The Most Innovative Manufacturer of Architectural Lighting Products 2022 by Business Connect

www.businessconnectindia.in | Vol. 4 | Special Edition March 2022 INDIA

Editor’s Note A narrative filled with sundry writings We fervently welcome you all to Business Connect’s special edition for March, where you will be amazed by a collective of some phenomenal business stories. And talking of the focal point? It is the same- inspiring business ventures basking in the glory of success. Talking of the entrepreneurial ecosystem, then it is undergoing some substantial alterations that will be emphatically revealed in this avidly curated edition. Standing firm in 3rd position as the largest entrepreneurial ecosystem in the world, India has been anticipated to witness a surge of business ventures annually with the growth of 12-15 per cent. From enhanced corporate connection to government support, the untapped potential of the startups is being recognized by the business fraternity. Now, disruptive innovation has become the latest hype in terms of start-up scenarios as it has been found quite effective in the direction of ameliorated service delivery. Research claims that the entrepreneurial ecosystem has recorded over $13.7 billion of venture capital this year alone. One can take into consideration the pace with which budding businesses are leaping in terms of growth prospects. And especially a few of the major sectors that have been the focal point of most of the entrepreneurial leaders are- E-commerce, HealthTech, FinTech, EdTech, TravelTech, Logistics, etc. Lately, the space is thriving with numerous triggering stories that have been inducing the formulation of more and more ventures worthy of immense appreciation and recognition. Every day we are confronted with stories- how a curious individual started a venture from scratch or how a breakthrough idea made its way into the business landscape. Though the covid-19 crisis put a major halt to the business operations, many daring ventures stood firmly looking the pandemic in the eye. Our undertaking of this new publication is to recognize as well as reward the outperformers in the business landscape. For this, our dedicated team made an incessant effort to search for some motivating ventures that will serve our readers- a dose of boosted entrepreneurial spirit. Here, our team found a disruptive company’s story quite exhilarating that propelled us to feature its story on the cover page of this issue. K-Lite Industries is said to be the most sought after lightning luminaries service provider in India. Its service portfolio is filled with a wide array of interior and exterior lighting fixtures that are highly attractive as well as innovative. The story is based on the virtual conversation with the Director of Market Development of the company- Sharmila Kumbhat. Owing to her effective market developing strategies, the organisation has been scaling greater heights. Read out the whole story to come across various aspects of the company’s overall business portfolio. At last, I take off with a sense of gratitude for all the admiration and cognizance showered upon us by our global audience. We will be back with an exhilarating read soon, till then, keep us in the ‘know’ how we are doing via your precious feedback and be extra cautious for your physical as well as mental health for comprehensive growth in any pursuit.

Kajal Dobhal Kajal@businessconnectindia.in

www.businessconnectindia.in | Vol. 4 | Special Edition March 2022 INDIA

Business Head ASHISH KUMAR

Creative Director ASHUTOSH OJHA

Creative Team Chandan Sharma | Rajat Pathak Sakshi Negi | Tarun Sharma | Sapna Soni Legal Affairs Mukesh Kumar Human Resources Nivedita Basu Digital Marketing Manager Neha Gururani | Anurag Tiwari

Registered Office

Corporate Office

RZC 4, A/2, Street No. 21B, Sadh Nagar - II, Palam Colony, New Delhi-110045 Ph. 011-42636209 Email: info@businessconnectindia.in

701, DDA 2, District Centre, Janakpuri, New Delhi - 110058 Ph. 011-41065208 Email: corporate@businessconnectindia.in

Printed and Published By Abhishek Kumar Dubey on Behalf of FanzineIndia and Printed at Tanuj Process, A 21/27 Naraina Industrial Area, Phase-II, New Delhi - 110028 and Published at RZC 4, A/2, Street No. 21B, Sadh Nagar - II, Palam Colony, New Delhi-110045

Publisher & Editor : Abhishek Kumar Dubey RNI No.: DELENG/2018/76695 Copyright © 2018 FanzineIndia, All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or part of any text, photography or illustrations without written permission from the publisher is prohibited. The publisher assumes no responsibility for unsolicited manuscripts, photographs or illustrations, Views and opinions expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the magazine and according no liability is assumed by the publisher.

We are also available on: 5

www.businessconnectindia.in | Vol. 4 | Special Edition March 2022 INDIA

K-Lite Industries

Crafting Magnificent Luminaires For Architectural Lighting Under The Hegemony of Sharmila Kumbhat SHARMILA KUMBHAT Director, Market Development

Cover Stroy

Success Story

In Home Personal Service

Lean Hippo Marketers

Health

Dive Into The Most Inspiring Success Story Of Haldiram

Michael A Collura’s Endeavour, Realising Its Promise of Best Senior Care Since 2004

Creating Unforgettable Brands

The Stress Solution: Best Mental Health Chatbot Apps

Ourea

Whose perspicuity and perceptivity are leading the way for ‘Ourea’

Lifestyle

Vijlak

How to deal with office politics

The Leading Name In The Structural Industry

Social Media Dissect

Maatrom HR Solution

Education

Aleena Gandhi, An Innovative Entrepreneur Weaving the Success Story of Brands with Social Media Dissect

A choice of HR partner for seamless business flow

Higher Education Being Pushed Towards A Hybrid Model of Teaching & Learning

www.businessconnectindia.in | Vol. 4 | Special Edition March 2022 INDIA

Growth

How To Set Up Franchises Business In India

www.businessconnectindia.in | Vol. 3 | Issue 5 December 2020 INDIA

7 18

www.businessconnectindia.in | Vol. 4 | Special Edition March 2022 INDIA

Today

Business Connect offers you amazing business stories along with multiple interesting and motivational stories written by our experienced editors. You may grab an opportunity through our special offer : Get 12 Issues by paying just Rs. 1000. I would like to subscribe* Business Connect for one year at Rs.1000 (12 issues) I am enclosing the Cheque/DD no. _________________________ dated ___________________ of Rs. ________________ of bank __________________________________________ Branch ______________________________________________ drawn in favour of FANZINEINDIA. My Personal mailing details (IN BLOCK LETTERS): NAME _____________________________________________________ Company Name _____________________________________________ Designation _____________________________________ Address _________________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________ City _________________________ State ______________________ PIN ____________________ Telephone _______________________________ Email (Required*)__________________________________________________ Age in years _______________ Experience _______________ Industry ___________________ Education __________________ Your feedback about the magazine ___________________________________________________________________________ How did you come to know about Business Connect? ______________________________________________________________ Now you can also subscribe through credit card: visit - http://www.businessconnectindia.in

All the payments are accepted in Cheque/DD favouring: FANZINEINDIA, 701, DDA 2, Janakpuri District Center, new Delhi-1410058 *This offer is valid in India only. Please mention your name and address on the back side of your Cheque/DD. Cancellation and refunds are not allowed. If you have any query, please send us the email to corporate@businessconnectindia.in or call to 011-41065208. 9

www.businessconnectindia.in | Vol. 4 | Special Edition March 2022 INDIA

COVER STORY

K-Lite Industries Puja Bhardwaj | Business Connect

Crafting Magnificent Luminaires For Architectural Lighting Under The Hegemony of Sharmila Kumbhat

SHARMILA KUMBHAT Director, Market Development

www.businessconnectindia.in | Vol. 4 | Special Edition March 2022 INDIA

s women are making a mark for themselves as leaders in various fields such as business, design, and manufacturing, Sharmila Kumbhat celebrates this as, the Director of K-Lite Industries., A confluence of innovation, intelligence, and passion, Sharmila is an interior designer by profession and an entrepreneur by choice. This aweinspiring leader behind the K-Lite Industries’ recent phenomenal success, joined K-Lite in 2012 and within a short span of time was promoted to the role of “Director Business Development.” Under her daring and dynamic leadership, K-Lite has broken into international markets and progressed tremendously with a five-fold increase in turnover. In 2017-2018, K-Lite was awarded “Asia One- World’s Greatest Brands” for its architectural lighting and poles.

K-Lite’s proven performance in the outdoor segment is because of its ability to stylishly convey the identity of a space with a blend of efficiency and modularity to maximize the visual comfort that is best suited to each specific space. K-Lite intends to extend an enriching userfriendly buying experience and generate value from the existing ecosystem for their customers, with negligible extraneous addition. A registered trademark in India, the UK, and Europe, K-LITE works with a mission to add tangible value to the world of lighting. “To consolidate our commitment for excellence, we perform all our processes internally - from design and development to production and assembly, and we take great pride in being the manufacturer of choice”, the leading lady further apprised.

