“Entrepreneurs of the Year 2023.”

Editor’s Note MAPPING THE ODYSSEY OF ICONIC EXCELLENCE

Today, it has become quite popular for people to start businesses of their own or buy some small businesses available for sale on a minimal budget. Although their companies still do well, some skills are dear for all-around successful entrepreneurship, for example, leadership skills.

Entrepreneurial leadership is a mindset that emphasizes the strategic management of risk and dynamic, changing systems. Entrepreneurial leaders look for new opportunities and ways to innovate as individuals and as part of a team. These qualities often contrast with traditional leadership methodologies that emphasize following processes and procedures in an orderly, predictable way to minimize risk. Listening is one skill you should continue to nurture over the years. The more successful you become, the easier it is to simply take your opinion while accepting it as the end all be all. Having humility and remembering to hear out another person will keep your business from plateauing or crashing.

Good entrepreneurial leaders work together with others in leadership positions, as well as members of their team and external stakeholders, to achieve their organizational goals. They share credit for successes with those who contributed to them and nurture opportunities for growth and improvement.

Entrepreneurial leaders often take a visibly active role in their company's operations. For instance, they might position their work area in a central location or even circulate among team members' offices instead of working from their own office exclusively.

Entrepreneurial leaders are comfortable with ambiguity and fluid circumstances. This means they can easily navigate situations with multiple correct responses or perspectives. Entrepreneurial leaders also encourage their teams to develop a strong level of comfort with uncertainty. Since entrepreneurial leaders may work in a start-up company or

in a volatile industry, this comfort equips them to thrive in any circumstance.

Showcasing the enthralling stories of such entrepreneurial leaders who are driving transformation, Insights Success features the starlets of the modern business arena in its latest edition, “ Entrepreneurs of the Year 2023. ”

Flip through the pages and explore the facets that symbolize excellence in the modern business arena.

Abhishek Joshi Deputy Editor

abhishek.joshi@insightssuccess.com

Cover Story Cover Story

Mohit Verma

JANUARY, 2023

Entrepreneurs YEAR of the

Company

Brief

Under the leadership of Dheeraj and Himani the company aim to transform the whole supply chain ecosystem and optimize all operations with the latest technology stack and ease out every difficult task.

It was created by a young and budding entrepreneur, Mr. Jitender Goswami, who worked day and night to create his own company SMMPackage.

Under Mohit's leadership, Franchise Trade has always tried to match the perfect business opportunity with the Investors, whether they are individuals, groups or companies.

Randeep is a Professional recruiter specilising in IT recruitments on a Contract and Permanent Basis.

Kishore Sundaram meticulously defined the roles and limits of each functional department.

Randeep Bhattacharya, Founder and CEO Saitech Solution Co. Ltd.

Mohit Verma, Founder and CEO

Dheeraj Sharma and Himani Goel, Co-founders

Jitender Goswami, Founder and CEO

Franchise Trade

Summerhill Technologies Pvt Ltd SMMPackage Pvt. Ltd.

Featuring

S. Kishore Sundaram, Founder and Director Yuga Enterprise

Verma

Perfectly Guiding You Exemplify Your Future via Franchise Trade

An attitude of never giving up is a must for an entrepreneur .

An attitude of never giving up is a must for an entrepreneur .

Cover Story

Mohit Verma

Founder and CEO

Franchise Trade

Enterprising is a generational endeavour of collective entrepreneurial spirits and professional business minds. The traditional mindset of earning short-term profit from your business entity is neither valid anymore nor sustainable in the present and future scenario. Times have changed and changed unprecedentedly. You can sense it in the global market nerves and smell it in the shifting winds of digitally-driven globalization and the technologically evolved fourth industrial revolution. Unprecedented times demand exceptionally adept and exemplary leaders with the strategic might of ages, visionary acumen to astutely predict upcoming transformations, and agility and ability to adapt to those fluctuations pragmatically.

This is where distinctively entrepreneurial qualities and traits of successful leaders make all the difference.

