heart, Taruna says “My passion stems from life and living life to its fullest, as well as from the multitude of opportunities that it throws my way. As a result, my cup always overflows, with new goals. To an extent, I am the proverbial Jack of all trades and somehow I accomplish most of my targets or goals, thanks to my team and the passion that drives me towards success in all my endeavours. Her father and uncle were the most revered role models and mentors who inspired her in her growing up years.
She shares that her greatest strength is her family, especially her brother and circle of friends. Her strength contributes to her willingness to face any hurdles that are placed on her table, to eventually resolve them and move on. She says “ Since I like to cross all the hardships that come along as soon as possible, I don’t have any such weaknesses.”
She loves all kinds of sports and even enjoys playing volleyball and tennis and is currently learning golf. A seasoned traveller, she has travelled to almost all the continents except for the Arctic and Australia. To unwind and rejuvenate she likes to take weekend vacations in a nearby city or at her Ashram on the banks of river Narmada. She has been a spiritual person since childhood and her yearly trips since 2002 to Tibet for Mt. Kailash Darshan and monthly visits to the Ashrams enabled her voracious appetite for peaceful reading.
Taruna likes to take up challenging work that helps the society through CSR activities such as the Green Environment project which she undertook and completed on the targeted time. As the Chapter Chairperson of FICCI FLO Ahmedabad in 2020-21, she adopted eleven villages to convert them into Model Villages within three years. Her latest project is setting up Cloud Kitchens of Tex-Mex cuisine and to open up at least 20 such kitchens within a year. With ‘The Mexican Tapas Bar’ Gourmet Cloud Kitchens, her aim is to open at least six outlets in Mumbai very soon.