MAXIMIZING THE VISUAL COMFORT FOR SPACES – K-LITE INDUSTRIES Driven by a path-breaking vision to design and manufacture luminaires for architectural lighting, K-Lite Industries strives towards high-quality solutions with a deep-rooted pursuit for excellence. As a continued step towards building a sustainable company with inclusive growth for design and quality that is internationally recognized, K-Lite maintains its core Indian values. The genesis of K-Lite Industries was based on the need to put a new spin on lighting products that are of high quality and sustainable. Since its initiation in 1977, K-Lite has been steadily working towards becoming the leading manufacturer of Architectural luminaires and decorative poles.

K-LITE SOLUTIONS Indoor or outdoor. Architectural or technical. Small or large.

K-Lite offers a wide range of lighting solutions for various project requirements, with luminaires tailored to meet customer expectations. While producing luminaires, K-Lite ensures to comply with quality, reliability and sustainability standards, thereby setting elite benchmarks in the lighting world. The aim is to offer luminaires that do not just illuminate but transform the setting with elegance galore. For over four decades of its operations, K-Lite has become a trusted choice for major railways, metros, and heritage lighting projects. The company believes in delivering sustainable lighting solutions

by ensuring that products are developed with the best processing techniques and a mindful corporate policy. Driven by quality, K-Lite celebrates certifications like ISO 14001-2015, ISO 9001-2015, BIS, CE and ZED, that represent unparalleled performance in everything it does.

K-Lite has been honoured with various accolades such as the India Design Mark Award by the Indian Design Council in 2015-16, the World’s Greatest Brands in 2017-18, Architecture and Interior Design Excellence Awards Global Edition, and Outstanding Performance and Contribution in Business Domain by Begin up Research Intelligence Private Limited in 2021. The company’s success has been based on a solid foundation of identifying its customer requirements for design, sustainability and reliability. During the past 44 years, K-Lite has taken great strides by gaining a reputation as India’s Lighting Company. SHARMILA’S JOURNEY FROM A YOUNG ENTREPRENEUR TO A DYNAMIC LEADER Her philosophy is “take one day at a time and give the best one can ‘’. She started her professional journey at the tender age of 16 in her father Dilip Kumbhat’s fabrication unit called

‘Metal Craft’ where she learned about various dynamics of the manufacturing processes – at national and international levels. Working for her father at a very young age taught her the value of hard work, people, and money. A few of her many acknowledgments include being honoured with the “Best Female Entrepreneur Award” 1996 at the age of 20, by the Government of Tamil Nadu and being the state first in Fashion Designing at the age of 18. As an avid traveller around the world and learning from various different cultures, she further honed her design and business acumen by studying design in New York. While living in the United States for over a decade, she established two very successful export-oriented companies. Later in the year 2012, she wanted to be more directly involved in her homeland and to imbibe the same values she grew up with in her children, Sharmila decided to move back to India. Once she moved back to India she joined K-lite where she had an opportunity to explore her full potential and that of the company.

www.businessconnectindia.in | Vol. 4 | Special Edition March 2022 INDIA

Talking about the factors that led her to join K-Lite, Sharmila stated –

“After coming back from the US, I always wanted to do something to support my people and my country. I was fortunate to be given this platform from my father who believes that India can make quality luminaries. We are constantly raising the bar of innovative products and designs that challenge our core strengths of manufacturing.” One Word that Describes the Leading Lady, The Best –

PERSEVERANCE What Makes Her Excited About Mondays? When there is a purpose and passion behind what you do, there are no Mondays SHARMILA’S VISION Her vision is to see K-lite recognized as a global player in key product segments, while constantly working towards making improvements in product design specifications to match global standards. She collaborates with various landscape and product designers to enable her team to make this vision a reality. HURDLES ON THE WAY AND KEY VALUES Having grown organically and being a promoter driver company, Sharmila found that scaling up the operations both in India and Internationally has been the biggest challenge for her and the team. They are on a journey of transformation and that is both challenging and exciting. The values of the organisation have always been true to the company’s tagline: “India’s Lighting Company”. All of the team’s thoughts and actions support this tagline and the manufacturing setup is well integrated to support the Made in India brand. K-lite believes in being an equal opportunity employee with over 50% of their workforce as female.

www.businessconnectindia.in | Vol. 4 | Special Edition March 2022 INDIA

THE LEADERSHIP EVOLUTION AT K-LITE Sharmila is working with the goal to design and manufacture Quality lighting solutions in India on par with Global standards and K-Lite brand representation in multiple countries. She finds strength in her dedicated and committed team and the infrastructure facilities to achieve accelerated growth. The leadership team at K-Lite is working with a commitment to continuously improve the quality performance and setting new goals. Anyone who decides to invest in K-lite products is getting better value by way of selection, quality, service and price. The company is evolving from a promoter driver company to a corporate-driven company.

www.businessconnectindia.in | Vol. 4 | Special Edition March 2022 INDIA

As the company is growing, Sharmila Kumbhat sees her role as more of an enabler than that of task executor.

ROAD AHEAD

As an Indian lighting manufacturer, K-Lite is always setting new benchmarks to constantly evolve into a better version of itself. Whether it is product design, product efficiency, or the next generation of connected lighting, the company continues to embrace continuous skill development both professionally and personally. The team is working in collaboration with designers to refine their product offerings both on design and performance levels to position itself in international markets. They are also continuing the next-generation development of our smart city solutions and dynamic lighting.

“Everyone is born with different strengths and develops new ones. I am grateful to be blessed with a certain design acumen, a double dose of common sense and I never give up.” – Sharmila Kumbhat

www.businessconnectindia.in | Vol. 4 | Special Edition March 2022 INDIA

siliconindia

www.businessconnectindia.in | Vol. 4 | Special Edition March 2022 INDIA www.businessconnectindia.in | Vol. 3 | Issue 5 December 2020 INDIA

16 8

|19|

August 2019

www.businessconnectindia.in | Vol. 4 | Special Edition March 2022 INDIA

Success Story

DIVE INTO THE MOST

INSPIRING SUCCESS STORY OF HALDIRAM This is one of the most inspiring stories for the youths and the upcoming generation. Everything is possible with dedication and effort will take you towards success whatever obstacles come to life, you have to be focused on the goal and do every possible work to make it possible and finally achieve an objective like Haldiram’s. The founder hails from a small village Bikaner where he used to sell Bhujia in his father’s shop in 1918, but now Haldiram’s has become one of the famous International brands with annual revenue of Rs 7,130 crores, selling its products globally. Needless to say, today it has become a multibillion-dollar company. Its story inspires us to always look for the positive side of every incident to reach the pinnacle of success. Whatever, happens in life happens for good.

Keeping that in mind, let’s

DIVE INTO THE most inspiring story of Haldiram

www.businessconnectindia.in | Vol. 4 | Special Edition March 2022 INDIA

THE INITIAL PHASE OF HALDIRAM

The founder of this company Ganga Bhishen Agarwal was initially called by the name Haldiram Ji and at the beginning, he used to work in his father’s shop and sold namkeen bhujia as instructed by his father and aunts. Haldiram’s marriage was done at an early age but on the behest of his wife, he had to leave the house because of some household quarrels in 1946, Haldiram started his first shop and started selling Bikaneri Bhujia, but this time he brought some changes to its flavours and to make it tasty to eat he added little moth flour in its making and also made it thinner to make it little more crunchy to eat and as just by his idea the namkeen was loved by so many new customers and his sales increased by day by day. He kept on experimenting with the taste of bhujia and by its success Haldiram when goes to attend the marriage in Kolkata there he gets an idea of opening a shop and by this initiative, his first step towards the branching of his Bikaner Bhujia business is started and bypassing of time his business started to spread in parts of Nagpur and some of the capitals and by this success, there is no looking back took place in his life as his business started to grow more and more and he gets enough profit from it by attracting so many customers towards their shop and by here the success of Haldiram started.

HALDIRAM SHOP’S EXPANSION

For any business to spread in the market and stick its root in the market its expansion is very necessary to build the business so after Haldiram business expands in Nagpur and Delhi, the business also expands in many more cities of India as well as foreign countries. The Haldiram company has mainly appeared in three areas Kolkata, Delhi, Nagpur in comparison to the other two the Delhi business growth rate is highest. In 1993, the company exportation of products spreads to more than 50 countries including the US. And in 2003, the multicrore company get the certification of the most trusted brand industry and the company started to work in all four directions of the country mostly acquire the entire northern region but little weak in the

southern region which is not come in that success mark even after doing so many attempts in comparison to other three regions in this process of success their family support and helps is always there they are to lead and key people of the company who works a lot to bring the best in the quality of every product. In 2017, this company got a tag of countries largest snack company and left many domestic and international companies behind and comes as India’s largest snacks company.