According to Mohit Verma , the Founder, and CEO of Franchise Trade , an attitude of never giving up is a must for an entrepreneur , because being so takes great mistakes and even greater courage to take accountability for it and go through the road of learning, unlearning and relearning. One should also possess leadership skills, know how to communicate, should be creative, and is ready to adapt. Apart from that, a pinch of peppy energy with lots of curiosity and passion will assemble a great entrepreneur for the upcoming market.

Never Ever Give Up

Because, Mohit Verma reveals that considering the current industry scenario, there are many challenges lurking in the garb of times, which an entrepreneur must overcome to become successful. He states, “ If we talk about today's challenges, they are majorly versatile and unpredictable .”

From ongoing changes in the market to changes in government politics, to even biological challenges and adaptation, say, the Corona period, it has created a much more complicated web than before for almost all the companies in almost all industries. The emerging changes that are ever going have produced the need for market prophecies and watchdogs to keep the company stable in the long run.

He shares, “ At Franchise Trade, we right now have a great team to perform such jobs effortlessly and with accuracy to support and strengthen our business. To overcome this in a new age generation of social media, we make sure to utilize it as much as possible. We use all social media and PR platforms for our Business promotion .”

Build Your Future

Franchise Trade is a platform for brands and investors for consulting, marketing, business buying, franchising, and reselling existing businesses. Franchise Trade has a ‘ Dynamic Team having an experience of more than ten years in consulting, marketing, and franchising of established and start-up brands to get growth to their business and also to individuals who want to get into entrepreneurship. Franchise trade deals into 500+ brands across ten different industries and more than 50 sub-sectors like retail, education, F & B, health fitness and sports, distribution and manufacturing, entertainment and leisure, business services, travel and tourism, automobiles, beauty, wellness, etc.

Franchise Trade has always tried to match the perfect business opportunity with the Investors, whether they are individuals, groups, or companies. Mohit assures, “ We have well-defined systems and processes that ensure that you engage with companies, correctly and create mutually beneficial relationships .”

Partnering Globally Celebrated Brands

Briefing more about Franchise Trade’s USPs positioning them as one of the best consulting, marketing, and franchising solutions providers, Mohit says that his company is mainly focused on people looking to invest their money and diversify their line of business.

“Our USP is providing people knowledge and guidelines on how and which business models they can invest into. I

If we talk about today’s challenges, they are majorly versatile and unpredictable .

believe the reason we are positioned as the best service providers is that we don’t tend to compromise on the quality of services we provide even if we have to lose the business. We Have built a belief that we provide the best services that will never put you down for which our work with many national, international, and celebrity-linked brands such as European brand Jymka associated with Celina Jaitely , Prince Narula led Brand Muscle and Strength India , Chisel featuring Virat Kohli , Sports Fit ambassador by MS Dhoni , Jwala Gutta’s badminton academy , Cricket Academy of Irfan Pathan , Zomo Retail by Yuvika Chaudhary amongst others speaks for itself,” adds Mohit Verma

Own Your Tomorrow

Elaborating on the Process to own a Business, Mohit reveals that there are a total of seven steps.

Step 1: Client Profiling

The first step in owning a franchise is to Assess the knowledge of the client on franchising and New Business. This is achieved by doing complete Profiling of the client. He says, “ Further, our trained staff works tenaciously to provide the best opportunities based on requirements and abilities .”

Step 2: Choosing the Right Path

Buying a franchise is easier than starting a self-owned and Branded business. Running a business is a demanding affair that takes time, investment, focus, and discipline. Franchising does not provide results overnight. In most cases, it does not yield instant results. However, it does involve a lesser risk than starting a self-owned brand but like any

other business, franchising is also a long-term plan. “Connoisseurs of franchising, we will assist you in finding the right franchise. Getting in touch with our consultants will set you out on the path to franchise ownership. By registering with us, you will be presented with a list of franchising opportunities that are the best suited to your goals and needs,” asserts Mohit.

Step 3: Shortlist Options

There is a plethora of franchise options to invest in across various sectors like health and fitness, education, retail, distribution and manufacturing, food and beverages, business services, sports, travel, and tourism, etc. He promises, “Based on your preferences, goals, and needs, we will devise a list of franchise options especially suited to you.”

