India's Small Giants Season 2 Coffee Table book by India's Small Giants

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their future endeavours.

(KALRAJ MISHRA)

I wish all success to the India SME Forum and their members in their future endeavours.

MISHRA) Kalraj(KALRAJ Mishra

(KALRAJ MISHRA)

MESSAGE

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I convey my best wishes to the India SME Forum for their ‘India’s Small Giants Initiative’. I extend my heartiest con"Third Edition of the Awards Ceremony" on 28th April, 2016 at New gratulations to all entrepreneurs whose stories are being featured in this book. Delhi. The MSME sector in India is highly heterogeneous in terms of the size of the enterprises, variety of products and services and

I am hopeful that the powerful is sure to leave an ever-lasting l e v e l s o stories f t e c h n o l and o g y. Ithe a m enduring h a p p y t o k nspirit o w t h aof t i tthese i s t o f entrepreneurs oster the e v efuture l o p m e n tgenerations o f a f l o u r i s h i nof g easpiring n t r e p r e n eIndian u r i a l c uentrepreneurs. lture and a impression on the mindsdof competitive SMEs sector to support economic development. I congratulate the winners of India's top 100 SME Awards for their

Jayant Sinha

a c h i e v e m e n t a n d t h e i r c o n t r i b u t i o n t o t h e c o u n t r y. I wish all success to the India SME Forum and their members in their future endeavours.

(KALRAJ MISHRA)

The MSME sector in India continues to demonstrate remarkable resilience in the face of trialing global and domestic economic circumstances. Besides playing a crucial role in providing large employment opportunities at comparatively lower capital cost than large industries but also helping in industrialization of rural & backward areas. A new wave of Small & Medium Enterprises in India rising to approximately 46 million with an potential to increase the share of GDP contribution from 8 % to up to 15 % by 2020. For us at Vodafone Business segment, SME is the fastest growing business segment at 40 % YOY revenue. Leveraging the advantage of our global expertise and our experience in India, we are and will support emerging businesses to enhance their productivity and business efficiencies. With reiterating the commitments to Government‘s vision of Digital India & Make in India, we have adopted a three pronged approach focusing on coverage, intelligence and automation to acquire market reach and serve the emerging businesses across India. Further to catalyze the growth of emerging enterprises we have introduced Ready Business 2.0 – an integrated technology solutioning approach that uses Vodafone’s suite of Total Communications solutions to provide answers to business problems, designed for making emerging businesses more agile towards taking on future challenges and responsive to customers. Another effort in this direction is our association with “India’s Small Giants” to respect, recognize and acknowledge India’s Most Successful Entrepreneurs who have created a legacy and ever-lasting impression on the minds of generations of future entrepreneurs. We look forward to build strategic ICT partnerships with emerging businesses to fuel their growth and development across India. Warm Regards, Ajay Sehgal National Head – Small and Medium Enterprises, Vodafone Business Services India

Standard Chartered Business Banking - Realising Dreams! Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in India have seen exponential growth over the last decade. India currently has more than 48 million SMEs. These SMEs contribute more than 45% of India’s industrial output, 40% of the country’s total exports and create 1 million jobs every year. The surge of e-commerce in India is also driving the growth of small and medium enterprises (SMEs). As an international bank with footprints in Asia, Africa and Middle-East, Standard Chartered has always been committed to the SME space. SMEs looking to expand their business, locally or internationally, are able to tap into our deep local knowledge and international network within our footprint through Business Banking segment. Innovation never stops at Standard Chartered Business Banking segment and over the last few months we have introduced a gamut of products to bolster our proposition. As SME’s expand horizons, they need solutions that keep pace with their growth. We support their funding needs at each stage of their growth from simple unsecured business loans, guarantee instalment loans (CGTMSE backed) and secured loans against property to trade working capital solutions like overdraft and short term loans. We use unique methods of credit evaluations based on VAT and Industry margins which are customised to the requirements of the segment. We provide a comprehensive but simple suite of business accounts, payments and collection solutions to help manage cash flow efficiently. We offer business accounts ranging from total business credits to average monthly balance based variant with dynamic pricing-more you use less you pay. Designed for businesses, Straight2Bank is an award-winning internet banking platform for all your transactions. With Straight2Bank, SMEs can make payments and track business transactions, even while they’re on the move. We have even gone one step further to link our S2B platform with India’s leading enterprise resource planning software – Tally. Further SMEs being growing organizations should be sufficiently protected so that an entrepreneur with a big idea and a right strategy is not affected by external uncertainties. Business protection features very high in our list of priorities and we have ensured we have in place experts for business protection needs with special emphasis on tailor-made insurance solutions and foreign exchange hedging strategies. With the right advice and risk- management solutions, SMEs can choose what works for them and business.The Business Banking segment has been growing at more than twice the rate of GDP and its share is only expected to increase. We are very excited about the opportunity to support SME’s in meeting their financial needs. Regards Shyamal Saxena Head, Retail Banking India

An Initiative of

The challenges faced by all startups and entrepreneurs, whether it be sectoral, geographical or financial are often common and so are the solutions that emerge from them. However, most Indian enterprises work in closed set ups without sharing much about their business strategies and the hurdles faced; while taking the success curve. Discussions on setbacks and ways to circumvent them are often discouraged, in turn discouraging propagating best business practices in the industry. The India SME Forum has always been at the forefront of demanding a radical change in the way business is perceived and is committed to a paradigm shift in the Indian mindset, towards its entrepreneurs, the next generation of entrepreneurs, and the MSME sector, India’s Second largest Employment provider. As part of their mission, the India SME Forum, shares best practices, information and knowledge as well as seeks and recognizes MSMEs; who have exhibited great success in leading their enterprises, creating much needed employment, enabling a sustainable ecosystem and catapulting their enterprise to the next stage, while navigating the inherent risks imminent with business. A healthy discussion being a positive sign for the ecosystem and a great motivator, the forum, with the support of the Ministry of MSME has time and again made persistent efforts to engage, motivate and inspire upcoming entrepreneurs. It is again, presenting a unique program, that serves as a platform for select start-ups and aspiring entrepreneurs, to provide them, with an opportunity to listen, interact and network with select Indian entrepreneurs, who have navigated the tough business environment to emerge successful. I am sure the endeavour of the India SME forum, of being a catalyst, in creating a world class entrepreneurship ecosystem in India, will be furthered at ‘Business Class 2016’ by not only motivating and engaging those in the audience but also by taking the learning from the day, to the nationwide membership, startups and entrepreneurs across India. “My heartfelt gratitude to all the colleagues on the board and to all the supporters & partners, whose association has made it possible for India SME Forum to try and help realise the vision and dreams of millions of Indian Entrepreneurs. Regards Vinod Kumar Hon. President, India SME Forum-

Partnering Growth

FabAlley.com

High Street Essentials Pvt. Ltd TANVI MALIK a former brand manager for fashion and sports categories at Titan & SHIVANI PODDAR, a former Investment Banker at Avendus Capital, founded their company High Street Essentials Pvt. Ltd and Faballey.com in 2012 as an accessories only brand, but added apparel to its collection in early 2013. Clothing now comprises more than 85% of FabAlley’s revenue with more than 500 new SKUs introduced every month. Currently employing over 100 young fashion enthusiasts, FabAlley.com is a private label that works on a fast-fashion model. The company has more than 2000 styles within Clothing alone, with another 500 in Accessories. When launched, the company got around 1,000 visitors a day, and now it gets between 20,000-40,000 visitors a day on an average. FabAlley.com has raised an undisclosed amount in seed funding from Indian Angel Network (IAN), a national network of angel investors that invest in startups and early-stage ventures. The funding was led by IAN members Tushar Singh and Mohit Goyal. Having raised funds from the Indian angel network in 2013 FabAlley.com grossed revenues of Rs 15 crore last year. The company has more than a lakh registered members on their website.

CUTECUMBER

Cutecumber Designs Private Limited SHEKHAR CHOPRA, started a venture with a small initial investment of mere Rs.1 lakh, on the 1500 sq.ft. first floor of his house in Delhi with 4 machines and 5 employees. With support from his NIFT designer wife and Standard Chartered Bank, the proprietorship concern turned into a Private Limited Company in 2010 called Cutecumber Designs Private Limited. Today, with over 24000 sq.ft. area, 3 state of the art manufacturing units with production capacity of 2000 garments per day, the product portfolio is ever expanding from apparel to accessories, footwear, swimwear and couture clothing for girls. Employing over 300 workers, the Brand retails in 250+ Brick & Mortar Stores across India including Central and is presently ranked at top position in Myntra.com while competing with over 100 brands. Shekhar remarks, “Set a specific goal and visualize it as reality. All successful businesses are based on products and services which are of high quality and good value. All business commitments must be honored with utmost sincerity. Research and development and immaculate quality are the key to success. Camaraderie in the employees and stress on teamwork makes difficult goals achievable.” Shekar is about to launch a teens apparel and women’s apparel venture.

#WorkHardPlayHard INDIAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S FIRST

2-in-1

CHANNEL

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An Initiative of

LIC/02/15-16/25/ENG

Welcome to the India SME Forum, Indiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s largest Small & Medium Business Movement. Formed in May 2011, with the objective to propel a Small and Medium Business Movement across the country, our aim was to provide a voice to small and medium entrepreneurs, wilting under the non entrepreneur friendly policies of the government, and to support and recognise innovative, globally competitive, SMEs in India. Starting out with 400 members in 2011, today we have over 76,000+ MSMEs as members, 270+ Sectoral & Regional Associations as Supporters and 35 major banks, corporations & organizations as partners. We have been at the forefront of demanding a radical change in the way our country is led. We are committed to a paradigm shift in the mindset of the people of our country, towards its entrepreneurs. We can feel a huge excitement in the next generation of entrepreneurs, and the MSME sector, Indiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Second largest Employment provider, which was feeling neglected and ignored, has renewed their faith in the possibilities and opportunities, opening up. As part of our mission, the India SME Forum, shares best practices, information and knowledge as well as seeks and recognises MSMEs who have exhibited great success in leading their enterprises, creating much needed employment, enabling a sustainable ecosystem and catapulting their enterprise to the next stage, while navigating the inherent risks imminent with business. Join, network and share best practices & knowledge with over 0.6 million Entrepreneurs who have registered as Members, Contributors & Volunteers from all over India and contribute to creating the best Entrepreneurial ecosystem, India has ever seen. Secretariat : 404, Durga Chambers, Veera Indl. Estate, Fun Republic Cinemas Lane, Andheri (W) Mumbai 400 053 | Email: info@indiasmeforum.org Tel No: +91 22 41 13 99 99 | Fax +91 22 41 13 99 90 | Web : www.indiasmeforum.org | | facebook/indiasmeforum | twitter @smeforumindia | youtube/ theindiaSMEforum

innovation and its you and the start ups that will actually bring a true Entrepreneurial revolution in India.