HALDIRAM REVENUE

The revenue of the Haldiram business is INR 7,130 crore in a year and is more than the total revenue of both McDonald’s and Domino’s. The Haldirams product quality and taste itself lead the business towards growth because no advertisement and promotions are done for publicity of the product. • Type - Private • Founder - Ganga Bhishen Agarwal • Headquarters Nagpur, Maharashtra, India • Industry - Food • Revenue – INR 7,130 crore (US$950 million) (2019) • Founded - 1941

HALDIRAM PRODUCTS

and the company also started its outlet restaurants in Kolkata, Noida, Delhi, Nagpur, and Pune. It is called Haldirams, an Indian snacks, sweets and restaurant company. Owing to the taste and variety in food products, the customers buy its product due to which the company is benefitted a lot. Many more products are yet to come in future also as the company keeps on practising and always ready to bring some new variety with a little twist in its flavour.

OBSTACLES COME IN THE PATH OF THE SUCCESS OF THE HALDIRAM COMPANY

Every success has its ups and downs and success cant be achieved in one day it takes many sleepless nights and it also takes time and effort the way of success is never be smooth just like that this company also have to go through many challenges like in the year 2015 when ban in Maggie occurs at that time many products of Haldiram is also banned by regulatory of food authority that brings lost in the profit of the company and 2015, FDA of India after several tests gave the Haldiram company a clean chit and after that company take an initiative to tie-up with companies and it also provided food facilities to the passengers in partnership with Indian railway and by that the company success rate again comes in places.

Haldiram’s business firstly started with Bhujia Namkeen but later on by seeing the tremendous success of the company it started to include many more products like Haldiram sweets (Rashgula, Basin Laddu, Gulab Jamun) snacks (Aalo Bhujia, Khata Mitha, Namkeen, Peanuts), Papadum, Cookies, Pickles, Chips, Dry Fruits,

www.businessconnectindia.in | Vol. 4 | Special Edition March 2022 INDIA

IN HOME PERSONAL SERVICE Michael A Collura’s Endeavour, Realising Its Promise Of Best Senior Care Since 2004 Puja Bhardwaj | Business Connect

stablished in 2004, spearheaded by dynamic business leader, Michael A Collura, In Home Personal Service comes with a unique approach to caregiving—one that takes the “senior” out of “senior care”— providing quality care to seniors who wish to remain in the comfort of their own home.

In Home Personal Services is a non-medical senior care endeavour with a nationwide franchise system. The advantages of this business model are extensive. Most notable are the growing demand for this type of enterprise all over the country and the low cost of investment, as well as the sustainability of the model. With its franchise service, the brand provides entrepreneurs the ability to join not only a massively expansive industry that is in high demand. It provides this opportunity with a clear and significant number of industry-leading advantages for its operators. In every job description and a requirement for anyone joining the IHPS team, there is one prevailing quality that is required. The person “must possess a genuine desire to care for the elderly”. It speaks to the brand’s commitment as a quality care provider. Even if you do not work within the organization as a hands-on care provider this quality matters and is required. It also remains as the sole requirement one must have to join the franchise system as one of its operators.

Michael A Collura Founder & President

www.businessconnectindia.in | Vol. 4 | Special Edition March 2022 INDIA

MEET THE GUIDING FORCE

Michael A Collura, Founder, and President of In Home Personal Service is the driving force behind orchestrating the successful journey of In Home Personal Service. With over a decade of composite experience in different business segments, he carries extensive knowledge and skills in business development and marketing. “I enjoy what I do not because of the success, but because that success is enjoyed by so many others I am privileged to work with every day. I always felt that if I was the smartest one in the room, I failed. So, I have surrounded myself with talented individuals that complement my own strengths and make up in areas where I myself fall short. This is the secret to our continued growth and success”, Michael asserted. Talking about his unique business philosophy, he stated – “The inception of In Home Personal Service was taken to do good. The business was originally built to be different as both a culture within the brand’s organization as well as a quality care provider. These values often diminish over time as a brand grows, unless efforts are taken to ensure they are not only upheld but that they are expanding through the years. You know you made it when you look back at all the tough decisions made and are validated as being the right choice then just as much as they are today.”

SPECIALTY SERVICES OF IHPS

All the services are considered “specialty”, but IHPS does stand out as a provider due to the extensive training and programs developed by the IHPS team. Among those programs all the no contract, no minimum, and full flexibility in its individualised care is part of what makes the services it provides a specialty. IHPS offers some of the most unique and forward-thinking care services that do specialise in the care of its clients who are dealing with Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and a variety of lifestyle challenges. In speaking about these innovative care services, the team at In Home Personal Services has hinted at yet another innovation that based on their research will make them the first in the industry to develop a new service model unlike any of its competitors. Yet again setting itself apart as a leader in the senior care industry.

MICHAEL’S INSIGHTS ON DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION

Diversity and inclusion are the base that America was built on, fought for, and intended to be. WE THE PEOPLE, three simple words that declare all people without exception or discrimination. Since we are a diverse culture with the freedom to be who we are there is simply no other way we would live. The team here understands this and simply put you are welcome as you are who you are and only your performance and your measure of the brand’s mission matters.

WHAT’S SPECIAL ABOUT IHPS’S LIVE-IN ‘CAREGIVING’ SERVICES?

It is for those looking to age in the comfort of their own home. This service provides the care you need when you need it 24/7/365 by a trusted, trained, and professional caregiver. The greatest value this service offers is that it can ensure a safe, healthy, and active lifestyle for anyone regardless of the level of care you receive so that you can live in the home of your choosing and skip over facility-based institutional care. It is special because it can provide the lifestyle, choices, and freedom we all want when they may need some assistance and want to remain in the home of their choice.

FRANCHISE OPPORTUNITIES BY IHPS

IHPS is offering franchise opportunities for all kinds of entrepreneurs to help seniors have great care. The best part about this franchise model is that it does not require any job experience, training, prior senior care or healthcare-related experience, and financial position to 21

join the system. Current operators and those working today to join the system come from all walks of life. The system is built to be for the entrepreneur and is franchisee friendly meaning you will find it to be low cost, low barrier for growth, and quick ramp-up with the operator being a true entrepreneur running a business how they choose without buying their next job. Entrepreneurs in this system are in control with the full support of several teams at the corporate office that brings a full array of programs to the system that support all areas of operations.

FROM THE FOUNDER’S DESK

The impact we make in the lives of others every day is what makes us stand out. Nothing else would resonate as a success story about In Home Personal Services if it failed on this, the single most sacred value, and its core mission. All the milestones, achievements, awards, and honours received over the years pale in compression to the feedback received from those that trusted the team at IHPS with their care. Knowing a difference was made in their lives brings more pride than any other achievement ever received.

WORK CULTURE

Just like the involvement of innovation in its service model, In Home’s culture was also built to be unique. As the growth affects the mission, the culture should also have diligent work to ensure it too is preserved as the brand expands and grows. It is possible to accomplish with thoughtful and deliberate efforts, so growth does not dilute what was built in the beginning. It’s about a team, not just a few, but a brand that includes everyone in the mission and values their efforts. www.businessconnectindia.in | Vol. 4 | Special Edition March 2022 INDIA

TOP 1

DIGITAL

MARKETERS IN INDIA

LEAN HIPPO MARKETERS Creating Unforgettable Brands Kriti Anand | Business Connect

A unique digital footprint can do wonders for any business–be it promoting an emerging startup or renovating a brand’s perception. Providing creative digital marketing solutions to startups and the mega-players alike, Lean Hippo Marketers helps clients create and sustain an influential presence on the internet.

“

We believe in the leanest utilisation of resources to deliver hippo-sized results.” COMPANY OVERVIEW

A renowned digital technology agency with a client-first approach, Lean Hippo Marketers is a data-informed and content-led Digital Marketing Agency that helps its clientbase create and sustain a repute for themselves in the online space. The agency leverages Social Media, Search Engines, Web & Mobile to provide tailored solutions that incorporate the different needs, budgets, and goals for the clients. The aim of the team at LHM is to maximise results for the business goals of its clients. The services Lean Hippo Marketers provides includes: • • • • •

ABHINAV SINGLA Founder & CEO

Social Media Marketing Search Engine Marketing Search Engine Optimisation Web & Mobile Development Influencer Marketing

Abhinav Singla, Founder and CEO, founded Lean Hippo in 2012, when digital marketing was still in its nascent stage, taking baby steps in the world of marketing, and brands were just starting to explore its potential, Lean Hippo Marketers sought to monetize for its clients all aspects of digital marketing. The mission was to enable its clients to fulfil the potential of this up and coming form of marketing to the maximum extent, while utilising the resources in the leanest manner. LHM is a boutique agency that takes up only a limited number of clients so full attention can be given to each one to ensure maximum bang for their buck. It strives to embrace a brand’s vision, and their most creative and innovative minds are dedicated to building brand identities, activating its online presence and engaging consumers. With every client that the team takes up, the company is introduced to and learns about a new industry. In the last ten years, the team has gained valuable experience in multiple industries. At Lean Hippo, every day is a different adventure. The company boasts of a casual, energetic, and flexible environment which helps every member of the team deliver their best. “Innovation means harnessing your creative ability. The right innovative techniques can give you a competitive lead in expanding a business.” www.businessconnectindia.in | Vol. 4 | Special Edition March 2022 INDIA

and understand its clients. There is not one sure-shot formula to ensure that a marketing strategy is fool-proof, and so the team constantly evolves and innovates for every brand so that it can make sure that the client is more than satisfied with the investment made and their partnership with LHM. The Digital Marketing industry relies and functions on word of mouth. Lean Hippo Marketers has always ensured that the client is pleased and content with the services provided by the more than capable team at LHM. This relationship that the company strives to establish with every client has been a very crucial component behind the success they have achieved in less than a decade. Lean Hippo has proved that unparalleled work quality doesn’t come with age, but instead it comes with dedication and innovation.