Step 4: Analysis

He furthers that they will provide clients with shortlisted franchise choices along with in-depth data on them including but not limited to the project info, ROI plan, approx. financials, etc., for them to assess and research.

Step 5: Introduction with Brand

Once the in-depth analysis and brainstorming are done with its consultants, Franchise Trade will put you through the right person who will then walk you through the brand’s business model and provide you with a copy of their franchise kit or their detailed franchise model which will help you take a final decision if suited.

Step 6: Brand Buying

Mohit believes that by buying a franchise, you are buying a fully-fledged system that comes with a detailed instruction manual on how to proceed with every aspect of your business. “Through our Brand Buying process, you will receive all research tools necessary to investigate the franchise. We will aid you with choosing the right franchise from the relevant ones, negotiations, know-how on the franchise model, business viability, legal, and everything that you will need in terms of assistance to take a new business,” he says

Step 7: Start Your Own Business

Mohit expresses, “With an aim of aiding people to the successful route of owning a franchise, we provide the

assistance needed to set up a thriving business. Now that you have a better understanding of franchising, you have to address things you want to include and exclude in your dream business. Hence, you can contact our Consultants today and help us assist you to make a strong Foothold in your franchise business.”

A Saga of a Constant Entrepreneurial Pull

Sharing his entrepreneurial saga, Mohit conveys that he was always into business and finance, and thus took the decision to study commerce and continued to pursue an MBA to gain valuable knowledge that can be applied in the area of his interest. Alongside his studies, he discovered his passion for working with retail brands and has stuck to it. “I believe you do best in what you have a pull towards with that mantra I have succeeded to raise eight companies in my 15+ years of experience in management consulting, corporate planning, franchise advisory, and development space with companies like Franchise Trade, Knockout Wellness, Salt n Spice Hospitality, Muscle and strength India, Body Building India, Verve Consultant, Presto Shipping, Think Smart Investments, Quick food brands and more,” he mentions . Overall, he has worked with 500+

Our USP is providing people knowledge and guidelines on how and which business models they can invest into.

National and international brands delivering 15,000+ franchisees across industries .

On his leadership skills, values and qualities greatly admired by his clients and colleagues, Mohit says that is a very subjective question! “If I have to speak about it I would guess that they admire the risk-taking and the ability to mentor, both of which I feel are very necessary for a company to grow. When clients approach us, they put their faith in us for the consultation we provide and it becomes our duty to guide them to the best of our knowledge. I also am really appreciative of the inputs from the team and try to inculcate the ones that seem best for the growth obviously giving due credit to them. These qualities and skills are what I assume are the reason for the growth in companies,” he puts .

The Most Trusted Brand Strategist

Telling more about Franchise Trade’s offering and aspects that make it stand out in today’s knowledge economy, Mohit divulges that in recent years, there has been a rising awareness about business investments and diversification. In today’s growing business market, it becomes very crucial to determine which brand to choose because businesses are

no more just bread-earning machines but a passion and responsibility to be carried forward with utmost sincerity through generations. Here, he states, “ We cover all the aspects of a business model when opting for a franchise, ranging from long-term profit goals to employee handling and efficiency boost in this resource, we've got it all covered like a mentor to guide you through the days for a better future, by reminding the right steps to take, channelizing a practical approach to your Company’s development .”

Being an experienced leader and sharing his frank opinion on how the adoption of modern technologies like AI and ML impacts his industry and how Franchise Trade is adapting to the change, Mohit reveals that adapting to modern technologies is how you grow and stay relevant in the market. Using AI is the second most important thing for any company to excel, first is the products/services. “However, Our Industry requires hands-on experience and personal knowledge upgrades every now and then and it’s not based on any set algorithm so when it comes to consulting, technologies like AI and ML have not impacted much,” he believes

Overall, Mohit has worked with 500+ National and international brands delivering 15,000+ franchisees across industries.