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Shri. Narendra SinghTomar Hon’ble Minister for Mines & Steel

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Our Leaders Speak

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Most new business ideas that are generated are born within these small businesses. Its the MSMEs of our country who need protection as they are too small to succeed in turn decrease the rate of failures. Since this sector is in the hands of a Minister who will bring prosperity to the country and economy, I think our MSMEs are in safe hands and I wish for accelerated growth in the years to come. The SMEs will serve as thehub of ideas,

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I congratulate the India SME Forum on the spectacular Achievements in enabling the SMEs with an interactive and educative platform to achieve their objectives. The initiatives of the India SME Forum hope to inspire willing and able SMEs, Start ups and Innovative ventures that have the potential to be world-class enterprises thereby propelling the Indian SME Movement.

Mrs V. R. Iyer Former - CMD, Bank of India Shri. Suresh Prabhu Hon’ble Minister for Railways

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Shri K V Srinivasan CEO, Reliance Commercial Finance & Reliance Home Finance

India’s Small Giants initiative recognizes outstanding and exceptional SMEs for their excellent performance in conducting their business. A lesson for other entrepreneurs, that if you do good, the society, the government and the entrepreneurial ecosystem are willing to recognize your excellence. Entrepreneurs like you make all the difference. You have shown it to the world that this is the way to do it and this is the way to achieve excellence. I wish you all the best.

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Shri. Prahlad Kakkar Ad Guru

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sector of our country, then it is definitely the INDIA SME FORUM. My heartiest congratulations !

Shri. Kalraj Mishra Hon’ble Minister for MSME

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preserve an Identity paving the way to bigger and better profits and long term growth.

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India is at a point where we need to look beyond conventional mindsets and seek success beyond the traditional in pursuit of growth opportunities. Consolidated efforts need to be made, to pave the way for many SMEs to expand their business beyond traditional horizons. I am glad that INDIA SME FORUM is instrumental in the transformation of Indian SMEs into highly competitive, strong, successful and sustainable world class enterprises.

Shri S. N. Tripathi, IAS Addl. Secy. & Dev. Commissioner MSME

Our Mentors Speak

Smt. Sumitra Mahajan Hon’ble Speaker of Lok Sabha

While I have this opportunity to be present amongst all of you, I can say this very confidently that if there is any registered organization which has truly utlilized the enormity of prevalence, that exists in the MSME

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Branding and Marketing are propellers of Success for SMEs which is distinguishable by a single word “Identity” because money and power are not the real rewards but “the Name”, “the brand”, “the legacy” you leave behind! The India SME Forum offers a platform to guide SMEs to help create and

record to say, that this programme, organized by India SME forum, is a bold step to encourage and motivate entrepreneurs all over India . For this initiative, I appreciate and congratulate them for their efforts.

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prosperity of the country. I urge you all to focus on “Work for all hands and quality products for all. Many congratulations to you once again !!

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It would not be an exaggeration, if I could go on

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bringing together all MSMEs to share your thoughts and ideas on a common platform, on a national platform such as this. Definitely your thoughts will lead to the progress and

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I appreciate and congratulate India SME Forum for their initiative and for constituting an umbrella organisation and

CONNECTING TO ENTREPRENEURS INDIA WIDE

An Initiative of

Advisory Board Prahlad Kakar

Advertising and Branding Guru, Genesis Film Production Pvt. Ltd.

Prahlad Kakar founded Genesis Film Production Pvt. Ltd. in 1977 and virtually re invented regional television advertising, after having assisted Shyam Benegal, one of India’s most renowned filmmakers. “To tell a story in 30 seconds in the most engaging way possible” remains Prahlad’s raison d’etre for remaining passionate about ad filmmaking even 30 years later. Genesis, as is common knowledge in the business, continues to train generations of talented, dedicated filmmakers. Through the last few decades , corporates like Nestlé, PepsiCo, Britannia, Uni Levers have continued to communicate their brand stories through Prahlad Kakar. Making films that capture the dreams and aspirations of his vast target audience, Prahlad has ruled the ad film making business and has won several awards for technical excellence, Innovation and creativity in advertising & marketing over the years in India

Dr. Anup K Pujari IAS Ex - Secretary, MSME GOI

Dr. Anup K Pujari, IAS superannuated as Secretary, Government of India, Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise, where he was involved in policy making at the highest level, in end of January 2016. He is a 1980 batch officer of Karnataka cadre. He has served as the Secretary in the Ministry of Mines and held additional charge of Secretary, Ministry of Steel & CMD, Steel Authority of India Ltd. (SAIL). His notable postings include Principal Secretary, IT & Biotechnology; Managing Director, Karnataka Food & Civil Supplies Corporation; Registrar, Bangalore University; Addl. Commissioner, Commercial Tax; Addl. Secretary, Finance; Deputy Commissioner of Dakshina Kanada District & Shimoga District. Dr. Pujari has done Ph.D in Economics from Boston University and holds a post graduate degree in Economics from Delhi School of Economics.

Vinod Kumar

Country Manager & Senior Partner - India & Middle East, SDRC India Advisors LLP

Currently heading, India & Middle East for Sustainable Development Research & Consulting, Mr. Vinod Kumar is an experienced Business Strategy Consultant and Investor! As a mentor and investor in SMEs and start-ups, Mr. Kumar has a strong network among Indian entrepreneurs. An experienced guide, equity investor as well as pathfinder, Mr Kumar offers his incredible expertise in equity investments & finance, market studies and research, strategic business growth advice and handholding for International Joint ventures & Collaborations, with a mission of translating the dreams of Indian SMEs into reality. Prior to his role as the cherisher of SMEs, Mr. Kumar has performed various versatile roles, latest being MD of Mafatlal Consultancy Services Ltd and having setup Microsoft’s Exclusive Software Distribution & Training network. He is an avid believer in innovation and has invested in various Innovative technology, media, web learning and manufacturing startups.

Advisory Board Tilak Raj Bajalia

Ex- Deputy Managing Director, SIDBIa

Mr. Bajalia is an Economics graduate with ICWA and Certified Associate of Indian Institute of Bankers. He started his career in a commercial bank in 1974 and moved to IDBI in 1983. During his 30 years stay in IDBI he handled varied portfolios viz. Corporate & Retail finance, Recovery & NPA Management, Restructuring, Human Resource Management, etc. He set up Recovery Vertical and SME Vertical in IDBI. In Corporate Banking he handled Infra projects, Paper, Textile, Engineering, Mining Industry. He headed the Branch Office at Jaipur & Largest Branch of IDBI Mumbai. He headed HRD function of IDBI during its transformation into a Commercial Bank portfolio after 2011. Prior to appointment as DMD in SIDBI, Shri Bajalia was the Executive Director of IDBI Ltd. he retired this year with an overall experience of about 40 years in banking.

Hema Jain

CEO, Crux Management Services Pvt. Ltd.

Hema has had over the last 14 years founded and grown Crux Management Services, to one of the largest integrated Human Resources and consultancy organization nationwide and growing with branches across India. Crux consults with some of the largest and most reputed organizations world wide and has operational relationships with some of the most prestigious organizations. She is been associated with several initiatives including a part of the United Nations task force for entrepreneurship development, and is a member of several Government think tanks. Hema is on the board of some educational institutions and has overseas business operations and management exposure. She is actively associated with the academia serving some boards, including the ISTD, Rotary etc. Her area of interest includes knowledge management, change management and rural development. She is highly passionate about entrepreneurship development and sustainable business of SME and participates in mentoring coaching and lecturing at various platforms. Under her leadership Crux partnered UNICEF in the NSS program. She has completed her master class for independent director and is a qualified arbitrator.

Dr. J.S. Juneja

Chairman, Global Projects & Services (P) Ltd.

Dr. J S Juneja has a unique experience in the public & private sector managements and worked diligently for the SME development, policy formulation & advocacy, institutional capacity building & restructuring, entrepreneurship development for over three decades. Promoting investments and joint ventures from India to other countries of Asia and Africa especially to Mauritius and Botswana. Provided management consultancy to the Governments of Egypt, UAE (Dubai), Kenya, Sri Lanka and several other countries of Asia & Africa, United Nations organizations, Commonwealth Secretariat etc. He is Vice President of WUSME, Chairman of SME Committee & Past President of AIMA and former Chairman of NSIC. An MBA from University of Oregon, USA and Doctoral Degree in Applied Economics from the University of Bombay. He has been Visiting Professor to the University of Rhode Island, USA and IIT, New Delhi. Dr Juneja has written extensively and recently authored ‘SMEs in Asian Region- Harnessing the Growth Potential’ and ‘Policy Guidebook for SME Development in Asia and the Pacific’ edited and published by United Nation ESCAP.

Ajay Thakur

Head, BSE SME

A professional with more than 2 decades of experience in Capital Market spanning India’s biggest Custodian to India’s biggest and largest Stock Exchange. The key roles have been setting up the depository by the regional stock exchange, developing derivatives market and setting up SME Platform. Ajay started the career way back in 1994 with Stock Holding Corporation Ltd as Senior Executive - Market operation. After working for one year joined Vadodara Stock Exchange in 1995 as Senior Management Executive looking after various departments viz Market Operations, Bad Delivery Cell and Auction. He was also assigned with the role to set up depository by VSE Ltd. He joined BSE Ltd in December, 1996 as Head – Arbitration and Business Development. He has developed the derivatives segment of BSE Ltd and also actively involved in opening of regional centers across the country. Presently as Head - BSE SME, responsible for the development of this segment of BSE Ltd. He very successfully launched the SME Platform on 13th and thus BSE Ltd became the first Exchange to launch the Platform.

Parag Patki

Former -CEO, SMERA Ratings Ltd.

Parag Patki, has been involved with SMERA in the position of CEO for over 6 years. Mr. Patki is a commerce graduate and a Masters in Business Administration (MBA) with over 32 years of experience, out of which 20 years of total work experience is in Credit Information/Credit Rating/ Risk Management in India and Middle East/North Africa. Mr. Patki was involved in setting up D&B’s Risk Management Practices in Middle East and North Africa while he was working with Dun & Bradstreet (D&B) - a USA based MNC. While in India, he was also part of D&B’s senior management in making D&B services popular amongst the financial as well as the corporate sector.

Nitin Wali

Head Business Development - Asia Pacific Verisign Services India Pvt. Ltd.

With over 17 years in the technology industry, Nitin has worked with leading multi national organizations such as IBM, Intel and Oracle where he has held various roles across Marketing, Project Management, Sales and Alliances. In his present role at Verisign, Nitin is responsible for business development to drive mobile internet growth in the Asia Pacific region. His key focus has been on identifying innovative technology solutions and business models which could enhance the end user Internet experience. Nitin has been leveraging his strong network in the Asia Pacific region which includes telecom carriers, e/mcommerce companies, technology leaders, digital media, PR, industry associations and governments to pilot out services, build new revenue streams and chart out a sustainable strategic road map for growth in the region.Entrepreneurial and passionate in spirit, he is keen to talk to anyone with a good business idea and is also a pro bono advisor to technology start ups.

