Full Breakdown
From Corporate Analyst to Himalayan Homestay Owner: Tarana Chauhan’s Gradual Career Pivot
By Drooid · · How we work
Core Event
Tarana Chauhan, a former Senior Business Analyst at Tata Consultancy Services and later Product Manager at Anheuser-Busch, left a corporate salary of roughly INR24 lakh per year to restore her family’s century-old ancestral house in Rohru, Himachal Pradesh, and launch the boutique homestay “Nirvana Homes.” After testing the venture alongside her full-time job for almost two years, she quit the corporate role and has run the homestay full-time for close to three years.
Background & Context
Chauhan’s corporate trajectory spanned nearly seven years, during which her compensation rose from about INR7 lakh annually to close to INR2 lakh per month. The COVID-19 lockdown in 2020 prompted her return to her mountain village, where she began refurbishing three rooms of the ancestral property. The side project evolved into a full-time hospitality business once it proved financially viable.
Timeline
- 2020 (pandemic lockdown): Returned to Rohru and started renovating the family home while still employed.
- 2020-2022: Operated the homestay as a side hustle, automating bookings and testing profitability.
- 2022-2023: Side business reached a stability threshold; Chauhan resigned from her corporate position.
- 2023-present: Runs Nirvana Homes full-time; the property has hosted more than 200 guests.
Data & Statistics
- Corporate earnings: INR7 lakh per year early in her career; INR2 lakh per month at the time of departure.
- Current homestay income: fluctuates between INR1 lakh and INR5 lakh per month.
- Guest count: >200 guests served since launch (as per Chauhan’s LinkedIn profile).
- Business age: nearly three years of full-time operation; side-hustle phase lasted about two years.
Official Statements & Responses
Chauhan emphasizes that the transition was a calculated, incremental process rather than an impulsive quit. She describes the seasonality of earnings as a learned advantage, allowing her to prioritize time, location, and the type of work she builds.
Verbatim Quotes
- “Being here made me realise how much I loved the mountains and how little I actually wanted the city life I had been chasing.” — Tarana Chauhan
- “Earlier, I used to live for the weekends. Today, my work is a part of the life I actually want to live.” — Tarana Chauhan
- “I started refurbishing our old ancestral house and began the homestay alongside my corporate job, while we were working from home. I wanted to see if the idea could actually work before I took the leap,” — Tarana Chauhan
- “Things I love most about this life…” — Tarana Chauhan
Why It Matters / Impact
Chauhan’s story illustrates a concrete pathway for professionals seeking greater autonomy over their work-life balance. By leveraging a pandemic-induced return to her hometown, she transformed a personal desire for “mountain life” into a sustainable hospitality venture. Her experience highlights the practical challenges of solo entrepreneurship—such as navigating Google Maps location approval and managing all facets of operations—but also demonstrates that systematic side-project testing can mitigate financial risk. The narrative offers a template for others who wish to align career choices with personal values without sacrificing economic stability.