For LHM, simply delivering content is not enough. Keeping the end goal of customer conversion in mind, the team follows strategic steps in the content management process, right from ideation to publishing. The team engages in brainstorming sessions so ideas can be workshopped with the entire team. The process starts with market research and industry evaluation, and customization of content according to the platform and the target audience. For them, it is important to devote particular attention to the creation stage, where research, writing, and designing take place. The team makes sure that the content is crafted to suit different platforms, demographics, and target audiences and delivered in an attractive format. They use Facebook, Instagram, and Google tools to maximise lead generation for the clients.

Over the last few years, LHM has worked with clients across several industries. Understanding the unique challenges they face, they provided customised solutions to them. A team of dedicated market experts providing unmatched digital marketing services, Lean Hippo has received a number of accolades in its years of growth and expansion.

LHM is made of a team of passionate digital marketers with over four decades of combined experience that has worked in top organisations and received education in top universities in India and abroad. The agency assists the brands to finalise a digital roadmap with respect to a successful Digital Marketing Campaign. Its business solutions set it ahead of the competition curve, in the process creating a foothold for their clients in the expansive world of digital marketing.

PARTING WORDS

Lean Hippo is about to finish ten successful years helping clients achieve their business goals through the power of digital marketing. During this time the agency has worked with top national and international clients.

“We create meaningful bonds and brands.”

CLIENTS COME FIRST

“We wish to continue serving our clients and stay ahead of all the emerging trends and technologies in the fastmoving digital space. We see ourselves as thought leaders and an upcoming online knowledge bank.”

The principal focus of Lean Hippo has always been customer satisfaction. The agency has continually concerned itself with crafting ways to deliver tailor-made services to better serve

“Entrepreneurship is a journey of patience, perseverance, and consistency. Dream big, start small and scale instantly.” - Abhinav Singla, Founder and CEO, Lean Hippo Marketers, and Owner, Fork You Restaurant

www.businessconnectindia.in | Vol. 4 | Special Edition March 2022 INDIA

Health

The Stress Solution:

BEST MENTAL HEALTH CHATBOT APPS CHATBOT APPS

For people in general or entrepreneurs, chatbots nowadays can be used to treat a variety of psychological issues such as tension, anger, depression, and so on. Psychiatrists may use chatbots to cure these diseases on their own time and under their circumstances.

India has just five thousand psychologists and two thousand professional psychiatrists, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). That, even though 5.6 crore people out of a billion in the country suffer from some kind of mental illness. It’s a major issue for which there is currently no solution. In this case, mobile apps and chatbots have emerged as a practical means of providing relief to people suffering from psychological issues, requiring only internet access. Chatbots are applications that allow you to chat in a similar way to how you would in WhatsApp or Messenger. The difference is that there is no person in front of the machine; instead, there is a bot (software robot) that is most likely using artificial intelligence to improve accuracy. Chatbots and smartphone applications are usually available for free. Yes, if you want to use a service that isn’t available for free, you might have to pay a charge. For instance, one-on-one consultation with a counsellor or a coaching service that provides ongoing guidance. The main thing is that you always have a way to deal with www.businessconnectindia.in | Vol. 4 | Special Edition March 2022 INDIA

depression, despair, anger, tension, and a slew of other popular and serious issues in your own time, place, and circumstances. Every psychological stumbling block is caused by another problem. Sometimes it’s complicated, and other times it’s straightforward. People, on the other hand, seldom talk about their issues with others. Issues with love, problems between husband and wife, workplace problems, and so on. Some people face similar issues as a result of their behaviours, nature, or other factors. Then others are who are confronted with a psychological challenge as a result of a life event. What is the problem with addressing what you find difficult to discuss with human beings with a lifeless computer, mobile app, or a chatbot? This technical counsellor may be contacted at any time of day or night to express your thoughts in private.

using amusing words. It is based on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), which is an evidencebased therapeutic technique. Woebot classified three of a user’s thoughts as negative and assisted him in thinking of three other constructive thoughts, according to one user.

iWill ePsyclinic is one such chatbot that can analyse the answers to a few dozen questions to provide an early assessment of what a patient’s issue is, how serious it is, and what kind of help he or she needs. It was created by an organisation that has 35 psychologists on staff, with another 15 professionals available as freelancers if needed. In India, it is said to have 50,000 downloads. It is to be anticipated that since it was created by an Indian, it would have a better understanding of the Indian situation. He keeps track of his users’ behaviours, behaviour, food, sleep patterns, moods, and thoughts, among other things, and gives them advice as needed. He links them with his psychiatrists when necessary, who continue the recovery process.

Woebot Health is a mental health chatbot created in San Francisco, California. India makes extensive use of it as well. You must first answer a series of questions so that he can get a sense of your mood. The majority of users think it’s a good idea to look into it. He can sense your mood, for example, and if you’re irritated, he’ll try to lighten the mood by

Wysa: your safe space in this difficult time. Joe Agarwal and Ramakant Vempati, a married couple, created this artificial intelligence chatbot. These individuals desired that a solution be sought until the psychological issues were out of control. It, too, is based on clinical behavioural therapy, similar to iWill. It is supported by a team of 25 individuals, eight of whom are mental health experts who may serve as guides or coaches. He grouped the interactions he recorded with millions of people into groups. During these discussions, an effort is made to understand the trend that occurs, as well as the relationship between psychological issues such as tension, anger, and depression, among others. The diagnosis and outcomes of Wysa and other chatbots will become more reliable as the database expands.

Some issues arise as a result of the procedure. Is it true, for example, that the chatbots we think of as inanimate have no one behind them? This means that the consumer who does not tell anyone about his issue is walking here in complete privacy. But who knows what’s going on behind the app’s interface? Discussions with them are aimed at determining who they reach and how they will be used in the future. You’re probably aware that there’s a lot of concern about the abuse of data gathered on the Internet and privacy violations. The second concern is that the information would be misappropriated by a third party. What is the system’s level of safety in terms of keeping them safe? Third, humans are continually expanding their intelligence, expertise, and abilities, but can software that is based on rules keep up with them? The response to the third question is clear: they are currently being used as a connection before reaching a human expert, rather than as a replacement for humans. The creators of the other two challenges assure them that they will be secure. However, in the users’ best interests, independent confirmation of these statements is needed. 25

www.businessconnectindia.in | Vol. 4 | Special Edition March 2022 INDIA

ANOOJA BASHIR Whose perspicuity and perceptivity are leading the way for ‘Ourea’ Puja Bhardwaj | Business Connect

“These 7 entities represent 7 human traits or personas that are embodied in our culture and work philosophy. These entities are further split into our 7 core domains that serve specific business functions:- Consulting| Training | Strategical Marketing | IT& Web development| Branding | Digital marketing | Designing,” cites the Founder.

-s an adept branding & IT company, Ourea has become a prominent name owing to its expertise in brand building, digital solutions, marketing strategies and business support to its targeted clients. Influence, experience and inspiration are the linchpins of the successful delivery of solutions that is the philosophy put forth by the Founder-CEO, Anooja Bashir. In terms of the overall service portfolio– Branding, designing, marketing strategy and implementation, IT services, HR Consulting, Mentoring Services & Academics for students and graduates are the foremost areas where they prove their prowess.