Shaping Your Entrepreneurial Prospects

In his profound advice to budding entrepreneurs aspiring to venture into the consultancy space, Mohit says that he would guide them to be risk-takers and learners with a stern disciplinarian and hardworking attitude. “ The upcoming market isn’t for loose fitters who leave things to go with the flow rather it asks for the risk takers who would drive the market with their ability and experience that comes from their inside ethic. So, either develop the ability and don’t think twice before giving it all you have. Also, discuss your ideas with your team- no matter if it consists of barely one person and then goes through with it .”

On envisioning scaling Franchise Trade’s operations and offerings in the future, Mohit shares that they plan to expand themselves in the field of marketing and events along with the consultancy as, “I highly believe they would be a great key to strengthen our long-term goal. Also, we wish to have more of our branches across India, but well, that is for the future and it is all more exciting if you know about it at the due time,” he says.

Finally, shading lights on awards, accolades, and client praise they have received, Mohit cites that nothing can accurately determine a company’s position in the market but its customers and “Ours are, as we see, content with us. We have been highly recommended by renowned brands and professionals for our efforts and efficiency in this field. One can always go through our website www.franchisetrade.in for such testimonials along with awards and appreciation our company has attained over the years.”

Clients Testimonials:

1. One of the best company we have partnered with. Signed multiple master & Unit frachise with them.- Muscle and Strength

2. Working with Franchise Trade has been a very pleasant experience . We have finalized many franchise deals together .- Cricket Academy of Pathans

3. Working with Franchise Trade has been a good experience . Their experienced team was able to close many deals for us. Most importantly the Deal process was smooth.- Salt n spice

We have been highly recommended by renowned brands and professionals for our efforts and efciency in this eld.

“For making the fresh startup going, we both are happily learning to manage Men (Team Coderootz, Clientele, certain government agencies and more) and Money (finances involved). Challenges keep popping up and are overcome in a stride, with lots of blessings in disguise,” says Himani.

And as per Dheeraj, for over the last two years, they have been working on their plans to realize the vision and mission of Coderootz. “The road ahead is difficult and unknown, the journey continues nevertheless, where we reach– the story is yet to unfold ,” smiles Himani.

Holistic Approach Continues…

When probed that what professional qualities and values they think their clients, colleagues, and employees admire in them the most, Dheeraj says that they wish the question was addressed to their clients and colleagues. However, Himani adds, “Holistic Planning and Target oriented approach is what we are running with. We aspire to make a happy working atmosphere, democratic style of functioning and focus on issues at hand.”

They further added that Coderootz, is an IT Services and IT Consulting company offering – Logistics software Products and software development services. Deploying the latest cutting-edge technologies, they deliver tailor-made web and mobile software solutions.

Ÿ “Our USP – we do not believe in ‘one-size fits all’, therefore we develop and deliver customized software solutions which are competitively priced,” says Himani.

Ÿ “Position – We are the only Logistic Software Provider in Shimla and hence, natural leaders in the field,” says Dheeraj.

Intelligence Powered Machines

Being an experienced leader, sharing their opinion on how the adoption of modern technologies like AI and ML impacts their industry and how they are adapting to the change, Himani expresses that as is rightly said by Nick Bostrom, ‘Machine Intelligence is the last invention that humanity will ever need to make,’ “We realize that AI and ML have a great impact on our industry. They have brought a revolution, as they can significantly reduce operational costs for our target industries by automating their redundant

processes using intelligence, reducing human errors, and implementing AI-powered chatbots.”

With the help of AI and MI algorithms, developers can accurately predict the time and cost required to complete a project. Its use can fasten up software testing and can also automate testing enabling testing in a multitude of scenarios.

“As far as we are concerned about adapting to this change we have started building our team and are at present in collaboration with a company who is helping us to get better clarity and knowledge about this,” informs Dheeraj

The Icebergs of Courage

Considering the current industry scenario, the major challenges they face are,

Ÿ Keeping pace with the changing dynamics of the market.

Ÿ Changing times with an onerous focus to satisfy each client.

Ÿ Time and cost overrun.

Ÿ Finding qualified talent.

Ÿ Maintaining a competitive edge.

Himani counters, “ We at Coderootz follow an actionoriented approach and stick to a well-researched business plan. We ensure we onboard the right fits and keep our communication crystal clear with our clients .” While Dheeraj supplements, “ To keep yourself updated with innovations is a must in today’s world and that is what we also make certain .”