Durbar Ganguly

Publisher and Editor in Chief, Millennium Post

Former Vice-Chairman and Joint Managing Director, of the Pioneer Group, Shri. Ganguly is a highly respectable media veteran and heads the Millennium Post as well as publishes the Airport India fortnightly.

Hemendra Mathur

Former Managing Director, SEAF India Investment Advisors

Mr. Hemendra Mathur was the Managing Director for SEAF India Investment Advisors, managing a sector dedicated private equity fund for food and agribusiness sector called “SEAF India Agribusiness Fund”. Hemendra has about 18 years of experience in private equity, management consulting, investment banking and private equity. Prior to working for SEAF, Hemendra has worked with Yes Bank, Rabo India Finance (a 100 percent subsidiary of Rabobank International), KSA Technopak, and ORG MARG (now part of The Nielsen Company). He also is closely associated with many incubation, mentoring and angel networks.

Sushma Morthania

Director General - India SME Forum

Being an Entrepreneur herself, and having suffered own difficulties and social experiences as an Entrepreneur, urged her to help create an ecosystem to enable and aid the employment generating small and medium business owners, especially women in India. As part of her commitment and vision, Sushma, oversaw the formation of the India SME Forum along with its present Founder Trustees. She is personally involved as the Director General, in some of its outreach and knowledge sharing activities. Apart from day to day overseeing, she has lead extensive research and analysis of linkages, growth potential and market factors of MSMEs involved in over 29 clusters across 11 Sectors. Some clusters covered are Food Processing, Dairy, Leather, Pharma, Engineering and Automotive in the states of Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Himachal Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Punjab, Gujarat, Karnataka and Haryana. Sushma was appointed in Jan 2015, to the National Board of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, India’s apex body for MSMEs by the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises. She also represents India on the B20 China SME Taskforce and is also Member of the Permanent Commission On Social Issues and Women Entrepreneurship for World Union of Small and Medium Enterprises (WUSME).

2736 recommendations/nominations received from Associations/Organisations all over India. 117 Companies were shortlisted after preliminary due diligence and 40 finally selected for the Indiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Small Giants scroll of honour. insurance partner

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Rising from a humble beginning at the age of 21 and kick-starting business with a small cyber café in a Kolkata street, Srish Kumar has truly come a long way, becoming a name to reckon within the field of creative design, branding & animation. Fortunately, Srish’s father had extended full support to his “business venture,” else it wouldn’t have been easy for him, since he was the first one in the family to take this intrepid step.

‘We are indeed an agency for agencies’

However, within a year, Srish came to realise his true vocation and calling. Those extended hours with his dearest pal – his PC, together with that creative knack made him fall in love with the fusion of imagination and technology. Soon, he was transcending those dreams into communicative designs. Providence smiled upon Srish when he bagged his first design order in 2001. For the first three years, his company served Indian clients only. But his never ending thirst goaded him to foray into business beyond national boundaries. Presently, A1 Future beams brightly as one of the ‘Top 5 Logo Design’ companies in the world, boasting of more than 25,000 satisfied clients spread across 50-plus countries.

A1 FUTURE TECHNOLOGIES PVT. LTD. Year of establishment : 2001 Director(s) : Srish Kumar, Abhijit Saha City / State : Kolkata, West Bengal Global Pioneer : Corporate Design, Branding & Animation Recognition : NASSCOM – ‘Top 10 Emerging Companies Award’; ‘Emerging India Awards’ - ICICI Bank & CNBC TV18, ‘Red Herring Asia 100 Award’ & ‘Axis Bank Business Gaurav SME Award’ No. of employees : 150 In association with

One Stop Branding Partner “A1 Future Technologies is like a design super-market with a team of more than 150 in-house professionals. We offer a complete bouquet of design and animation services that revolve around visual story-telling and include 2D & 3D animation, infographics, social media graphics, explainer videos, product videos & all kind of brand design services.”

SRISH KUMAR Founder & CEO For Srish Kumar, Founder & CEO of A1 Future Technologies Pvt. Ltd. designs are dreams turned into reality. His much-awarded firm has emerged as a global winner in the field of creative design, branding and animation…

Agency With A Twist “We work as a white label service provider for hundreds of partners across the globe. There are several agencies who are outsourcing their design work completely to us. We are indeed an agency for agencies and that sets us apart from other players in the global market.” Ready & Steady “Attention to retention is one of our core strengths. Our employee attrition rate is less than 1%. Continuous knowledge sharing, creative freedom and training have ensured it.” Winner Formula “Believe in the people who work in your team and give them creative freedom. Self-belief, persistence, passion and keenness to learn are important qualities. Seek mentors to give you correct advice and guidance. Develop systems and processes to manage the problems that you face. With this attitude at our helm, we converted our problems into our strength.” 35

‘Motivate common people to invest in waste recycling’

He’s a chartered accountant who chartered his destiny differently. Sudhir Gupta didn’t envisage much happiness in going through life enduring the trials of a Trial Balance or clocking figures accrued in the Profit & Loss Accounts of assorted businessmen. Rather, Gupta seized an opportunity that Providence brought his way and turned entrepreneur. And going by his track record, the decision seems to have balanced out brilliantly. Currently, Gupta is being lauded for his efforts in the genre of manufacturing machines for recycling and reprocessing of waste material. His firm has lassoed in success worldwide as a forerunner in designing and manufacturing state-of-the-art waste management solutions for scraps ranging from scrap metals (ferrous and non-ferrous) to the non-metal scrap segment encompassing paper scrap, fabrics, plastics, agro waste and used oil. Twist of Destiny “In 1979, I had just completed my Chartered Accountancy and one of my relatives asked me to join his manufacturing unit. I was keen on being a businessman, but needed a capital investment of Rs.1,00,000. My family wasn’t economically well off. I spoke to my mother and she managed to get the amount for me with help from my relatives. I joined the company as a Director in 1980. In 1988, we bagged our first export order from Bahrain and the second one was from Dubai.”

Advance Hydrau-TECH Pvt. ltd. Year of establishment : 1980 Director(s) : Sudhir Gupta, Mukund Gupta City / State : New Delhi, Delhi Market Pioneer : Waste Recycling Machine Manufacturers No. of employees : 500 In association with

SUDHIR GUPTA Director Sudhir Gupta, Director of Advance Hydrau-Tech Pvt. Ltd. is a Chartered Accountant who chucked the boredom of Balance Sheets, opting to turn entrepreneur. Regarded as a maverick winner in the recycling and reprocessing machinery for scrap, Gupta’s innovative ways are finding favour worldwide…

Global Reach “Initially, we began with a 500 sq. feet factory. From 1990, we began operating out of a 3000 sq. feet factory, manufacturing about 30-40 machines a year. We began exporting almost 60 percent of our production. Today, we are operating out of three factories, totaling about 75,000 sq. feet. We manufacture about 300 machines a year and export to about 68 countries. My firm deals with metal as well as non-metal scrap. In the non-metal scrap segment, we serve industries such as paper, fabrics, plastics, agro waste, used oil and others. Our average machine cost is between Rs. 5 lakhs to Rs. 2 crores.” Quality Quest “We only buy prime grade materials which is individually tested for its chemical composition and quality. All the components going into our machinery are ISI marked and our designs are created by suitable software and strictly checked by a quality control team of professionals. Over a span of 10-15 years, we have designed waste recycling machines that are at par with the European ones.” Winner Formula “Our commitment is towards providing quality service to our customers and in educating them. My first duty is towards my country. I pay off all my taxes and legal dues to the government and only then take the company profits. There are no shortcuts to success. Sheer hard work and honesty towards your customers, employees, vendors, government and family are important. My wife Girjesh Gupta supports me in our CSR activity.” 37

‘Our glitter powder rightly has the King Midas touch!’

It glitters away and has spelt dazzling prosperity for Dhirendra Vora and family. Undoubtedly, glitter powder has invested Vora with that proverbial ‘Midas touch’. As it shimmered away on textiles, bangles, and enhanced other items, Vora beamed brightly with the returns from Midas glitter that made their way into his Baroda kitty. Travelling to America in 1979, Vora bought a small holographic machine and learnt the intricacies of glitter powder manufacture and its applications. Importing technology from Japan, he started manufacturing glitter powder in India. Within the next five years, his endeavours bore fruit magnificently. Zari powder - as it is commonly called - made its mark in textiles, expressly in small screen printing units. Soon, T-shirts, dresses, kurtas, dupattas and other female attire were employing the sparkle, almost with a vengeance. By 1987, there was another novel turn that stormed the glass bangle industry. Glitter powder charmed its way into its manufacture, replacing pure gold, which was clearly cost-prohibitive.

Advance syntex Pvt. Ltd. Year of establishment : 1983 Director(s) : D J Vora, Bhavan D. Vora, Devang D. Vora, Darshana D. Vora, Nandish V. Gandhi, Prafull R. Pandya City / State : Vadodara, Gujarat Market Leader : Glitter powder on textiles and bangles; spinning, weaving and finishing of textiles, synthetic tiles, glitter glue, cosmetic glitter No. of employees : 19

In association with

Brand Buzz “In 1990, we hired a marketing and advertising firm in Ahmedabad, who came up with the name ‘Midas’ for our glitter powder. Our glitter powder rightly has the King Midas touch. Whoever uses our product gets financial prosperity and will lead a smoother life.”

D J VORA Founder D J Vora - father of present Director Bhavan D.Vora and Founder of Advance Corporation – later converted the company to Advance Syntex Pvt. Ltd. The firm pioneered the usage of glitter powder on fabrics and in glass bangle manufacture. Spinning, weaving, finishing of textiles, craft, engineered stone and cosmetics have also bagged scintillating returns for the firm…

Rapid Strides “In the eight years of production from 2007 to 2015, I’d say that we have expanded by seven times. Also, while making the raw material for glitter powder, we managed to get in value-addition in terms of coating, vacuum metalizing and packaging. During this period we guided many new entrepreneurs to make and use glitter powder without fear of competition.” Expansion Agenda “Within the next two years, we will have multiplied our existing capacity to more than double. We are also exporting significantly and are a listed company on SME platform of The Bombay Stock Exchange. By 2020, we’d like our company to touch a turnover of Rs.100 crore-plus.” Success Formula “Define your goals first and focus on them. Make a deep study of your products and tweak your processes accordingly to get the best results. Place any new product in a market where your competitors are selling too. This will give you a clear idea about where your product stands in all respects. Form a formal body and then approach the Government with your business issues.” 39

‘Quality is an evolving concept’

In association with

Specialising in corporate communication, AICL has carved an enviable niche in the segment of investor and stakeholder-centric communications in under a decade of its existence with over 130 projects for companies in India and globally. Unusual Route “In 2005, I came to Bombay and started researching investor relations services. Advertising agencies and PR agencies who communicated all company-related information to investors were not equipped to understand the regulatory and strategic nuances of reporting as a specialised activity. I started AICL Communications Ltd. in 2006. My first project started with a team of two and a seed capital of Rs.1 lakh sourced through personal savings.”