7 CORNERSTONES OF SUCCESS

Being an influential personality, Anooja has quite an insightful conviction that is the epitome of her visionary leadership. Firstly, the name Ourea has been derived from Greek terminology that means ‘mountain’ that symbolizes hard work and constant efforts to reach the pinnacle of resounding success. And secondly, the logo of the company is represented in the form of a ‘phoenix’ bird that has a persistent zeal to perform any task. Even if it succumbs to its failure, it is reformed from the ‘ashes’ to claim its success. And last but not the least, a unique business model that is immensely inspired by 7 primordial deities of Greek mythology: Nysa | Athena | Kithairon | Oreus | Olympus | Helicon | Athos. www.businessconnectindia.in | Vol. 4 | Special Edition March 2022 INDIA

The unfaltering presence of Ourea in the niche market is the sheer outcome of its Anooja’s impassioned as well as agile exertion. The ‘seasoned engineer’ always strives to build her brainchild as a last resort to all of one’s business needs while eradicating any hitches in the business growth.

DESIGNS REPRESENTING CLIENT’S VISION

Ourea has always made justice to its tagline stating – ‘we design visions of our clients into reality’. To them, building more and more brands from the products to generate more visibility and lead in the space is the foremost priority. Team Ourea takes immense pride to be able to deliver appropriate solutions to the IT hassle of the clients and are able to create several outstanding leaders in the form of dynamic CXO’s in the industry.

A BRIEF OF THE ‘BIGWIG’ BEHIND ‘OUREA’

Anooja began her career voyage as a civil engineer back in 2003. Later, she migrated to India to start a career in academia as an Asst. Professor in eminent Engineering colleges in 2010. Three years afterwards, in 2013, she concluded to incept “Ourea” as a finishing school concept of HR & training solution providing company. Owing to some personal issues, she called it a quit but yet again re-established Ourea in 2017, as a 360-degree business management enterprise that renders all types of corporate solutions from– branding to marketing to IT to all HR & training solutions. Harnessing an attitude enriched with logical thinking and multitasking competencies, Anuja Bashir became a harbinger of creativity and elegance for helping the brand evolve in the best possible way. As a female entrepreneur, her multitasking skills have facilitated her to adroitly supervise several verticals of her brainchild. Her creative acumen and technical skills have propelled team Ourea to attain greater feats in the ecosystem of knowledge. As a leader with a certain level of discernment, she reckons the significance of HR in the exponential growth of a company. Undeniably, inspiring and influential leadership is the only unfaltering parameter of any business that can allow it to sail through ups and downs in the wavering market scenarios. She asserts that the HR domain is itself in dire need of dedicated as well as a relevant business leader. Her idea to revamp this space is converged on possessing the key qualities such as impactfulness, appropriate delegation and result orientation. In light of this, Ourea came into existence by propounding a deep apprehension towards the necessities of CXO’s expertise in a business that grants in-depth knowledge of market trends to train and manage HRs accordingly. 28

“We train leaders to be the best HR heads to give out the best results,” affirms Anooja. MAKING GREATER LEAPS

Under the auspices of its phenomenal CEO, Ourea will become a parent organisation of a product-based company, Digitaliz that will be fixated on developing IT products. Moreover, the company aspires to get endorsement from venture capitalists to make an agile transition from bootstrapped venture to an investorfunded enterprise alongside tripling the revenue generation and developing a robust ed-tech platform in the upcoming three years. Moreover, Ourea is under the process to come up with a viable organisational strategy to centralized the overall system where it can be effortlessly accessed with digital backup even without the involvement of the CXO. And their incessant efforts are aligned with improvising the HR system in the company by offering a promotion to juniors while recruiting talent heads for their present ongoing project– LIKES, that will help them stay ahead of the game sophistically.

Anooja Bashir - CEO

TEAM BUILDING AND WORK CULTURE

Indeed, challenges are the motive force behind the improvement that lead one’s way to stronger, wiser and inflexible growth. For Anooja, impediments are the ways to enhance profitability that helps in the formulation of magnificent solutions and eventually leads to game-changing innovation. While recruiting talented individuals, she always takes this quality into deep consideration and seeks an optimistic outlook. Anooja always brings freshers onboard and trains them in a prospering and vibrant ambience. And of course, the impassionate team members live up to the expectations set by the CEO and faces any challenge altogether as a family. This collaborative approach ensures trust building while energizing the ecosystem for better growth. Anooja has managed to build a culture of equality where gender biases have no place to exist. Here, capabilities are always preferred over gender miscommunication. The exemplary CEO is in constant attempts to instil dedication as well as work-life balance among the employees. At times, she is flexible with her employees but quite stern when it comes to maintaining discipline and quality in the company. To keep the exuberance of the culture at its peak, the management ensures festive as well as birthday celebrations and also conducts yearly vocational trips for refreshment. Apart from this, rewards and recognition are also common phenomenon at the company to propel the employees towards better performance.

MILESTONES AND FUTURE OUTLOOKS

In her entrepreneurial journey, Anooja has crossed several milestones that proved her prowess and profundity as a visionary leader. Apart from Ourea, she co-founded FlexiCloud in 2019, that is a managed cloud hosting company with her business partner Vinod Chacko. Her determined attitude and dedicated efforts have been recognized across business fraternity. Hence, she is often rewarded as a Serial & successful Woman Entrepreneur who is effectively supervising 2 ventures, 4 initiatives & handling more than 1000 + clients globally. When asked to shine some light on the future endeavours, Anooja revealed that she foresees her brainchild as a forerunner in app development, branding, marketing and managed cloud hosting space.

“I am looking forward to create top class brands and help them achieve their visibility via pitch perfect marketing strategies while planning to lay the foundation of a product- based company,” concludes Anooja. She has created a sophisticated roadmap that will lead to a roaring success of the company in the next 5 years, envisioning it as a leading player in its targeted niche.

THE PARTING WORDS BY THE CEO “Nothing is built in a day. We need a lot of perseverance, endurance, and commitment to reach our goals. Never quit! Like Paulo Cohelo’s saying, “And when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.” So keep trying, stay focused, increase your knowledge, strengthen your network, build a great team, and besides all believes in yourself and your dreams. Get updated on anything & everything connected to technology. Bring in sustainable innovation with a smart thinking approach. Also, failure is always going to be a part of your life. Though it might seem to be a hard way, it is indeed the best way. Failure is the step towards success. So embrace your failures and learn from them.” 29

www.businessconnectindia.in | Vol. 4 | Special Edition March 2022 INDIA

Lifestyle

This is such a frequently asked question. Many of us must have faced office politics once in our lives. Office politics feel like: you are being pressurized and consumed by all the politics that happen in your office. It creates stress and anxiety in their life. Therefore, we will be sharing some tips that can help deal with office politics. In its simple form, office politics is simply about the differences between people at work: differences in opinion, conflicts of interests are often manifested as office politics. It all goes down to people’s communication and relationship. Firstly, we would say that there is no need to be afraid of office politics.

www.businessconnectindia.in | Vol. 4 | Special Edition March 2022 INDIA

FOCUS ON BUILDING A GOOD CIRCLE. In order to deal with office politics, you need to get involved. A study from Sage Journals shows that when someone feels they don’t belong here, their physical health and wellbeing plummets. So, if you are feeling alone or excluded by negative office politics, you need to make new friends at your offices so that if someone at work is the source of the main conflict, it can be dealt with them by being united with your co-workers. The camaraderie at the workplace is as needed as your skill, food, and shelter. In this way, you don’t just increase your productivity but also help you to reach a proper solution. People with bullying tendencies often try to isolate victims, so the more people you have on your side, the less you are to be taken advantage of at work. DOCUMENT YOUR TIME. When you are subject to your colleague’s bad political like taking credit for your work, it’s important not to retaliate. Most of the time, people make a strategy to expose their colleagues or boss in front of others, but this isn’t a good idea. It can backfire. In order to deal with it, you need to have clever strategies, for example, make sure that you document your work thoroughly and let your colleagues and your bosses, or senior know what you are doing have done till now. In this way you can defend your reputation, if your work ethic is called into question by co-workers, then you have a way to prove your productivity. TRY TO FIND THE REASON BEHIND IT RATHER THAN ACCUSING. This is another one of the best ways to deal with office politics. When you feel that your colleges or seniors try to make you look bad or undermine you. Step back and question to yourself; why are they doing that? What could be possibly driving them that has nothing to do with you?

What could be his personal agenda or goal that you know nothing about? Is there anybody else facing the same issue with the co-worker what are you facing right now? If you ask such a kind question to yourself, there are 30 to 40 percent chances, what you are actually facing will eliminate. Because eventually, you will find out that a large part of the stories you are telling yourself are just moving around you, and you are in the centre of the problem. The fact is that you are not part of this problem. The person is behaving against you in a manner that you don’t like has nothing to do with you. It could be anyone in front of you, it’s not personal, it just drives them for a reason they hold within themselves and has nothing to do with you.

people behave and work together and how well they function as a team. Therefore, office politics should be looked at as something that can be reframed into positive, says Williams. While working at the company, one should contribute to a culture that values people and discourage a negative mindset individual. One of the best ways to contribute to office culture is to appreciate others, encourage teamwork and be empathetic to other people, one can create a better work culture for anyone. DON’T TAKE SIDES. In-office politics, it is quite possible to find yourself between two power figures’ arguments. In such a case, you see yourself being thrown around while they try to outwit each other and secure their own place: at any coast of you getting the job done. You cannot get them to agree on a common decision for a project, and neither of them wants to take ownership of the issue; they are afraid that somebody will destroy for any mishaps.