In their advice to budding entrepreneurs aspiring to venture into their space, Himani says , “Hey! Aspirants out there, remember if you want to be successful you have to have belief in yourself. Be positive in all situations, keep learning and be focused.” Dheeraj adds , “Strong determination and hardwork surely are a must.”

On envisioning scaling brand Coderootz’s operations and offerings in the future, they reveal, “ For scaling up we will make sure that we have a clear future map, attain perfection in all our processes, invest more in the latest technology and have an increased focus on networking and collaboration .”

How Entrepreneurs have Contributed to the development of the National Economy

Ace Contributors

The recent era of past couple of decades has been the era of a significant rise in the private business and industrial sectors. With the government implementing liberal and encouraging policies, the inflow of foreign investments with a sizeable number of international MNCs making a beeline to secure their share in the world's fastest-growing economy. A significant contribution to the development has been from the business sector which has grown in various fields of IT, infrastructure, healthcare, automobile, industrial manufacturing, retail, FMCG, energy, education, and more. Modern entrepreneurs have accelerated the growth of the respective industrial segment thereby propelling the growth of the economy as well.

Generate job Opportunities

Entrepreneurs are experts in resource management. In fact, they can be termed resource centers as they build their businesses through resources. One of the key resources is the workforce. Various types of people are required to function for the effective operations of different departments. With their businesses, entrepreneurs have created a huge scope of job opportunities for different kinds of people from varied educational backgrounds, ages, and

experiences. The entrepreneurs create new businesses and in turn create opportunities for employment for people. The rising number of qualified people has led to the availability of quality manpower that gets the right scope and exposure in the industry through various businesses.

Entrepreneurs boost Productivity

Entrepreneurs create innovative ways of developing newer avenues to improving business productivity. Implementing new systems, strategies, and practices have helped in gaining a competitive advantage in bringing forward the best of the products that offer a variety of advantages with service feasibility and affordable pricing too. challenge existing firms to become more competitive as they often enter the market with lower prices and greater product variety. This can cause existing players in the market to reassess their operations, increase their value, lower costs, and become more efficient. Increased competition in an economy is advantageous because firms and individuals will source methods to better improve their operations. The new business formation of entrepreneurs with high-growth ambitions and innovation will push established firms to increase their productivity and enhance their performance.

Development of new Businesses and Markets

Entrepreneurs are experts in opportunity identification. The recent surge of start-ups has seen that from product innovation, dedicated services, need creation, assisting back-up, background support, research and development to a wide variety of business requirements that have been developed as specializations. As the trends in the world continue to change, people's demands will change, giving entrepreneurs an opportunity to start new businesses. With market saturation, entrepreneurs innovate their product offerings or tap into newer markets for getting openings for their products and services. These changes have been continuous as a result creating a positive impact on the economy. Entrepreneurs may even create entirely new industries that become the engines of future growth.

Add to National Income

Entrepreneurs run businesses that trigger large volumes of business transactions. Entrepreneurs contribute to a large part of the national income through the taxes of sales tax, property tax, income tax, GST, import/export duties, interstate octroi, etc. The ambitious businessmen have expanded their business reach from local to global destinations. The new products or services created by entrepreneurs result in new wealth from the new markets. Additionally, higher earnings due to entrepreneurship can help boost national income. This is in the form of higher government spending and tax revenue, resulting in investment in struggling sectors and human capital.

Introduce and Implement Technologies

To power their business objectives, modern entrepreneurs implement the best and most feasible means of increasing business productivity. Implementing modern web-based software applications has helped in building control, identifying critical concerns, and taking effective actions. Quick and foremost in the adoption of modern technologies, they have reduced processing time, increased work efficiency, and boosted employee morale through focused business practices.

They have been assertive to provide niche solutions or using their creativity, and technological knowledge to generate better business prospects. Implementing the modern AI-based Customer Relationship Management (CRM) applications have enabled them in building a better association with customers, and associates and have

developed organizational working in a progressive direction.