AICL Communications Ltd. Year of establishment : 2006 Director(s) : Arvind Agrawal City / State : Mumbai, Maharashtra Market Pioneer : Specialised mutlidisciplinary communications consultancy, Globally benchmarked corporate communications, online annual reports Recognition : Runner-up at ‘British Council Young Communications Entrepreneur Award 2009’; ‘Star Entrepreneur Award (2011)’ and ‘Promising Business Communicator’ by ABCI (2010) No. of employees : 42

Arvind Agrawal has a sterling relationship with credentials. A Chartered Accountant and Company Secretary, he has been an internship seller, a quizmaster’s assistant, a newspaper journalist, and a CFO, by the age of 25. Agrawal then chose to position himself as a communications consultant, and has stuck to it, for over a decade now. Presently, the Founder and CEO of AICL Communications Ltd. has much to beam about, even as his multi-awarded firm moves from strength to strength.

Yours Annually! “We’re not in the business of making annual reports. We are corporate reporting consultants and help the cause of ‘corporate self-expression’. Any company that views an annual report as a shortterm price movement tool or imagines that it will lead to higher market capitalisation is actually getting it wrong. We’re also a pioneer in going online with annual reports.”

ARVIND AGRAWAL Founder & CEO Arvind Agrawal, Founder and CEO of AICL Communications Ltd. has established his firm as a fully-integrated communications consultancy. His much-awarded enterprise has emerged as a frontliner with very few peers in its chosen domain of expertise...

Cache Of Skills “AICL operates at the intersection of strategic thinking, content and design. We work for nearly half of India’s ‘Fortune 50 population’ and have worked for every leader in every sector, be it automobiles, telecom, FMCG, banking, steel, media and hydrocarbons, among others.” Quality Quest “Quality is as an evolving concept. It’s a process, because what was considered quality three years back, is considered basic today. Redefining our own standards continuously is the hallmark of our high-quality practice.” Winner Formula “An entrepreneur must have belief in the power of his business, have the courage and confidence to continue on the path of his belief. Apart from motivating team members, a firm must be able to adapt to changing circumstances and move ahead.” 41

There’s a fairytale twist to this entrepreneurial tale. Alice Pharma Pvt. Ltd. - a firm that kickstarted operations at Indore in December 2006 - derives its name from the 1865 Lewis Carroll classic: Alice In Wonderland. Anil Vyas and Alex Fernandes - who worked for different pharmaceutical companies – turned buddies during the course of their work, comparing notes and sharing thoughts routinely.

‘Dream big… with your eyes open!’

A year later, they readied themselves for business, green-lighting Alice Pharma from a small office with a modest staff of four. Presently, the firm has spread its business wings globally – expanding to over 30 countries and having a ground presence in 9 countries – consolidating its presence in the genre of generic medicines. Desire Driven! AV: “The pharmaceutical industry is a lucrative business, but our mission is also to serve humanity, apart from creating a global, multi-million company.” AF: “We have seen people suffering from diseases because of non-affordability of medicines and our aim was to provide quality medicines at affordable prices.”

Alice Pharma Pvt. Ltd. Year of establishment : 2006 Director(s) : Anil Vyas, Alex Fernandes City / State : Mumbai, Maharashtra Market Leader : High-quality, affordable generic medicines; developing patent non-infringing process for active pharmaceutical formulation Certification : WHO GMP, MOH Kenya, MOH Gabon, MOH Cambodia, MOH RD Congo & MOH Ivory Coast No. of employees : 79 In association with

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Anil Vyas Director

Alex Fernandes Director Anil Vyas, Director (Marketing Operations, Production) and Alex Fernandes, Director (Finance, Logistics & Sales) have catapulted Alice Pharma Pvt. Ltd. to global success with expertise garnered over 24 years, producing top quality medicines at affordable prices...

Starting Up AV: “Initially, we faced hurdles regarding financials and distribution in French West Africa because we were an Indian company. But French West Africa was our domain, so it was important for us to have a French distributor. It took us almost three years to get one.” AF: “Arranging finance was a problem for us, at first. But we solved this situation from the market itself. In 2007, we got an order for 1,50,000 euros and we got 50% advance on it! That set the ball rolling.” Alice Aura AV: “We have production facilities in line with the WHO GMP standards, fully automated state-ofthe-art machinery and full-fledged R & D laboratories. We’ve adopted a three-way approach to get the maximum mileage- branded marketing, generic marketing and business through tenders.” AF: “Alice Pharma began with mother-child products and with growing demand, we shifted to other products too. Today, we have products in four divisions: Cardiovascular, Generic, Asthma and Critical care.” Success Secrets AV: “Dream big… with your eyes open. Change your dreams, if required and don’t give up.” AF: “Be ambitious, observe the market and do your best.”

‘Together, we bring over four decades of experience to the organization’

ALTEM TECHNOLOGIES (P) LTD. Year of establishment : 2010 Director(s) : Prasad Rodagi, Sharath Chandra Sreekantha, Rajesh Mumbaraddi, Srinivas Shastry City / State : Bangalore, Karnataka Market Pioneer : 3D Printers & 3D Scanners Recognition : Growth Award from Dassault Systemes - 2014, Best Strategic Vision from Stratasys - 2013 No. of employees : 40 In association with

Prasad rodagi Founder & Director Prasad Rodagi, Founder & Director of Altem Technologies (P) Ltd. – a B2B 3D Printing technology company that was formed with the intention of making this technology accessible to people across various spheres of life...

Altem is known for providing an entire ecosystem of solutions in the 3D Printing technology space, encapsulated under one umbrella. The 5-year old company has seen tremendous growth across the country, making the technology accessible to small scale industries, education and medical institutions. The idea of Entrepreneurship took root in their minds on a long train journey, when they thought of the immense potential of 3D Printing industry, still in a nascent stage in India. Within a year, the foursome quit their regular 9 to 5 jobs, and started Altem Technologies in Bangalore. “Altem is an end-to-end service provider, and we really want to help small scale industries also reap benefits of this technology”, Prasad says with utmost determination. We offer an entire gamut of services, creating specialized, individual solutions for each industry. Altem has proved its mettle beyond any doubt, hitting the hearts of customers is the real ‘strength’ of this institution. Business with Buddies “We were only joking about being entrepreneurs. 3D Printing had not yet entered the mass Indian consciousness in those days. It was a vague concept. The technology mostly used by big companies, who had more international exposure, thereby access to both 3D Printing expertise and knowledge of its potential. Smaller companies thought this technology was too expensive to invest and were unaware about the innovation and enormous savings it could achieve. When we started, it was all hands on deck, because our primary challenge was creating awareness about what 3D Printing could do!” Real Recognition “Vision is something that steers the organization towards the goal. We had to overcome the major challenge- increasing awareness about 3D Printing in India. We came up with the idea of installing a 6-foot tall structure of the Ashtha–Vinayaka idol at the Rangoli Art Centre, in Bangalore during Ganesh Chaturthi. Lakhs of people turned up over a fortnight, curious about the process. We had the opportunity to explain what 3D Printing was and how it could help, regardless of the industry. This was also the first feature news about 3D Printing in India that went global!” Getting with Global Giants “Altem is an authorized partner with Dassault Systemes for Product Lifecycle Management solutions, Stratasys for 3D Printing, ARTEC3D for 3D scanners and MSC Software for CAE solution as they present the most advanced products and Rapid Prototyping Machines. It also helps enhance the in-house R&D design capabilities.” Brilliant Brainchild for Young Turks “In order to provide a platform to young & aspiring designers, we started a portal: printmyCAD.com to bring their designs to life with 3D Printing, no matter how intricate – and without any additional costs from their end. This has seen an incredible response, especially among students and young innovators.” Giving Back “We believe it is important to give back to the society that sustained us. We offer training programs for government schools, underprivileged children in 3D Printing technology, enabling them with an array of skills.” 45

‘Health and happiness for every living being is my vision’

If ‘Ardh Satya’, the famed flick of 1983 fetched acclaim for Om Puri, ‘Satya’ is raking in an avalanche of praise for Dr. Smita Naram too. For the uninitiated, ‘Satya’- the underworld-centric thriller of 1998 helmed by Ram Gopal Varma- has little to do with Naram’s innovation that merely employs the namesake of his film! To chuck all confusion, ‘Satya’ is a path-breaking Ayurvedic software brought to the fore by Ayushakti Ayurved Pvt.Ltd. that offers a gamut of information regarding the treatment of a malaise, expressly with respect to chronic illnesses. Given her inexhaustible passion for Ayurveda, it could well have been her middle name. Green-lighting her practice in 1987, ‘Vaidya’ Smita Naram forged an inextricable bond with this stream of medicine, taking her skills later as a practitioner to Europe, America, Australia, Russia and New Zealand. Says Naram, “We have been exporting Ayushakti’s herbal remedies for over 26 years.” A highly skilled pulse-reader and specialist of ‘Panchakarma’, the deep purification therapies of Ayurveda, Naram’s skills in food preparation and nutrition based on Ayurvedic principles have earned her an abiding following, the world over. Naming It Right! “The word ‘Ayu’ means life and ‘Shakti’ stands for energy. So ‘Ayushakti’ stands for ‘Energy of life’. I want to create the experience of health and happiness for every living being on this earth, and that includes animals and plants. Horses, dogs, other animals and plants also benefit from our medicines. Our remedies are safe, natural and get to the root of ailments such as joint, back and neck pain, diabetes, skin and hair problems, obesity, depression, breathing and heart ailments, auto-immune diseases, epilepsy, autism and many other chronic illnesses.”

Ayushakti Ayurved Pvt. Ltd. Year of establishment : 1987 Director(s) : Dr. Smita Naram, Chiranjeev Shrivastava City / State : Mumbai, Maharashtra Market Pioneer : Ayurvedic holistic healthcare and cure of chronic illnesses Certification : ISO 9001: 2008; USFDA No. of employees : 256 In association with

Dr. SMITA NARAM Founder, Chairman & Managing Director Dr. Smita Naram, Founder & CMD of Ayushakti Ayurved Pvt. Ltd. is a renowned Ayurvedic physician, pharmaceutical herbalist and nutritionist. Her firm is an international pioneer in the space of holistic healthcare and cure of chronic illnesses...