If you haven’t got any answer yet, ask them for a private conversation, polity asks them why they have acted how they did. REPLACE THE CULTURE FROM WITHIN. The culture at any company sets an expectation for how

In such a situation, focus on business objectives and avoid taking a side, even you like one better than the other. Place them for open conversation among others, so that no one will say “I didn’t say that”. By not taking sides, you will help to direct conflict resolution objectively. If your job is a hub of office politics and makes it difficult for your to do your job. You should probably look for other company. Because it may affect your career growth.

Not taking sides also help you to build trust with both parties. 31

www.businessconnectindia.in | Vol. 4 | Special Edition March 2022 INDIA

33 37

www.businessconnectindia.in ||Vol. March2020 2022 INDIA INDIA www.businessconnectindia.in Vol.43| |Special Issue Edition 5 December

VIJLAK

The Leading Name In The Structural Industry Avishek Singh | Business Connect Henry Ford has quoted once, “A business absolutely devoted to service will have one worry about profits. They will be embarrassingly large.” The secret sauce of every successful business venture out there is the complete dedication and devotion towards their client base. Their success gets defined by the number of efforts they make in satisfying the respective people associate with the same. Business Connect has a marvelous history of featuring numerous well-established business ventures that are revamping their respective industries with great zeal in its portfolio. And here again, our team has put their utmost efforts to bring this fascinating read to the table for our global readership. Our editorial board had an interesting and joyful session with the leadership panel of the company. They shared some unknown facts about the company and multiple valuable nuggets for the upcoming entrepreneurs as well that we are keen to spill them here. We truly hope and desire that this fascinating tale will boost your motivation and will add some additional value in your lives. VIJLAK is the star of the show for this read, whose unmatched service panel and a zealous approach made us feature them in our exclusive edition, “Company in Focus 2022.” The business venture has been revamping the respective realm with a top-notch service panel and an extreme industrialist workforce. Although, it is facilitating a wide range of services across the arena some major ones are structural consulting, design and detailing, estimation, cost analysis, project management, and that too at an economical rate to make itself feasible for every single client out there. The VIJLAK team has a robust perception that the secret to success sustains accuracy and punctuality as they dedicatedly follow these values and stand in the market as an expertized venture in emerging technology and software as well. While explaining the respective objectives and goals of the company,

Siva Kumar Co- founder

“

Shankar (Founder & CEO) asserts, “Our super devoted workforce is relentlessly engaged in providing best-in-class services and luxurious experience to the clientele. We are heading forward towards excellence and improvement with a mission to expand and grow our services in India and across the globe. We are also striving to provide better employment opportunities to at least 2 Lac people in the coming future.”

BRAINS BEHIND THE BRAND

“A true leader has the confidence to stand alone, the courage to make tough decisions, and the compassion to listen to the needs of others. He does not let out to be a leader but becomes one by the equality of his actions www.businessconnectindia.in | Vol. 4 | Special Edition March 2022 INDIA

and the integrity of his intent.” –Douglas McArthur. A leader is considered the pillar of any successful organization as he is the one who directs and facilitates the path of growth for the company as a whole. And VIJLAK is blessed with a marvelous leadership panel that not only guides the employees throughout the organization but also helps the venture scale the success ladder.

Explaining the leadership journey, Shankar affirms, “Right from my childhood, I had been aspiring to become an entrepreneur, and that passion has landed me where I am in present.” He further states, “A leader generally should have qualities such as patience, team coordination, and an excellent motivator. Hence, I feel hard work with a blend of smart work and patience are the foreseeable qualities that describe me as one of the best leaders out there. The journey of leadership is not easy as we have crossed several struggles in our journey.” The founder of the company reveals that he has bagged his unmatched professional experience from his educational background, including B.E. Civil Engineering and M.E. Also, he has completed his MISTE from IIT Delhi with flying colors and has gained a supreme level of expertise in the respective realm. He is filled with excellent leadership skills and a great zeal for transforming and disrupting the industry that acts as a motivation booster for the members of the VIJLAK family.

innovations in the respective domain. Hence, practice and planning are the key points for us in maintaining accuracy and quality.” CULMINATION

Shankar has a robust mindset that employees and people connected with the organization are of extreme importance as they contribute to all the growth and development of the company. hence, VIJLAK strives and put their utmost effort to provide innovative and latest opportunities for self-development to all its employees. Talking about the achievements and accolades of the company, the management team shared that two of the best designs of the company, UN 1359 and UN 1774 have got approved by UOH, CISC, and USFCA. And at present, the company is planning to establish and expand a detailing hub in India and to spread its roots across the USA and UK.

Shankar

Founder & CEO

THE MARKET SCENARIO

Sailing a business venture in the present competitive market is not everyone’s cup of tea-but the leaders of VIJLAK are scaling the success ladder with complete dedication by putting in their utmost efforts. When our curious team questioned about the transformation in the realm,

Shankar asserts,

“The structural industry is furious and an interesting field, and that’s the reason I am simply fond of this realm. In addition, emerging technologies are emerging day by day so, relentless learning influenced the model of structural engineering. We strive to perceive technological inclusion along with a swift development by constant learning and adopting the latest 35

Shankar revealed that he is fond of reading and has flipped the pages of multiple inspiring books out there. We requested him to share some suggestions for our global readership as well hence, he recommended the book Wings of Fire by APJ Abdul Kalam. Also, he is a great lover of music and inspiring thoughts and lines.

Before signing off, the leader leaves a message to all our readers by saying, “As a reader, I would suggest everyone not to run out of their failures. Failures are the key to success for us. Hence, I would suggest working even harder until your transform your plan into a reality.”

www.businessconnectindia.in | Vol. 4 | Special Edition March 2022 INDIA

Growth

How To Set Up Franchises Business In India “How To Set Up Franchises Business In India” It is not always necessary you get a unique idea to start your own business. But it can happen that you have an industry/sector which really excites you, and you truly want to go for it, “you can” by all means go ahead and buy a franchise of that company and be your own boss. India is the 4th largest consumer goods and services in the global market. Setting up a franchise in India is a tried-and-tested approach to starting one’s own venture. An industry like fast food, education, healthcare, the automobile is known as some of the booming domains for setting up a franchise. The franchise business is one of those models that brands have adopted for expansion in India. There are many low-cost franchise businesses in India one can buy it. This is why we will be talking about How to set up a franchise business? HOW TO FIND THE MOST PROFITABLE FRANCHISE BUSINESS? In comparison to startups, franchises businesses have been found less risky because the business model has already proven successful. To set up a franchise business, we recommend you follow these steps. 1.

Find the area that excites your most.

Look for the right franchisor.

Come to an agreement.

www.businessconnectindia.in | Vol. 4 | Special Edition March 2022 INDIA

HOW TO GET A FRANCHISE BUSINESS UP AND RUNNING? If franchises business really truly excites, then you should explore a multitude of options on the internet. There are thousands of genuine groups in India today that connect interested entrepreneurs with franchise businesses, helping all the way from plan to floor. But, keep in mind making business success lies with you. To get a franchise business up and running, you should be very careful while selecting the right partner, understand the operational and financial expectations and be willing to diligently. Let’s deep dive into the above points to understand how one can value their franchising option.

#1. FIND THE AREA THAT EXCITES YOUR MOST. The key to getting success in any venture is to find out the area of interest. So, our first step would be – make a small list of franchises that really excite you.

“If you have experience in a specific area, that would be great. But not required” To buy a burger king franchise, you don’t need to have experience know making a burger Or a degree in teaching to open a kidZee center. Even if you have a degree or experience, either way, you will be hiring a team with the necessary skills and expertise.

