Ruhani Sharma, a graduate student at Indiana University Northwest, recently opened a restaurant named Tandoori in Griffith.

Sharma’s restaurant is a tandoori fusion café and grill. It combines Indian and American flavors. The menu items are inspired by restaurants and dishes she enjoyed during her travels to northern India.

“The idea behind Tandoori was the realization of a personal goal,” Sharma said in a press release. “It’s my baby, and combines everything I love about the cute, out-of-the-ordinary places I’ve been to around the world that are fun and offer unique food and flavor options.”

Sharma grew up in Jalandhar, in the Punjab state of northern India. Her father was a business owner and her mother was a teacher. Sharma’s family emigrated to Schererville in 2011 to be close to family.

After high school, Sharma spent a year at California State University. She then took a marketing internship in India. Afterwards, she enrolled at Purdue University Northwest and earned a bachelor’s degree in marketing and business analytics.

Sharm enrolled in IU Northwest’s MBA program. She also began assisting with the university’s Start UP Business Success Program. The program helps teach Gary entrepreneurs the fundamentals of running a business. Sharma helped in the classroom, coached individuals and reviewed business plans.

Sharma’s entrepreneurial spirit and business background led her to open Tandoori in December. Since then, she’s been adjusting her marketing strategy and running events online and onsite. She’s also looking at doctoral options in addition to running her new business.

“There are nights I only get a couple of hours of sleep, but I feel blessed to be a business owner,” Sharma said.

IU Northwest is one of seven campuses of Indiana University. Located in Gary, the university serves over 3,500 students. IUN offers 70 degree programs.