Two Good! “Broadly, our global business has to do with service marketing and is divided into two parts: product and service. The first part lies in creating the physical presence of a clinic and the second lies in providing quality service through competent professionals. We’ve also established ourselves in new territories such as Germany, Netherlands and the UK.” Future Aces “We have a toll-free number system followed for every Ayushakti centre. Apart from developing a new ‘Ayushakti app,’ we’re also creating a 24 x 7 platform that will address FAQs of clients.” Success Mantra “Passion is the foremost ingredient needed for good entrepreneurship. There are four pillars that I believe are crucial to the success of a company: data, people, strategy and money.” 47

‘Our motto: “Indian Owned Indian Grown” matches our Prime Minister’s policy’

The age-old idiom: ‘The chips are never down for him’, needs to be subtly tweaked for Manesh Agarwal. Fortunately for this entrepreneur, the fries are never down. Frozen French Fries, that is. Given his track record of success as a potato processor, Manesh Agarwal, Director of B.B. Foods (P) Ltd. can continue to remain upbeat over his starch-rich business. Confessedly, Agarwal has traversed the route from potato farmer to cold storage owner to potato processor, going from strength to strength. Carving a niche for itself with Bankey Bihari Ji Foods Pvt. Ltd. – more renowned as B. B. Foods (P) Ltd. – his Agra-based firm has emerged as a top line exporter of Frozen French Fries. As a 100% export-oriented unit, B. B. Foods has several international brands as clients and boasts of having installed the second largest finished production capacity plant in India with 5.0 MT/hour line for this genre of products. Agra Goes…Potatoes! “The Government of India has declared Agra as one of the four potato Agri Export Zones of India. We are the first company in this Agri Export Zone that is involved in potato growing, storing and processing. In the Frozen variety, we have crinkle cut french fries, potato wedges and cubes, hash brown products like burger patty and aloo tikki among others. Our brand is ‘B.B. Fries’ and our product baseline goes: ‘Where great taste meets good health’. With our state-of-the-art R & D laboratory, we track and ensure perfect all-around quality from raw potato to finished products.”

B.B. FOODS (P) LTD. Year of establishment : 2002 Director(s) : Manesh Agarwal, Rashmi Agarwal City / State : Agra, Uttar Pradesh Market Pioneer : Exporter of Frozen French Fries & allied foods Certification : ISO 9001, ISO 22000, HALAL, FSSAI No. of employees : 50

In association with

MANESH AGARWAL Director Manesh Agarwal, Director, B. B. Foods (P) Ltd. has notched success as a potato grower and top processor, exporter of Frozen French Fries and allied products. Presently, his label ‘B.B. Fries’ is the flavour of ace international brands. Furthermore, his Agra-based plant is perfectly eco-friendly too...

Motto & Mr. Modi “Our motto: ‘Indian Owned Indian Grown’ perfectly matches Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi’s ‘Make In India’ campaign. Our business has helped the Indian economy, directly or indirectly.” Eco-friendly Boost “Our plant is eco-friendly and emits minimum pollutants. We use Natural Gas to run our plant and recycle water in our factory, so that it reduces the liquid discharge from the factory. We use raw wastage as manure in our farm fields.” Winner Formula “Realistic ground-level work, a never-give-up attitude, transparency of operations, adherence to laws and regulations of the land and out-of-the-box thinking are all needed to succeed, apart from strong support from family, friends, colleagues and employees.”

‘Learn to enjoy your entrepreneurship’

It’s an open secret that Vinod Kumar Dutt is milking his business dry. What’s more evident is that the Managing Director of Chanakya Dairy Products Ltd. (CDPL) is steadily savouring the cream of success too. Fired with ambition and the aim of providing good quality milk to customers on a timely basis, Dutt flagged off business in 1995, post bagging a subsidy of Rs.15 lakhs from a financial institution. However, it was in 2005 that the company bagged a sterling crest. CDPL - an integrated project in dairying - joined forces with M/s Punjab Agro Industries Corporation Ltd. setting up its plant at Mandi Gobindgarh, Punjab. The handling capacity of the plant is 2,50,000 litres of milk per day and the CDPL brand - aptly named ‘HF Super’- encompasses pasteurised milk, fermented products, pasteurised butter, pure desi ghee, skimmed milk powder and indigenous milk products such as flavoured milk and paneer among others. Armed with a Rs.10 crore subsidy, Dutt is sanguine of stepping up production to five lakh litres per day within a time span of eight years, apart from diversifying their delectable product portfolio. Shaky Steps? “In the first 2-3 years of business, that’s our gestation period, we faced some teething troubles because conditions were so unfavourable that paying our loan installments was getting difficult. Getting workers was a problematic issue because they doubted the stability of employment.”

CHANAKYA DAIRY PRODUCTS LTD. Year of establishment : 2005 Director(s) : Vinod Kumar Dutt, Sangeeta Dutt, V. K. Arora, V. K. Chhiber, M. L. Dhiman, S. D. Batish City / State : Mandi Gobindgarh, Punjab Market Pioneer : Dairying and allied milk products, under the brand name: HF Super No. of employees : 400

In association with

VINOD KUMAR DUTT Managing Director Vinod Kumar Dutt, Managing Director of Chanakya Dairy Products Ltd. is relishing the enviable cream of success with their ‘HF Super’ brand of milk and its allied products gaining abiding acceptance…

Prickly Pricing “In the dairy industry, pricing is the main problem and the Government seems to have no policy in controlling it. Artificial deficit created by suppliers also becomes a major issue. The dairy industry in India generates 30 crore litres of milk per day. The Dairy sector, that is under Agriculture Ministry does not get due priority and decisions are usually time-barred. Dairying should be under an independent Minister to effect timely decisions and obviate any losses.” CSR Highs “We have developed a park right outside our company compound. We provide funds for education, food and health issues. There is a twin-school called Govt. Primary & Middle School in a small city ,wherein we give the students desks, shoes, sweaters and other commodities.” Winner Formula “As long as you are sincere and honest with your work and do good work, you will go ahead in life. So you should not hesitate to put your plans into action. If you follow these factors, you will not face any problems. Learn to enjoy your entrepreneurship.” 51

‘We have a contagious passion to do things differently’

As a child, he grew up fiddling with model trucks and trailers. His father Lallan Kumar Todi - a veteran in the logistics segment – watched his son’s interest, nodding a hearty approval. Earlier on, toy trucks may have enthralled Piyush Todi. Presently, though, the Director of Coast Liners Pvt. Ltd. grabs his thrills from the recognition and spectacular acceptance that his firm is steadily notching up globally as an effective logistics solution provider. Piyush Todi spills the facts... Fresh Inroads “The transport industry was not new to me and as a child I’ve seen my father live the life of an avid transporter. My father’s passion rubbed off on me . Coast Liners was set up in 2007 as a logistics firm that would benefit from over 40 years of invaluable experience of my father.” Flagging Off “It was a real challenge, since we were beginning with no team or branch network, zero customer base and scarce funds. Coast Liners began with the purchase of two company vehicles. We steadily proved ourselves as a secondary logistics provider and could then turn the situation around.” Coast Liners Triumphs! “We’ve grown from serving a single customer to being the trusted logistics partner for over 250 key customers, across industries. Today, Coast Liners moves one consignment every 15 minutes. We have a network of over 80 branch and liaison officers across India, with a complete range of modernised fleet of trucks, trailers, axles, pullers, drop-deck, cranes, specialist accessories and extensive infrastructure for undertaking simple and complex logistics operations across India and beyond. Global requirements of clients are serviced with the support of our operational partners.”

Coast Liners Pvt. Ltd. Year of establishment : 2007 Director(s) : Lallan Kumar Todi, Piyush Todi City / State : Bangalore, Karnataka Market Pioneer : Seamless surface transport solutions Certification : ISO 9001: 2008; ISO 14001; OHSAS 18001; CRISIL SME Rating 1 No. of employees : 131

In association with

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PIYUSH TODI Director

L. k. TODI

Managing Director Piyush Todi, Director, Coast Liners Pvt. Ltd. is speeding ahead on the path of success, courtesy his firm that has consolidated its presence as a leading global pioneer in the genre of seamless surface transport solutions...

Class Apart “We have a contagious passion to do things differently. Coast Liners has introduced systems and initiatives including GPRS-enabled track and trace, online video coverage for high-risk and high-value consignments, daily status reporting to clients and are also working with a technology company to allow near real-time detailed updates to our customers. We’ve created client-specific teams and have dedicated Key Account teams for each key account or customer that are responsible for all the operations from start to finish.” Winner Formula “Passion, determination, hard work, team spirit and the ability to build relationships are major contributors to success. Beliefs determine behaviours, which influence relationships, which in turn affect results. In our firm we constantly strive to align beliefs and behaviours to drive excellence, expansion, innovation and collaboration.” 53

His innovative creativity as a businessman has found expression in full measure with Creative Polypack Limited. The desire to turn entrepreneur, though, was sparked off rather early in the psyche of Mr. Maheswari, much before he’d turned graduate. Graduating in 1970, he joined his family business at Jalpaiguri, North Bengal. The inner desire to turn entrepreneur, though, took him to Delhi, where Mr. Maheswari traded in iron and steel for a few years. Lack of job satisfaction prompted him to shift base to Kolkata and start a business venture where the “market was large and the initial investment small.”

‘Quality is the key’

A close friend of Mr. Maheswari who was in the business of corrugated boxes, tipped him off that some of his customers were seeking a good supplier of printed wax-coated paper. Mr. Maheswari greenlighted his flexible packaging business after a few rounds of discussions with friends and relatives. That initial strategy – put into practice at Kolkata in 1976 – has flowered into a full-fledged business enterprise, boasting of a Group turnover of close to Rs. 600 crore. The Struggle “In the late 70s, I had a 2000-square feet shed and got some very essential machinery with an investment of approximately Rs. 3 lakhs. With great difficulty, I managed to get a loan of Rs. 4 lakhs from bankers. The unit started off as a proprietorship concern in the name of Creative Printers and Packers. By the mid-80s, my firm evolved into our current Limited company.”

CREATIVE POLYPACK LIMITED Year of establishment : 1986 Director(s) : Binod Kumar Maheswari, Giriraj Maheswari, Sangeeta Maheswari City / State : Kolkata, West Bengal Market Pioneer : Flexible packaging company Certification : FSSC 22000; ISO 22000; PAS 223 No. of employees : 351 In association with

BINOD KUMAR MAHESWARI

Chairman & Managing Director Binod Kumar Maheswari, Chairman & Managing Director of Creative Polypack Limited has harnessed his innate business acumen and creativity to great advantage. His flexible packaging company triumphs as one of the frontliners in India, ranking as the leader in Eastern India...

Innovative Boost “We have eight state-of-the-art manufacturing units across India, with a capacity of over 26,400 MT per annum, serving FMCG companies in personal care, food & beverages, home care and more. We have recently put up a R&D facility in 2014. We provide packaging solutions to most of the leading brands of soap, detergent, shampoo, cement, medicines and other products. We manufacture soap wrappers, laminates, food laminates and extrusion laminates.” Growth Narrative “Today, we have three Companies: Creative Polypack Limited; Aparna Paper Processing Industry Pvt. Ltd. and Vibgyor Printing and Packaging Pvt. Ltd. Creative Polypack has an annual turnover of close to Rs.375 crore. We are growing at the rate of 15% per annum.” Success Formula “Conduct your business ethically, following the laws of the land. Stick to your business commitment with sincerity, honesty and hard work. Quality is the key and good man-power development is integral in contributing towards success.” 55

His affair with the beverage was triggered off at the tender age of 14. The untimely death of his father, though, left the family devastated! But it was the guidance and encouragement of Late Nemichandji Golecha – who had started the tea business in 1975- that gave Rajiv Jain the impetus to carry forward the shaky legacy.