While looking at the franchise option on your list, ask some questions like: “are you going to be equally passionate about the idea for the next 10 to 20 years?” “Are there opportunities for personal and professional growth?” “How does this help people’s lives at a large scale?” By doing that, you will eliminate a few of the businesses option from your list and point you towards the industry that really interests you.

www.businessconnectindia.in | Vol. 4 | Special Edition March 2022 INDIA

Aleena Gandhi, An Innovative Entrepreneur Weaving the Success Story of Brands with Social Media Dissect Puja Bhardwaj | Business Connect A Dissector during the day and a Social Media trainer by the night, Aleena Gandhi believes in growing, by connecting with her audiences and sharing her knowledge! Renowned in its name and unique in its way, Social Media Dissect is a pioneered name extending beyond innovation in the digital space and spawning a fresh perspective to brands’ message with its integrated solutions. The company is a brainchild of an Instagram Growth Strategiser, a Marketing Enthusiast, and a Budding Entrepreneur, Aleena Gandhi, who founded the company three years ago. Since then, Dissect has grown to become a renowned disruptor in the digital space with a massive presence in social media and incredible reach across the world. Dissect is presenting brands a platform to showcase their best work and calling out the rampant plagiarism present in the industry. They dissect and review everything ranging from digital content, offline content, TV commercials to print ads, guerrilla marketing, and beyond. The ultimate goal of the Dissect team is to educate consumers on what makes campaigns great, how the different aspects of social media work, and the nitty-gritty of the industry. They seek to empower marketers by helping them put their best foot forward with our integrated solutions. They offer consulting services to their partner brands and work closely with them to amplify their campaigns on social media through events and workshops.

MORE ABOUT THE LEADING LADY

Aleena Gandhi is an innovative young leader with an always learning attitude, an author, TedX Speaker, Consultant, and Trainer. An inspiring female entrepreneur who embarked on a mission in 2018 to educate consumers on what makes campaigns great, how the various components of social media function, and the industry’s necessities. Aleena always had an eye for reviewing content, which propelled the founding of her company. In her six years of journey, Aleena has worked with several brands in boutique marketing agencies before creating her own social media team. Her main job at this agency was to research work done by other brand pages and look out for content misses and gaps in the industry which inspired her to build a business out of this. We offer consulting services to our partner brands and work closely with them to amplify their campaigns on social media through events and workshops. On the other side of our company, we also help businesses manage and grow their social media effectively by providing 360-degree marketing solutions for brands which include strategy, content, design, website, Ads, SEO and so on. We work across an array of brands and industries like travel, food and beverage, health, furnishings and tech to name a few. Some of the clients with us currently include The Renaissance Mumbai, Persian Darbar’s Oishi Oishi, Ripple Tea, Galaxy Basmati Rice, The Vibrant Group India, Mauble.

Aleena Gandhi Founder & CEO

www.businessconnectindia.in | Vol. 4 | Special Edition March 2022 INDIA

THE GENESIS: HOW IT ALL STARTED

While building her career at another digital agency, Aleena observed the business landscape of content & consulting around social media content & marketing, she could see a clear whitespace. She felt the need for expert content around social media trends, statistics, and usage but the industry was most definitely lacking it. Therefore, she used this need-gap to give cohesive solutions she couldn’t find in the market to benefit the new-age, tech-savvy audience. That is how Dissect was born, to help brands with research and recommendations to benchmark their social media performance relative to peers and competitors. The page initially started off reviewing and researching brand campaigns on Instagram. After a year, she received several positive responses on Instagram, and a slow but steady loyal follower base, which is when Aleena decided to quit her job and focus on the brand. Later, as the brand grew more successful, she expanded to other platforms, created a website, and hired a small team.

OVERCOMING THE CHALLENGES

As the industry adapts to the changing habits of the customers, Aleena and her team have witnessed a number of significant challenges in the media sector. Everybody is a content creator. A diverse set of curators and brands assume the role of influencing and broadcasting for consumer attention using novel ways to do so. To stand out and give the brand a unique identity was a tough challenge they had to overcome. Digital transformation has a notable impact on employment, creating a demand for the constant need for learning and teaching. As a thought leader and industry mover, Aleena made conscious efforts to constantly curate content that gives lifelong learning to keep pace with the evolution of technology.

FROM THE FOUNDER’S DESK

One of the key distinguishing factors when it comes to Social Media Dissect is our, ‘Copyland’. With no strict guidelines, it became very easy for companies and agencies to copy original work created by other brands. With Social Media Dissect, I managed to successfully throw light on this issue and ‘shame’ the plagiarists on our social media platform. Along with this, reviewing campaigns by brands across online and offline platforms became an important role played by the page as the audience would keep watching the space to see who has done what. Another thing that sets us apart is that we have a face to our page and a more personalised experience. The audience relates to us because they know who they are communicating with and the content has some value as it is from first-hand experience.

THE CREATIVE WORK CULTURE

Aleena comes from 6 years of experience in working at various agencies. And given her experience, when she was building her own firm, a couple of things were clear to her from the get-go. The most important part is that creativity comes first. This means anything that hampers it, it is avoided. In the media agency business, over-work stretched deadlines & under-staffing is a commonplace and its well-known what stress does to creativity. So, the management ensures that people are able to give their most

creative self, by giving space for worklife balance. Moreover, you cannot be too controlling or micro-managing creativity, right? So, while Aleena sets the tone and broader project timelines, she empowers people to speak their minds. After all, diversity & versatility of thought process is why an agency stands out. “Dissect is what it is today, because of our team. Because they make their presence felt by sharing their wonderful ideas, day-in, day-out”, Aleena proudly shared.

MILESTONES & AWARDS ON THE WAY

Starting 0 followers in 2018, today Social Media Dissect’s content in the format of the reels has garnered over 5.4M views and helped the team achieve over a 145K followers base in the last 3 years and an exceedingly well-engaged audience. Here are the major achievements of this young and dexterous tycoon: •

•

Social Media Dissect has been honoured with the ‘Best use of Social Media for Content Distribution’ award for its ‘Copy Alert’ campaign by the Afaqs Foxglove Awards 2020. Aleena Gandhi has been declared the winner of the ‘Social Media Superwoman’ category by Social 39

•

Samosa in 2020. Having a full-page coverage on the FORBES magazine about Social Media Dissect and the leading lady was another big achievement.

Along with this, many features in and collaborations with renowned publications and online pages like ‘Yougotthizofficial’, ‘Startup Pedia’, ‘TedX Co. Ep.’, The Thinkpreneur’, etc. have been a major part of the increasing fame received for Dissect.

WHAT’S NEXT FOR THE COMPANY?

“If you look at focussed social media management, there are very few agencies that are not compromising on the creative side of their work at all. We want to make the most of this opportunity and offer this as our marquee offering to clients. Our brand collaboration roster for this year includes some brands like Amazon Prime Video, Disney + Hotstar, Slay Coffee, Too Yumm, Future Generali, Neeman’s, Plum Goodness, etc.”, shared Aleena when asked about her future plans for the company. “It has been a long and difficult journey, but one of joy and fulfilment and this is just the beginning”. Aleena Gandhi www.businessconnectindia.in | Vol. 4 | Special Edition March 2022 INDIA

www.businessconnectindia.in | Vol. 4 | Special Edition March 2022 INDIA

SAP Made Simple Better Your Business With SAP Innovation,

Do you want to streamline your data, simplify your business practices and boost your ROI? Approyo can help your business get to where you want it to be.

Cloud Hosting of SAP HANA, S/4HANA & other SAP Applications

Managed Services, Migrations, Upgrades & Implementations

Around the Clock, Expert SAP Support Team

We provide the best enterprise SAP solutions to fit your business needs. Specializing in hosting, managed services, and migrations, we are one of the lead cloud-providers in the world. www.Approyo.com | Info@approyo.com | (414)-301-9694 41

www.businessconnectindia.in | Vol. 4 | Special Edition March 2022 INDIA

Maatrom HR Solution

A choice of HR partner for seamless business flow Kajal Dobhal

s the present scenario puts a multitude of complexities in the business ecosystem, the significance of outsourcing services has become instrumental to enrich the businesses with smooth workflow. In this direction, HR Function outsourcing has gained masspopularity in the past few years. HR outsourcing grants a plethora of benefits to an organisation. From maintaining an out-to-out balance between cost efficiency to employee development, an enterprise can absolutely put intense focus and time on enhancing its core business. With the steeping demand of HR functions outsourcing, several service providers have set their feet in this space to make a difference. Maatrom Solution is such an organisation that is scaling greater heights while being substantial to the business community in a sophisticated manner. Under the discerning stewardship of Mahalakshmi, the Founder and CEO, the company is witnessing growth in leaps and bounds. In a virtual session with her, our team conversed about several facets of her brainchild.