The Significant Accelerators

Innovative ideas and inventiveness are foundational driving factors for entrepreneurs which result in a great contribution to the economy. The journey of an entrepreneur is a challenging voyage where an entrepreneur is the leader of the pack unlike, working more than a typical salaried person, who always has a support system of professionals and a network to approach during any crisis. The situation is contrasting for an entrepreneur, where he is the one who must lead himself as well as the team to cope with any crisis. He is the leader every member of the team looks up to for any resolution or critical decision. The power of collectivism in the form of a peer-to-peer platform often comes to the rescue with people of similar profiles who provide the necessary support to each other by sharing experiences and often helping in the execution of business ideas.

-Kedar Borgaonkar

I believe being true to my words has always helped me. Be it dealing with our clients, employees, or colleagues.

Randeep Bhaacharya Founder and CEO Starmanch and Saitech Soluon Co. Ltd.

Randeep Bhaachaa

The market is inspired and driven by some

innovators and change makers who have created awesome platforms for various businesses and enhancing the people. The application of important useful functionalities through their interesting business strategies has enhanced the lifestyle, entertainment, and business scope of the industry.

Some innovative businessmen identify the market needs and offer the right solutions bridging the needs seamlessly. One of the few IT innovators having made their mark in the business skyline includes one dynamic and farsighted entrepreneur, Randeep Bhattacharya , Founder and CEO of Starmanch and Saitech Solution Co. Ltd .

Randeep is a Professional recruiter specializing in IT recruitments on a Contract and Permanent basis. His skills extend to the Financial and Banking Sector as he was basically a banker in India, looking after the Cash Management function.

An efficient sales professional with an excellent track record, Randeep is all set to prove his mettle to the Recruiting and Consulting world in the Information Technology space. Identifying and recognizing his phenomenal contribution to the industry, Randeep Bhattacharya is one of the chosen few honourable businessmen as Entrepreneur of the year 2022.

In an interesting interview with Insights Success, Randeep Bhattacharya elaborated on his professional journey through challenges and innovative strategies while scaling ambitious company objectives.

A Sparkling Stalwart of the Entrepreneurial Battlefield

Please tell us about the saga of your entrepreneurship from the beginning and how you have made your firm excel in its niche.

I started my career in the banking field with Deutsch Bank as a Management Trainee in the treasury and trade finance department. Then I worked with HDFC Bank as a cash management product specialist and looked after the disbursement and collections of the bank. To be more specific, I used to manage the eastern sector of the country.

I shifted to Times Bank in the same department as HDFC bank, and in the year 2000, both banks merged. Then I was sent to Jamshedpur to set up the corporate and MMI segment there for HDFC bank. Later, after completing the work, I was recalled to Kolkata.

After that, I moved to IDBI Bank and was posted as the youngest VP of IDBI at the age of 28. Afterwards, I got an offer from HSBC in Singapore and selected it among the other opportunities.

After moving to Singapore and working with HSBC, I went on to explore a completely different vertical which is the IT vertical. Working for a friend for some time there, I finally moved to Thailand and initially joined a local company in Bangkok for the SAP services market, then moved to 3iInfotech in their services wing. Only then did I have the realization of using my skills for my own venture rather than working for someone when I had the potential to do so .

This is how Saitech Group was born. Saitech deals with application development for its clientele and IT infrastructure facilities. Currently, we have a good standing

in Thailand and work with companies outside of Thailand as well. Having different departments such as IT and Product development, we cater to the requirements of our clients with the help of the best human resources.

In 2018, I came up with the idea of launching the Karaoke Application – ‘Star Manch.’

Star Manch is a brand-new Indian Karaoke App that was launched at the end of Jan 2021. It is the first app through which you can have a full-fledged Karaoke Party both Online and Offline

Star Manch has a huge karaoke database to choose from with HD-quality tracks. It has both a player and recorder mode. Online musical training is also available to focus on devotional music training like Rigveda Training etc.

Metaverse technology is to be used in the app in the near future. Every single Indian can use it at a very nominal charge to satisfy their singing prowess and to also rise and shine in the very competitive music industry of India, apart from being popular within the friends’ circle.

What professional qualities and values do you think your clients, colleagues, and employees admire in you the most?