‘My veins are filled with tea instead of blood!’

His mother, Smt. Tarabai Golecha, meanwhile, was battling another hurdle altogether. Making attempts to consolidate her position in the male-dominated tea business, wasn’t going down too well with the existing entrepreneurs. Nevertheless, she persisted valiantly, pushing both her sons to give off their best to the business. In 1982, Jain - together with his brother Sanjay Golecha - kickstarted his journey with Deesha, an enterprise that has slowly and steadily courted success, over the years. Kickstarting operations from Siliguri, Deesha Trade Endeavours Pvt. Ltd. branched out to Guwahati, Kolkata and Jalpaiguri. Bagging laurels such as the ‘Siliguri Tea Auction Centre Award’, Deesha, armed with an array of tea varities - Sassujee, Aromatic, Apoorva, Srishti, Sanctuary, Amore Tea, Karmabari and Gulabbari – is constantly gearing up to realise Jain’s dream of turning it into a “one-stop shop” for tea-lovers.

DEESHA TRADE ENDEAVOURS PVT. LTD. Year of establishment : 1991 Director(s) : Rajiv Jain, Sanjay Golecha, Shrenique Golecha City / State : Siliguri, West Bengal Market Pioneer : High-quality variety of Tea No. of employees : 15 In association with

RAJIV JAIN

Managing Director Rising from a humble start, Rajiv Jain - Managing Director of Deesha Trade Endeavours Pvt. Ltd. - has emerged as a top-drawer player in the tea industry. Handpicked from a nationwide base, Jain today ranks among the elite 16 Board members of the Siliguri Tea Auction Board and he’s brimming to brew greater success…

Major hiccups faced by the Indian tea business “Erratic climatic conditions and transportation issues, both domestic and international, are the main impediments to success. If the Government smoothens out business regulations and policies, there is an abundance of employment opportunities in the tea industry. We can also generate gainful employment for the illiterate in India.” Core expertise “I head the procurement and tasting department of Deesha and we have a very competent team of professional working for us, which helps us to get great results.” Success mantra “We have had a smooth blend of technology together with the traditional art of tea-making. Sustained hard work, self-belief and constantly upgrading our thinking and knowledge, I’d say, is our success mantra. We also share our experiences with our teams and that’s helped them to achieve greater success. My brother and I have always believed in the motto that the friendship of those we serve is the foundation of our progress and a contributing factor to Deesha’s growth and success.”

In 1982, an ambitious youngster from a village in Udipi, a district in Karnataka, strode into the metropolis of Mumbai. Initiated as a trainee into a firm dealing in engineering tools, Devaraya Manjunath Sheregar lived and worked in Saki Naka, Mumbai, amassing experience and mastering the ropes of his trade. A decade later, Devaraya Sheregar, suitably buoyed with confidence and capital, opted to strike it out on his own. “I took a loan of Rs.1,25,000 from a credit society,” he reveals. “I also educated myself about mould designing in a period of two years, even as I was working. I started my own company in 1993 at Tilak Nagar, Saki Naka in suburban Mumbai.”

‘I’m a stickler for quality, at all costs’

Fortunately, choosing a name for his firm wasn’t a mind-boggling task. “Since my pet name was Devu, my mother suggested that I name the company after me,” he says. After a year of successful operations, Devaraya Sheregar bagged a loan of Rs.10 lakhs from a co-operative bank, spurring Devu’s productivity and business further. Presently, the CMD of Devu Tools Pvt. Ltd. is grinning moonbeams even as his ISO 9001-2008 certified firm consolidates its tooling interests in Europe, Russia, Middle East, Asia, UK, and Africa, among other countries. Employee to Entrepreneur “I started Devu Tools in 1993 in a 200 sq. feet area, at the time I had two employees. Now, 22 years later, I have over 300 employees in my company. Devu Tools Pvt. Ltd. has all facilities in-house, right from basic designing, development, purchase, manufacturing, quality control and a trial facility too. Devu Tools started exports in 1994.”

Devu Tools Pvt. Ltd. Year of establishment : 1993 Director(s) : Devaraya Sheregar City / State : Mumbai, Maharashtra Market Segment : Moulds & high precision tools Global Reach : UK, Middle East & Africa, among others Recognition : PlastIndia Award No. of employees : 300

In association with

DEVaraya SHEREGAR Chairman & Managing Director Devaraya Manjunath Sheregar - Chairman & Managing Director of Devu Tools Pvt. Ltd. – has emblazoned his firm’s name globally in sparkling letters in the field of moulds and high precision tools...

Mould Is Gold! “We are one of the world’s largest mould manufacturers, specialising in precision moulds for the demanding automotive industry. We also manufacture moulds for pipe fittings, caps and closures, packaging, consumer products and electrical conduits. At present, we have the capacity to manufacture 400 moulds with existing infrastructure, out of which we export approximately 20% to 25%. Presently, I have undertaken major expansion of approximately Rs. 100 crores at Atgaon on the Mumbai-Nasik Highway, increasing our manufacturing capacity.” Ace Business Innovation “There was a product for drip irrigation that was initially being imported from Europe. We designed it here and then started manufacturing it too. It was more economical and proved to be a success.” Success Secret “I’m a stickler for quality, at all costs.”

‘I wanted a business that was novel and unique!’

At 28, Sarita Sarvria – an employee with the Taj Group Of Hotels - discovered that she’d been bitten by the entrepreneurial bug! And it was a visit to London in the 1980s, that helped crystallise her business direction. The high standards of facility management services captivated her psyche and Sarvria soon realised that this was her true calling. In the late 1980s, Sarvria, a first-generation entrepreneur, green-lighted her firm Perspective Services with a humble capital of Rs. 25,000, hiring 10 trained housekeeping boys and a single supervisor. Procuring contracts was an uphill task, since the concept of facility management services was labourcentered. A decade of experience in the hospitality sector had strengthened her resolve to “start a novel and unique business in the corporate sector” and Sarvria’s firm later assumed the identity of Express Housekeeper Pvt. Ltd. in 2004. Sluggish Start “Initially, sourcing staff was a major challenge. I had to explore the rural sector around Delhi, convince them of this concept, train them and finally deploy them. Commuting to sites that demanded night shifts was also a problem. At times, there were challenges of payments from clients. Many dissuaded me from starting this business. The only people who stood by me were my parents and my husband Suryesh Sarvaria, as they believed in me and my business plans.”

EXPRESS HOUSEKEEPER PVT. LTD. Year of establishment : 2004 Director(s) : Sarita Sarvria, Atul Wadhawan, Suryesh Sarvaria City / State : Gurgaon, Haryana Market Pioneer : Facility Management Services Certification : ISO 9001: 2008; CRISIL SME Rating I No. of employees : 14,000

In association with

SARITA SARVRIA Managing Director Sarita Sarvria, Managing Director of Express Housekeeper Pvt. Ltd., is a first-generation entrepreneur who opted for the business road less taken. In the face of steady opposition, Sarvria kick-started her firm emerging as a pioneer in the segment of facility management services...

Client Cachet “As a firm our core services are housekeeping, pantry, office support staff, horticulture, electromechnical services, pay roll management services and security services. We provide employment to the lowest strata of society, not only in the mega polis, but to several people in the Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities and the remotest rural sectors too as the FM industry, particularly the janitorial manpower, requires no specialised skills.” Turnover Magic “We began with a meagre sales of Rs. 3.08 crores in 2001-2002. My vision is to clock a sales turnover of Rs. 220 crores in 2015-2016 and make the company’s presence felt globally.” Success Mantra “To succeed in business and life, one must have a burning passion to make it big, have plenty of selfbelief and a head-on approach to matters. These apart, one must work hard and not be deterred by failures or the opinion of others. I strongly believe in raising leaders from within the organisation.” 61

‘Have a plan and dare to make it real!’

Jyoti Garg truly exemplifies the phrase: ‘She knows her onions well’. More precisely, she knows her dehydrated onion flakes better. And she certainly would, considering that Garg casts a sharp gaze over the day-to-day operations at Garlico Industries Ltd., her firm that has emerged as a pioneer in the genre of manufacturing dehydrated vegetables and spices. Initially, Garg watched the proceedings at Garlico with interest and it wasn’t long before the latent entrepreneur in her was awakened. Before she realised it, Garg was soon drawn into the vortex of the business.“I’d watch the business closely and was interested in it. Actually, it was Amit, my workaholic husband who inspired me and with his encouragement I decided to join the business,” she chirps. Dry Winners! “We are basically manufacturers of dehydrated vegetables and spices. Garlico is a certified supplier, trader and exporter of a vast assemblage of dehydrated vegetable powder and flakes. In the dehydrated flake category, we have garlic, cabbage and carrot. Whereas chilly, white onion, potato, ginger and palak are prominent in our dehydrated powder segment. We also offer dehydrated coriander, spinach and mint leaves. All the processing is done in accordance with the predefined Food and Drug Administration regulations.”

GARLICO INDUSTRIES LTD. Year of establishment : 1978 Director(s) : Jyoti Garg, Amit Garg City / State : Indore, Madhya Pradesh Market Pioneer : Manufacturer & exporter of dehydrated vegetables and spices Certification : ISO 22000: 2005; HACCP No. of employees : 100 In association with

Delicious USPs “The first USP of our company, most definitely, are the vegetables. All the vegetable ranges are grown with utmost care under the supervision of professionals, ensuring perfect flavours and optimum freshness. Quality is monitored closely right from the raw to the finished product stage. We are open to tailored services for our customers, like private labelling and customised packing. We have captured the markets of Japan, Australia, South Africa, Europe, Brazil and Germany for exporting our product ranges.”

JYOTI GARG Director Jyoti Garg, Director, Garlico Industries Ltd. has ensured that her firm remains a steady winner in the segment of dehydrated vegetables and spices. Furthermore, her firm is savouring global success as a leading exporter too…

Lively Entrepreneur “Entrepreneurship is a lifestyle. It’s not a 9 to 5 profession and we should learn to live life as a stressfree entrepreneur. To do that, we have to eat right and stay fit. We should also be updated with the latest relevant technology, because a large part of our life is governed and driven by it.” Success Mantra “Dream and focus on translating your dreams into reality. Be self-motivated, determined and always have a non-ending desire to succeed. Have a plan and dare to make it real! Judge the opportunities that come your way carefully and maintain a sharp watch on your accounting system. Do what you are good at. It will truly give you happiness.” 63

His unrealised ambition of getting into the medical mainstream has been compensated in full measure by the hand of Providence. Realising that an M.B.B.S degree wasn’t going to be his lot, Arun Prakash opted for a career in the pharmaceutical and chemical industry. In the interim, however, Prakash stumbled upon a significant lacuna between the medical products and services that Indian customers were facing from their suppliers. And it is thereon, that he identified the vocation of his life. The Life Science market, that is.