A GLANCE OVER THE BUSINESS PORTFOLIO

An end-to - end HR service provider, Maatrom Solution, has become a preferred partner of choice for several businesses to manage their recruitment, HR Payroll, Hr Statutory and training related requirements. With its gamut of HR services that comprises of Recruitment &

I Business Connect

Mahalakshmi M Ambuli Director & CEO

Staffing, HR Payroll & Statutory, Organisation Development, Training, Coaching, HR Policy, Performance Management, Talent Mapping and Corporate Social Responsibility, the dynamic enterprise has carved a niche for itself in this huge industry. Their exemplary service offerings are majorly based on robust concepts and industry-acumen, accumulated from insights gathered over 22 years of Domestic and Overseas experience. So far, their exclusive clientele includes enterprises from industries like IT, Manufacturing, Architect and Interior Designing, Banking and Financial Institutions, Auditing, Automotive, Retail, Insurance, Education & Training. Till now, the company has effectively been able to recruit more than 2000 whitecollar candidates in diverse sectors. Maatrom Solution is a unique endeavour to make an affirmative impact on society. Mahalakshmi, after being employed as an active environmental Engineer, laid the foundation stone of her entrepreneurial venture with a vision to facilitate talented individuals to meet their aspired career prospects. After tying the wedding knot, she got a chance to accompany her husband on an overseas work assignment, where she experienced multicultural environments in various cities of the USA. This scenario bestowed her with appropriate exposure and immense confidence that propelled her to turn her dreams into a living reality. Thereby, Maatrom Solution came into the existence as a result of Mahalakshmi’s unwavering determination, based on the concepts and proficiency that emerged from the insights accumulated by over two decades of national as well as international industry experience.

www.businessconnectindia.in | Vol. 4 | Special Edition March 2022 INDIA

ARCHETYPAL VALUES

COPING WITH THE UNCERTAIN TIMES

As the company deals with the most sensitive aspect of a business i.e workforce, it becomes imperative to establish the core values that can serve justice to the business’s fundamental requirements.

Maatrom Solution has been a motive force behind the success of several of its clients’ businesses. It has successfully imparted different services to many organisations even amidst the chaotic reign of the COVID-19 induced pandemic. It displays the vitality of the work culture that has been incorporated with some unique approaches and business philosophy, adept enough to sail through the unfavourable times. Some of the major aspects that allow the company’s workflow to stay efficient and seamless even amid uncertain times have been enlisted below—

“We honor our commitments and conduct business in a manner that promotes transparency, respect, honour and trust,” enunciates the Founder.

• •

Beyond any doubt, Maatrom’s high quality standards have set the benchmarks across space.

• •

WHY CHOOSE MAATROM?

The iconic CEO states that be it accelerating the turnaround time or offering replacement guarantee in recruitment or cost and time optimization, the company proves its knack in different facets of a business. Owing to their assured ethical practices with strict timeline adherence, team Maatrom has ensured a leading edge over its peers in the respective space. Moreover, the company is also in a constant endeavour to offering professional support to the client organisation during inspection & audits. Their well established mutually beneficial relationships are the secret sauce to their resounding success that has made a gargantuan noise across the business fraternity.

• • •

Flexibility and transparency in work hours. Allotment of performance inclination & interest, apart from their skills. Open communication & job rotation. Recognition programs based on sheer performance Employee development where each individual gets the chance to learn, grow and innovate. Zero tolerance policy for unfair practices. Fun and corporative ambience at the workplace.

All these extraordinary steps are in the direction to ensure a holistic work environment to the employees that in turn, facilitate them to maintain a balanced life.

FORECASTING AS AN ANSWER TO IMPEDIMENTS

For any C-suite Executive, keeping their vision for the future on track is possible by making roadmaps for budgets and projections that also channelize positive energy among the workforce alongside assuring certainty to the shareholders. Mahalakshmi claims that forecasting is instrumental to any business to make impactful decisions and develop data-driven strategies. There are plenty of impediments that a leader comes across while steering the business operations such as– Talent Management(where motivating and boosting the employees’ morale is a must), developing beneficial collaborations, quality management in operations as well as performance, etc. By utilizing the power of forecasting, any CEO can make a difference to his organisation in the most sophisticated manner, conveyed Mahalakshmi.

ACHIEVEMENTS THUS FAR

Ever since its inception, the company has been scaling the graph of growth and been playing its trumpet of success across the respective industry. All of it has been shaped due to the sheer determination and professional discernment of the Founder. The company’s major contribution to raising the bars of service standards in this industry has been well-recognized by some eminent media houses. In the year 2019, the dynamic company was recognized among the ‘Top 10 Promising HR Processes Service Providers in India’ by a reputed Indian magazine. And amidst the way to ensure a ubiquitous presence at national and international level, they have extended its service wings to the US markets as well. As it foresees a radiant future ahead, Mahalakshmi’s commendable leadership style is aligned with making her brainchild as a comprehensive HR Service Provider of global repute.

IN HARMONY WITH MARKET TRENDS AND DIGITIZATION

When it comes to leveraging market -advances in its favour, Maatrom Solutions has been heavily relying upon AI in the recruitment space where it uses Chatbot in its websites, for time-optimization, reduction in redundancy, swift candidate screening while allowing quality hiring.

And regarding the future outlooks, Maatrom strives to expand its reach to the countries — US and Singapore, while climbing the stepping stones to attain the title of being ‘Global HR Services/Solution Provider’ for its vast clientele.

Be it learning and development, or employees engagement tools or CPM tools, the firm is in ceaseless attempts to be in synergy with the trends to make its steadfast presence being felt across the business world by honing the skills of its employees in several ways.

THE PARTING NOTE

At last, Mahalakshmi puts an end to the conversation by conveying her message to the aspiring entrepreneurs,

“Biggest asset in the world is your mindset and your knowledge, so empower it with positivity and have a positive attitude always and enhance your knowledge through continuous learning and development.”

And addressing the instrumental role of digital inclusions in their business functions, Mahalakshmi elucidates that digitisation is pivotal for their company. Most of their payroll services are cloud-based for which employees have been granted freewheeling access to their respective data. From social media recruitment via reputed platforms, to virtual interactions, team Maatrom has been staying ahead of the curve by being an avid adopter of the market advances. 43

www.businessconnectindia.in | Vol. 4 | Special Edition March 2022 INDIA

Education

Higher Education Being Pushed Towards A Hybrid Model Of Teaching & Learning Covid-19 has driven higher education toward a hybrid paradigm of teaching and learning, the same way, just as it has revolutionized our working environment. According to the report by PwC India as well as the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), both teachers and students have a strong preference for blended learning, which combines physical as well as virtual learning through classrooms and online platforms. The analysis, which was titled “Re-Envisioning higher education through digital adoption”, is based on a research of management, staff, and students performed in the second half of 2020 at over 50 central, state, and private higher education institutions to assess the impact of the Covid-19 outbreak. It demonstrates that during the outbreak, online degrees and certification courses are gaining acceptance among these institutions. According to the survey, 89% of institutes have integrated technology solutions, however, 64% of management has had difficulty integrating digital technologies. Institutes have been in difficulty as a result of the pandemic’s exceptional interruption of normal operations since its inception early last year. According to the survey, one out of every four institutes postponed regular fee collection to address the financial impact, and one out of every three institutes curtailed capital investment.

www.businessconnectindia.in | Vol. 4 | Special Edition February March 2022 2022 INDIA INDIA

A 43 percent of higher education institutions undertake online admission tests, with 26% using digital promotion as an entrance method, indicating a substantial shift toward digitalization. Apart from the shortage of a one-stop digital solution for all tasks and the struggle for faculties to keep students involved and motivated, connectivity concerns — only 42% of urban households have an internet connection — are regarded as the main hindrance in the digital journey of the universities. According to the report, 58 percent of students want to take certification classes, while 35 percent want to take degree courses. Sixty percent of students said they would consider pursuing a supplementary online degree from a different college in addition to their present one. Fifty-three percent of students are interested in taking an online course through a hybrid or university-owned platform. As per the study, blended learning is the most successful for 46 percent of professors. While 62 percent of respondents said moving to an online model was difficult, 83 percent believe learners can quickly absorb topics online. Students have the majority of the prerequisites for online learning, and 96% are happy with the current online course delivery.

According to the study, the institutes’ management is actively seeking partnerships with edtech companies.

offline classes were held during the lockdowns, this is primarily the result. We didn’t foresee such a dramatic shift, but the preference for a hybrid, blended model is evident. Over 85 percent of management replies indicate a desire to pursue holistic IT solutions,” he says.

It also states that 82 percent of professors support the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, which prioritizes tech-enabled learning, and that 58 percent of institute administrations are ready to execute policy reforms.

Over 47% of faculty respondents agree that online education is the way of the future. As a result of this shift, physical infrastructure and facilities can no longer be the primary criteria for students selecting a college.

Technology adoption had been occurring previously, but the outbreak has hastened it, according to Ashok Varma, leader, social sector development, PwC.

“Softer attributes of an institute, such as placement history, diversity of course curricula, and competent and experienced professors, will be more appropriate now,” Varma adds.

“The hybrid model that has formed is intriguing. Because no

www.businessconnectindia.in | Vol. 4 | Special Edition March 2022 INDIA

RNI No. : DELENG/2018/76695

www.businessconnectindia.in | Vol. 4 | Special Edition March 2022 INDIA