When it comes to admiring professional qualities in me, I believe being true to my words has always helped me. Be it dealing with our clients, employees, or colleagues. It is essential for a leader to stick to his/her words when it comes to leaving an impact and making people admire and praise you on the professional front.

Having said that, it is also of utmost importance to have empathy towards your peers and employees to work as a family more than as a mere professional team. It helps me to bring out the best in me to keep up with every development, success, and crisis whatever is taking place in the organization. Clients have always appreciated me for this quality, and work has been done with ease due to the same.

Please brief our audience about your firm, its USPs, and how you are currently positioned as one of the best product/service/solution providers .

We provide the following IT services to clients across different industry verticals, particularly in Bangkok and other territorial regions in Thailand.

Saitech is a top-tier BOI-promoted firm in Thailand that works with many clients on application development. Saitech was the source of many IT infrastructure services and skills. In order to plan, carry out, and offer high-quality services (both in recruitment and IT Outsourcing) with results, we work with customers consistently and affordably.

IT Outsourcing, Business Consulting, Recruitment Services, IT Staffing Services, and Payroll Outsourcing are some of the areas of expertise.

My most recent project, Star Manch, was created between 2018 to 2019 and released around 2022. This is more than simply a karaoke app; it also provides a platform for collaborating with established and upcoming bands plus singers. A bunch of dedicated musicians and artists who aspire to change the world came up with the idea for Star Manch, a website for talent searches.

Star Manch is the outcome of two years of arduous work to reveal these hidden skills. Gifted voices can be assessed and groomed to become the next big factor. It was possible to listen to, enjoy, and sing any type of song.

Currently, music lovers from various origins may come together on one stage to celebrate music in its most authentic state. It is hoped that this app would provide aspiring musicians with a space to display their work in remote communities as well as city and suburban areas.

Considering the current industry scenario, what kind of challenges do you face, and how do you drive your firm to overcome them?

Things were getting worse by 2014 or 2015. In the overall market of the IT industry, there were several hurdles due to new technologies and employees being able to understand and cope with those facts to be at par with the industry.

I never really learned how to give up, though. I managed to revive Saitech Solutions with the help of a reliable group of people via pure determination, insightful planning, and incredible teamwork.

Saitech Solutions was able to fully restore its former glory as a leading IT business throughout the whole of Thailand by continuing its activities in four additional countries. The only thing that has allowed for this Phoenix-like revival is my unshakable spirit and purposeful efforts to promote others' growth. And I helped the Saitech team get through a

lot of difficulties to get to where they are now because of my in-depth expertise and razor-sharp insights.

In Thailand's IT consulting and outsourcing sector, Saitech Solutions Co. Ltd. is a game-changing company, but very little is known about the team's remarkable path to get there. My wife and I have dedicated our life to Saitech Solutions, but we still rely on the assistance of several carefully handpicked professionals.

What would be your advice to budding entrepreneurs who aspire to venture into your space?

The IT industry is evolving every now and then. Upskilling oneself has become more important than ever; otherwise, we will have to be lagged in the competitive market.

Entrepreneurs should never be complacent with their work and should always be experimenting with new ways of getting things done and how to use technology to its true potential, which will benefit the clients.

Business growth is something every entrepreneur should focus on as well as expansion. From the budding entrepreneurs, the market expects a plethora of fresh ideas; otherwise, the road ahead becomes full of hurdles. But again, failure teaches us a lot, and taking a cue from it; young entrepreneurs should come up with solutions for a better future.

How do you envision scaling your firm’s operations and offerings in the future?

When I was growing up, Bengali music was at its height, so I thought about that and decided to accomplish some venture to support it. However, with time, that vanished as we began to overlook the depth of Bengali music. There was a temporary rise after 2000, but it quickly dropped down. We must therefore maintain our stability and learn new skills.

That's where the concept of Star Manch came from, and the best way to do it is through a karaoke app. I also wish to further contribute to the development of Bengal’s musical environment.

