Oasis of Hope

                   Oasis of Hope…

Finally it’s almost been 3 years- when I started my first company! The journey of starting a company, working for it and then pursuing higher studies “MBA” from one of the premier institute (Asian Institute of Management) in the world gives me immense satisfaction. This is the perfect opportunity for me to reminisce! What started, as an experiment to find “the talent within” to do something that adds value and justify my existence. I know it’s always difficult to start something that is far removed from the rigmarole of normal stream. There would be a lot of obstacles and frictions.  And absolutely it’s not like a rocket science that only few can pursue it.

Frankly speaking I have not achieved something great yet but the only satisfaction is that I took the challenge and moved a leap forward.  Entrepreneurship has become one of my most cherished parts of life. There have been days when I have struggled to find time to put the things together, struggling to get projects but I have never thought of calling it quits. I think there are several reasons why. It was in a sense my first start up venture; I had to prove myself that the path I chose is correct. I am my own competition. And the best thing is to set benchmark within you rather than getting into a rat race. I always wished that there should be something that actually helps young entrepreneurs who has dreams to pursue. After all doing business or following ones passion is not at all a social crime. J  

My country has perhaps the large pool of bright, articulate, passionate entrepreneurs and at the same time it is one of the craving fact not all be able to convert their idea to reality. But as I sit today and think about future as MBA is about to over (just 1.5 month left) and just reflect of the projects that I did for Tantra Consultancy Services, I realize, the reason I love this field so much is because it is my oasis of hope. It has given me an identity, which is not a legacy but a separate world of individuality. Entrepreneurship has reinforced my belief in the power of the human spirit. Dreaming is easy, but going after a dream is the hard part. Every young entrepreneur has proven that we are not limited by our constraints but only strengthened by them. I normally look at the very essence of entrepreneurship-resilience. Keep at it till you get to the goal post, even if it keeps shifting. 

I owe a lot to my professors at Asian Institute of Management who all have changed my outlook to think. I will always cherish my time spent with Professor Ortigas and Professor Richard Cruz who all helped me preparing for the Business Plan competition. Now today I can confidently say that the decision I took 3 years back was absolutely perfect. I have also learned a lot from my classmates. My CAN team at AIM was special, and will always be, would always wish to work with such a lovely team. At the end of the day I will take back the learning, lovely memories and friendship.  So thank you- All of my friends and well wishers for believing in my dreams with me. Also thanks to the people who did not believe me initially as I have learned from them too. 

Post MBA I don’t know what will happen, I can’t say like many people that where will I stand after 5 years as I know there is no guarantee of my own existence in the world in coming 5 years. Things are uncertain and it will always be. I have a dream today different from what I had 3 years back. I know the path would not be very smooth, but if we don’t get obstacles then probably we are moving into wrong direction. I hope my learning will help me to achieve my goal. 3 years back I along with my friends dreamt of running a company, we got some awards, were praised by many. Now I have a different dream, a platform for creating opportunity for young entrepreneurs, helping small & medium enterprises, organizing unorganized food sector.

I would not be the appropriate guy to give advice to others but I wish to see more people standing with me who all want to chase their dream. With respect to my country, there are 2 India where we live, One India is living under pessimism in their mind and other India is living with the optimism in their heart. The conversion from pessimism to optimism segment has started. History is turning pages and it’s the time to make difference specially for  Asian countries.     

I would love hearing from you so do send me your feedback, suggestions etc. Also do use this platform to get talking about issues that matter to young dreamers.

Freedom and Leadedrship

Talk Freedom, Talk Leadership

We have all heard the names of Abraham Lincoln, Nelson Mandela, Martin Luther King Jr., our own Mahatma Gandhi … And more recently Aung San Suu Ki. What is the common thread that connects all these great personalities? What is the common streak found in each one of their blood? If you are required to answer that question in one word, what will that word be? Yes, Freedom! They spent their lives fighting for the freedom of their people, their countrymen, of the entire humanity.

Today the word Freedom has acquired a new meaning. We talk in terms of gigabytes and megahertz. Freedom to today’s generation is the freedom of mind, Freedom to think, Freedom to act on one’s dreams. It is this freedom that Narayan Murthy and his six friends sought when they left Patni to form Infosys in India. It is this freedom when Chetan Bhagat leaves a high paying job in investment banking and starts writing novels such as 5-point someone and One Night at Call Centre. And it is the craving for this very freedom to pursue dreams of creating and adding value to the society that brought Chhavi Rajawat to the small village named Soda in Rajasthan, India to help the villagers. How many of us know of people who have completed their higher studies, worked in corporate sector, and quit their job to engage in social service?  An MBA graduate from one of the prestigious institute of India could have easily got a high paying job and availed lifestyle in a metro city but she opted for a career that is far removed from the rigmarole of corporate culture.

From a distance one could easily mistake Chhavi, an articulate, computer-savvy woman, for a frontline model or at least a Bollywood actress. But she is sarpanch (rural leader) of Soda village, 60 kilometers from Jaipur, in backward Rajasthan and the changing face of growing dynamic rural India. Chhavi realized that there were no options for the girls in villages to pursue her dream. She could not see any dream in the eyes of the villagers especially girl child and finally decided to do something different that can touch people’s life. 30-year-old Rajawat, India's youngest and the only MBA to become a village head -- the position mostly occupied by elders, quit her senior management position with Bharti-Tele Ventures of Airtel Group to serve her beloved villagers as sarpanch. At a point in her career, where higher glory beckoned, she chose to be the Sarpanch of Soda, Rajasthan – her hometown. Moved by the village’s poor state of health and water, Chhavi saw the upcoming Panchayati elections as an opportunity to give back to her motherland. Elected unanimously, Chhavi soon initiated her plans of making drinkable water available to all. In the process, she also turned Soda around as the country’s first e-enabled village, bringing in a higher level of transparency in finance. For the villagers of Soda, Chhavi is everything from dreams, aspiration, hope, determination and above all the will to succeed.

Chhavi Says “I am just a village girl who has had an opportunity to study in some of the best institutions in the country and has only gone back home to work with and for her people. It’s as simple as that.”

It’s the passion to follow her dream took her to 11^th Info-Poverty World Conference held at the United Nations. Jeans clad Indian village head dazzled at United Nations as many people were impressed by her sporty look and confidence but most importantly with the ideas on collaborative leadership and poverty alleviation. In past few years she has radically changed the village through the collaborative efforts of villagers. She has had no outside support- no NGO help, no public and private sector help.

Chhavi says "In three years I will transform my village. I don't want money. I want people and organizations to adopt projects in my village as often projects fail owing to lack of a local connect and that is what I am here to provide by bridging that gap.”  

In life, as in football, you won’t go far unless you know where the goalposts are. Jump off the cliff… You will grow wings on the way down. Every man in the world is better than someone else and not as good someone else. It’s actually the attitude that determines altitude.