‘Every success was the result of a failure!’

Unassuming Start “I come from a non-business background and am a first-generation entrepreneur. 26 years ago, I started this business with very little money. The import regulations were very tough at that time. But with our unique cutting edge technology and best product mix, we have always been 5-10 years ahead of the competition. Having full-time and hands-on promoters has also contributed greatly to our success. In 2010, we created our ‘Genetix Brand’ and in 2011, diversified into core healthcare with medical devices with the formation of ‘365 Medical’ for distribution of products for Advance Wound Management, Critical Care and Ostomy.” Flattering Firsts! “We’re generally regarded as a ‘First Doer’ in the global market. We were the first to create a completely new business model in the biotech industry, the first to start warehousing products and were the only one to come up with the first Catalogue in 1996. We were the first company in the Life Sciences market that provided over 10,000 SKUs from our inventory through our warehouse. Genetix Biotech is the only company having a ‘Wet Lab’, wherein we train and guide customers. We also pioneered employing road shows and seminars to project our ideas.”

GENETIX BIOTECH ASIA PVT. LTD. Year of establishment : 1989 Director(s) : Arun Prakash, Raminder Kaur, Kailash Prakash City / State : New Delhi, Delhi Market Pioneer : Life Science market & Healthcare Space Certification : ISO 9001, CRISIL SME Rating 1 No. of employees : 123

In association with

ARUN PRAKASH

Chief Executive Officer Arun Prakash, CEO of Genetix Biotech Asia Pvt. Ltd. has bravely inched his firm’s way to national and international success in the segment of Life Science & Healthcare space. With a string of firsts to its credit, Prakash’s firm is truly in the pink of pecuniary health...

Glorious USPs “At Genetix Biotech, we have the largest trained and talented human resource pool in our field. We are a one-stop shop with an inventory of over 20,000 products and have been the only company offering these products in the shortest possible time. Apart from offering a platform to young new entrepreneurs, we have also provided employment to hundreds of highly-educated people.” Winner Formula “Having a definite vision, clarity of goals, hard work, dedication and a focussed approach are integral to success. Integrity, honesty and leveraging long-term credibility are important factors. An efficient customer service aimed at client satisfaction works superbly for the firm. For us, every issue was a learning one. Every success was the result of a failure!”

‘You can’t cross a chasm taking two small jumps, you need a big leap’

Govind Milk and Milk Products Pvt. Ltd. was set up by the erstwhile princely family of Naik Nimbalkars. Sanjeev Naik Nimbalkar being acutely aware of the needs of the people in Phaltan, near Pune, ensured that the growth of the company also led to the socio-economic development in the geographical area in and around the company, a radius of about 150 kilometers. Naik Nimbalkar’s concern for the farmers’ well-being and the partnership approach adopted by him in the first phase of growth have contributed in a large measure to the overall development of Phaltan. Rising from a meagre production of 2,000 litres per day from its pouch–packing unit of milk situated at Phaltan, Satara district, Maharashtra, Govind Milk & Milk Products Pvt. Ltd. boasts of present sales of over 2 lakh litres per day. Having established the production processes which gave quality products to the consumer, Govind which was largely an input driven company started its transformation towards becoming a Pan India and global brand. This transformation is being led by Rajiv Mitra, the Managing Director of the company. Bovine Bliss “We have popularised the concept of free housing for cows. Breeding happy cows produces better quality of milk, with increased yields too. In the process, we also get good quality organic manure, which in turn increases soil fertility and water restoration capability.”

GOVIND MILK & MILK PRODUCTS PVT. LTD.

Milking Success “We practice the best processing and procurement systems to process milk and produce milk products such as ghee, butter, shrikhand, amrakhand, lassi, skimmed milk powder, whole milk powder, paneer, yoghurt and ice cream. 55% of our revenue comes from milk and the rest from milk products. Govind has established its presence in Kolkata, Chandigarh and are in the process of opening up the South market as well.”

Year of establishment : 1996 Director(s) : Sanjeevraje Naik Nimbalkar, Rajiv Mitra City / State : Phaltan, Maharashtra Market Leader : Milk & dairy products No. of employees : 1500

In association with

RAJIV MITRA

Managing Director Rajiv Mitra, Managing Director of Govind Milk and Milk Products Pvt. Ltd., has successfully catapulted itself as a major dairy brand in Western India. Furthermore, the company envisions Pan-India ambitions for milk products...

Youthful Option? “Govind Dairy is active in the fields of breed management, genetics, free house farming, improved fodder development and is employing all the latest technology. We’ve uplifted the socio-economic condition of Phaltan so much, that the youth are now taking this up as a career.” Winner Outlook “My success mantra is never give up and never be afraid of making mistakes. But do learn from them. There is nothing called as success or failure, there is only an outcome. When you are looking for quantum growth, it requires a big jump. You cannot cross a chasm in a few small steps.”

‘We believe in the policy 100 - 1= zero!’

Grind Master Machines Pvt. Ltd. Year of establishment : 1984 Director(s) : Milind Kelkar, Mohini Kelkar, Sameer Kelkar City / State : Aurangabad, Maharashtra Global Pioneer : Metal Finishing, Micro Finishing, Deburring almost 50% of exports No. of employees : 250

In association with

(L-R)

MOHINI KELKAR Director

MILIND KELKAR Managing Director The Kelkars: Milind, CMD and Mohini, Director Sales & Marketing of Grind Master Machines Pvt. Ltd. have successfully entrenched their firm as a global pioneer in the segments of micro finishing, robotic automation and abrasives...

They went through the grind zealously, with passion and trust in their innovative ideas. And their expertise bore fruit in the form of Grind Master – a company, wherein the husband-spouse duo of Milind and Mohini Kelkar commenced developing indigenous metal finishing machines from a rented garage at Aurangabad in 1984, employing one person. Until then, all metal finishing operations were performed manually, resulting in an unhealthy work environment, poor productivity and low quality of finish. Moreover, Aurangabad was low on business infrastructure. The Kelkars - both production engineers from the famed Victoria Jubilee Technical Institute (V.J.T.I) in Mumbai - put on their thinking caps and served up their innovation: the first cookware polishing machine for Nirlep. The results were heartening. This set the Kelkars onto the path of buffing and polishing, spurring Grind Master into the allied industries of deburring and belt polishing. It was in 2000, however, when the company found its scintillating métier: Micro-finishing. With a dedicated R & D team developing breakthrough technologies for over 30 years, the company has emerged as an ace exporter to China, UK, US, Mexico, Middle East and Southeast Asia, selling over 4000 machines, worldwide. Scion Sameer Kelkar, Executive Director, silver medallist from IIT Mumbai and Post Graduate of University of California at Berkeley, who joined Grind Master in 2010, has initiated new key technologies such as Dynamic Balancing and Robotic Automation. He says, “We are working towards becoming a global, family-owned but professionally managed company”. Grind Glory Milind: “As original equipment manufacturers, we are competing with top German and Japanese companies. And we are still the preferred choice for many global players, because of our unique approach: We not only sell the product, we sell the entire process as well.” Mohini: “In 2009, we managed our first breakthrough in the Chinese car market supplying to BYD Motor Company. Against stiff competition, we also later started exporting to General Motors and French car manufacturer Peugeot Citroen.” Winner Philosophy Milind: “We believe in the policy that 100 – 1 = zero! Our brand is based on trust, innovation and expertise. If a customer gets one percent less from our expertise, it amounts to zero, for us.” Mohini: “We have learnt to keep our private and professional lives separate. We believe that unless we have new ideas and utilise them, Grind Master cannot grow as a company.”

‘100% efforts in the right direction will bring 100% results’

Their conveyors superbly carry forward the Company’s motto: ‘Let’s Convey Quality’ and living up to that maxim in full measure, I & B Engineers Pvt. Ltd., a Kolkata-based enterprise has fortified its presence in the segment of conveyor systems, idlers, pulleys, conveyor accessories and structural fabrication. Leading from the front, Sanjay Bahety, Managing Director, reveals his “hands-on and single-minded approach” has helped elevate IBE to greater heights. He has ably taken forward the entrepreneurial legacy founded in 1986 by his father Jiwan Lall Bahety. But it wasn’t all handed to him on a silver platter. Started out as a junior level staff in a knit wear company, to entering the family-owned business manufacturing Hydraulic systems, he later on joined the company as a partner in 1994. He worked in the bulk MHE field and it was but natural that he picked up the nuances of the sector. With a clutch of industry stalwarts in its work force, high product quality and smart SME industry pricing, IBE boasts of exponential growth under challenging conditions.

I & B engineers pvt. ltd. Year of establishment : 1986 Director(s) : Indra Kumar Bahety, Sanjay Bahety, Jiwan Lall Bahety City / State : Kolkata, West Bengal Market Pioneer : Conveyor systems, idlers, pulleys, conveyor accessories and structural fabrication Certification : ISO 9001:2008 Recognition : India SME 100 Awards (2012), Best Display Award (2012), Excellence in Best Practices of MSMEs Award (2014 & 2015) No. of employees : 88 In association with

SANJAY BAHETY Managing Director Sanjay Bahety, Managing Director of I & B Engineers Pvt. Ltd. has elevated his much-awarded firm to rank among the notable players in the manufacture of conveyor systems and conveyor components...

Dice-y Challenge! “In 1986-87 we had accepted a large order for a new development, without having much knowledge about it. To put it mildly, our very existence depended upon it! After three and a half months of sleepless nights, we met a 72 year old gentleman operating from a shanty place, who was about to close down his workshop because of his advancing age. With his help, we were able to make the required dices and moulds, this gave us a solid foothold in the market. Forward integration and consistency of efforts helped us to tide over the issues.” Scaling Up “After success of required Dices, we brought pressed steel deep drawn bearing housing in place of cast steel housing and with the help of moulds, we produced Labyrinth Sealings. In fact, our foundation is based on this aspect. From manufacturers of conveyor components, we made the transition to a manufacturer of conveyor systems. We started value addition to products such as idlers, pulleys, frames and manufacturing of conveyor systems that have been successfully supplied to corporate clients and various sectors that include power, cement, steel, coal and others.” IBE Aces “Since all the facilities are under one roof, it makes us the largest manufacturing facility of its type in Eastern India. Our concept of quality initiates right from the design stage as some of the products are purely customized. IBE has also bagged an international edge, as we conduct exports through firms at Ahmedabad and Vadodara. Our vision is to be a 200 crore company by 2020.” Winner Formula “Chart your business roadmap meticulously. Network well and follow your instincts. Trust in the team and a firm belief that there is no substitute for honest and transparent hard work; have contributed largely to IBE’s success. Be flexible in your approach and be adaptive to new thoughts and technology.”