Identifying the Major Drivers of Entrepreneurial Growth

Driving Factors

Entrepreneurs have been need-creators and solution

providers. Being a harbinger of change, the role of entrepreneurs calls for great responsibility and commitment. The enthusiasm of being an entrepreneur may hold an extremely exciting charm, however, the journey and the execution of the ambitious plans may unveil the real set of unseen and unpredicted challenges.

The business demands great dedication, consistency, and integrity in honoring commitments. This not only demands a tough mindset against all adversities that come along the

way but also a possess a greater risk appetite. Hence, entrepreneurship can be very daunting. The first aspect of being an entrepreneur is to spot an opportunity in the form of a change or a challenge through the course of a certain pattern – i.e. identifying the customer's pain points. Thereafter, one needs to think of a viable solution and formulate a sustainable business plan around this key component. Another intimidating task for the entrepreneur is to build a team of passionate and capable people who can contribute with their own ideas and execute the agreedupon plan effectively and efficiently.

Sustainability is something that helps you innovate and bring about a massive change by aligning your business processes to the existing resources in more efficient and effective ways. Whereas, scalability is simply what makes the business bigger with the increase in the inflow of opportunities, within the same resources. But there are numerous challenges that act as barriers to these fundamental factors of growth.

Several successful entrepreneurs believe that there are some important drivers of scalable and sustainable growth.

Significance of Network

In the entrepreneurial journey, a peer-to-peer network often plays a very critical role. It helps an entrepreneur to interact with like-minded people, albeit from a variety of ventures and backgrounds. This helps an entrepreneur to learn from others' experiences – from both, a strategic perspective as well as a day-to-day operational viewpoint. Interactions in

these peer-to peer-networks help an entrepreneur to take a step back from the daily routine. It is important that an entrepreneur not only keeps an eye on the present but also keeps envisioning the future. It brings the entrepreneurs on the same level of mutual interaction where they meet with hope and mutual trust sharing the challenges and discussing on suitable solutions.

Leadership Skills

Entrepreneurs need to be passionate about the business from several dimensions. From departmental functioning to individual-level guidance, the entrepreneurial role covers every aspect of the business. As a leader, it becomes vital in showing the right working ways and motivating the workforce towards improved performance. These visionary business leaders guide from the fundamentals to the effective implementation of the business plans. Regular communication, sharing the challenges, market reality and how the team should work towards the organizational objectives. The employees look up to them as a source of inspiration to learn and develop further. Building trust among the employees and maintaining it with effective execution underline the business leadership in the entrepreneurs.

Customer-Centric Approach

Every business enterprise needs order requirements from customers to consume its products or services enabling smooth functioning and leading to growth. During the interactions and dealings with the customers, the communication that happens is very important. Customers observe the attitude of dedication, promptness, responsiveness, and readiness of the organization in fulfilling their requirements. When the entire business model is created on a customer-centric approach, people in all the departments work with responsibility and dedication. Customer feedback is valued as it shapes the dimensions of growth. Several newer or unknown aspects of the industry can be understood through deep interactions with customers. Through expressions and feedback, the customers show the right way in improving and change industry norms. It becomes important for the management to modify and strengthen the policies accordingly.

Technology Support

Entrepreneurs in today's modern world have identified the importance of technological applications and the scope it creates for business growth. Modern cloud-based business software has brought the entire business under one pane that offers complete data of every department with the basics of operations, raw materials, transactions, etc. The entire business is presented in a very open and clear manner that has enabled the management in understanding the functions, performance, and drawbacks with the grey areas. The modern system highlights the 'areas of concern' through the system pointing to the need for improvements. Advanced systems in Artificial Intelligence (AI) have handled the execution of repetitive tasks and presented accurate predictions thereby enabling business leaders in making the right decisions.

Risk Management

Entrepreneurs hone a sizeable risk appetite which they develop through the micro-analysis of the business, the research of the opportunity, and the risks underneath. Understanding that the business is dependent on several interconnected parameters, the entrepreneur cautiously weaves the route to success that makes the transactions happen. Risk management involves the ability to take on challenges while creating steady progress in tackling the challenges that might prop up. Experience in dealing with a variety of customers and organizations makes them resilient and develops their risk appetite significantly.

-Kedar Borgaonkar