‘iD is the perfect professional assistant in the kitchen’

Ascending from humble beginnings, P.C Musthafa, could hardly manage to scrape through an average score in school and was keen on quitting but today, his ‘Never Give Up’ attitude has paid off and he is running a 100 crore firm. ‘Leaving a well paid job abroad, the family was horrified at that’, he says. But Musthafa, is driving the dream of all five co-founders as he built a 100 crore company with his kin. The direction they were headed for was preservative-free, delicious, home cooked food, which soon became a reality! Starting off in a 50 square feet place with two grinders, a mixer and a sealing machine in the bustling streets of Bangalore to now a 50,000 sq. ft. area, Musthafa employs over 1000 employees with his illustrious firm, producing over 50,000 kgs of batter per day, satiating hunger of millions. The brand is renowned for its batter business but they now produce an array of ready to cook Indian food products including parota and chapati too. They expanded to 8 cities and bagged 10,000 retail outlets, within the last ten years with international operations too! All in all, no small feat! A Fine Balance “iD is distinct and different and there is a two-fold intention, of balancing the seesaw between time and health. The only difference would be to raise the bar of food quality to the next level. iD Fresh Foods is the perfect professional assistant of the cook in the kitchen to rustle up and enjoy the easy-to-make authentic Indian meal solution, especially for busy people. In the end, just remembering the good old love for a hot home cooked healthy meal.”

iD fresh food (india) pvt. ltd. Year of establishment : 2006 Founders : PC Musthafa, Abdul Nazer, Shamsudeen TK, Jafar TK, Naushad TA City / State : Bangalore, Karnataka Market leader : Manufacturer of readyto-cook food products Certification : Manufacturing business (FMCG) Entrepreneur of the year (2015) No. of employees : 1000

In association with

Initial Impediments in the Batter Business “One issue we still face is the general perception about packaged food items. It’s perceived to be unhealthy, unhygienic and full of preservatives. It is a mammoth task to persuade customers into believing that our products are natural, fresh and free of any additives, chemicals, emulsifiers, artificial colors and is packaged and stored only for a specific time period.”

PC Musthafa

CEO & Co-founder PC Musthafa, CEO of iD Fresh Food, once a math lover and a young techie who could just about make a meal for himself during his management days at IIMB, now, gives Dosage of ‘Dosas’ and Idli to lakhs of Indians…

iD Co-founders - Rural Rockstars! “The main reason of being an entrepreneur was to provide employment opportunities to the rural folk. Another way of giving back to the society is touching lives of millions of people across households by providing healthy, nutritious and fresh meals every single day.” Bagging High Appreciation “iD Fresh Food has been well endowed and has received various prestigious awards, that is the likes of the National Achiever’s Award and the Big Bang Award. Also Indian Institute of packaging has presented the India Star Award for innovative packaging to the company for its personal creative touch. Above all the foremost and most crucial appreciation are from the iD customers.” iD’s modus operandi for Sheer Success “Being honest in the way we make our products, that is, to make it exactly the way a home-maker would make it, because we value the homemaker’s contribution to the household. Not only that, but also one’s belief in the team should be strong.” 73

‘Quality is the cornerstone of our existence’

He’s one smart cookie, who’s struck it rich in the business of biscuits. In the African market, no less. Vibhash H. Trivedi, a sales-marketing maverick with expertise in building national and international companies focussed on consumer goods, certainly seems to have found his métier as an entrepreneur with Kanoovi Foods Pvt. Ltd. Having made significant strides at management levels in ‘Fortune 500’ companies earlier, the Managing Director of the firm must be elated to find his own fortunes spiralling towards greater success in the manufacturing and exporting of non-perishable food items in India. In 2012, Trivedi stumbled upon a unit that had growth potential, but was handicapped by “lack of management and leadership”. Confessedly, Trivedi’s flair for bootstrapping led him to invest in the shaky enterprise, and later bag 100% stake in it.

KANOOVI FOODS PVT. LTD. Year of establishment : 2012 Director(s) : Vibhash H. Trivedi City / State : Ahmedabad, Gujarat Market Pioneer : Manufacturer & exporter of biscuits, confectionery and non-perishable food items in India Certification : Uganda National Bureau of Standards; Kenya Bureau of Standards; SGS; U.S. FDA license, ISO, HACCP and HALAL Recognition : Star Export House - from Government of India No. of employees : 200 In association with

Brisk Biscuits? “Earlier on, we had some issues with machinery and man-power since we were new to it. Market size and export of huge volumes of biscuits to South Africa were major considerations in opting for this business. Presently, we have 42 varied product ranges on offer. We’re one of the leading manufacturers and exporters of biscuits to Africa in varieties such as Glucose, Ginger, NICE, Milk, Cream, Digestive and cookies. Expansion plans are on the anvil, but we will stay put at Gandhinagar in Gujarat, because our firm also offers employment opportunities to women in nearby villages.”

VIBHASH H. TRIVEDI Managing Director Vibhash H. Trivedi, Managing Director of Kanoovi Foods Pvt. Ltd. is relishing scrumptious success as an entrepreneur with his firm bagging profits as a manufacturer and exporter of non-perishable food items, charming Africa outright with his delectable range of biscuits...

Brand Prestige “Kamil and Toppers are our two brands. Kamil, which is our mass market brand, is an Arabic word which means “the perfect one”. Toppers is our premium product brand targeted at supermarkets. In addition, we also do contract manufacturing for companies or brands. We developed the biscuit industry’s first ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) system. Our biggest achievement is that despite being a young company, we do the highest number of containers in Gujarat. Our target market is Africa, which is very price-sensitive. Timely delivery and quick product development are factors that have definitely delighted our customers. We’re opening up the market in one new country, every quarter.” Success Formula “Quality is the cornerstone of our existence. We owe our success to our customers, suppliers and vendors. My policy is not to cry over the past, learn from one’s mistakes and move on. An entrepreneur must build his business based on honesty, discipline, attention to detail, risk tolerance and good team-building. Striking a smart balance between all these factors is integral to success.” 75

‘Develop the 4Ms for success- Man, Machine, Methods and Materials’

Unlike some firms, who have little to offer by way of history, Kumar Exports boasts of a rich entrepreneurial legacy. The foundation of the Kumar Group was laid down by the late Sh.T.N. Sood as a modest unit with a primary investment of Rs.100 during the year 1952. In 1986, a complete foundry unit was installed, though it was only in 1994 that export activities were started as merchant exporters with the name and style of Kumar Exports. In 2000, the company came into its own as a manufacturer and exporter in the OEM segment. Grading Highs! “In 2001, the concept of CNC machines was introduced and in order to meet the global standards of excellence, we had applied for the prestigious ISO/TS16949 - 2002 certification. We achieved it in 2002 and at that time Kumar Exports became the first unit in Punjab to bag this highest certification in engineering goods, leading to business opportunities from overseas OEMs. We’ve also been graded by CRISIL as being in the SME 1 category.”

KUMAR EXPORTS Year of establishment : 1994 Director(s) : Ajay Sood, Arun Sood, Ashish Sood, Shivek Sood City / State : Ludhiana, Punjab Market Pioneer : Exporters & manufacturers of machined castings, forgings & precision turned components Certification : ISO/TS16949 -2002; CRISIL SME Rating 1 No. of employees : 453

In association with

Forging a bond with success seems to be a natural outcome for Ajay Sood, CEO of Kumar Exports. What’s more laudable, he’s managed it in the segment of forging too. With its enviable track record, Kumar Exports – a Government recognised Export House – has established its credentials as exporters and manufacturers of machined castings, forgings and precision turned components, serving national and overseas OEMs (Original Equipment Manufacturers).

AJAY SOOD

Director - Commercial Ajay Sood, CEO, Kumar Exports can elate as his firm bags greater prosperity as a frontline solution provider in the engineering segment, carrying forward a rich legacy too in the process...

Shimmering USPs “As a business, we cater majorly to the automotive industry (53.9%) and the agriculture sector (35.6%), in addition to the commercial, railways and earth-moving segments. We supply parts to OEM customers only, so market branding does not affect our business. We’re the single source in 85% parts and have achieved zero PPM in exports since the last many years. Our track record with the railways segment also has been impeccable without any single cancellation and zero defects.” Four Your Glory “We began with one trading unit and we now have four manufacturing units: Kumar Exports; Kumar Exports (Unit-11); Kumar Auto Cast and Forgewell. The company started with a capital of Rs. 2.5 lakhs only and is presently a firm that boasts of asset value of Rs.100 crores.” Success Mantra “Keep in mind that for organisational success, the development of all the 4Ms is essential: Man, Machine, Method and Materials. Let your stake-holders grow with you, in turn the company will also grow. Work not only for yourself, but also for the society and the nation.” 77

‘Unity of purpose amidst diversity of functions is our motto’

In association with

The Rajasthan-based LTC Commercial – christened using the initials of its three Founders – finds itself in an enviable slot. With the motivation and support of his father, Mr. Tara Chand Saraswat, Mr. Sharma started this business from acquiring a small warehouse on rent in March 2007, with a capacity of 50,000 MT. He then emerged as a formidable player having footprints in over 18 states at more than 400 locations and having a storage capacity of more than 20 lakh MT. The Business has undeniably carved its own identity in letters of gold by integrating the concept of green revolution, planting trees too and crafting customer-centric warehouses. Premier Indian Agri D-Mat! “Right from the very beginning, I had an active interest in farming and business. When I graduated, online commodities had just started in India. The derivatives Exchange Limited (NCDEX) had just launched a lot of agri products. I’m proud to say that, we were the first to have opened a D-mat account for Agri commodity business. We did our first delivery on the Exchange platform.”

LTC COMMERCIAL CO. PVT. LTD. Year of establishment : 2007 Director(s) : Tara Chand Saraswat, Rajesh Sharma City / State : Jaipur, Rajasthan Market leader : Scientific warehousing, procurement, collateral management, fumigation services and testing of goods through NABL-accredited laboratories Certification : NCDEX Accreditation (2007); LTC Laboratory accredited by NABL (2009) and empanelled with NCDEX (2009) No. of employees : 440

For all those who’d imagine warehousing to be a vapid affair, it’s time for a rethink. Rajesh Sharma, has been wowing clients with his innovations in warehousing which soars and scores, fetching dazzling profits and expanding its wings in the entrepreneurial firmament.

Innovative Aces “Scientific warehousing by itself is a unique concept. The proper storage of agri commodities ensures that we can store them maintaining best quality conditions and for a longer duration. Online trading for farmers has helped LTC to reach them, nation-wide. E-marketing is next on our agenda, and it will promote digitalisation. Satellite laboratories at remote locations have helped LTC to ensure quality testing services at a very rapid rate. Timely delivery and adherence to Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) has also boosted our business considerably.”

RAJESH SHARMA Managing Director Rajesh Sharma, Managing Director of LTC Commercial Co. Pvt. Ltd. has made strides in the field of scientific warehousing with his firm, emerging a winner in addition to creating employment opportunities for the underserved...

National Contributor “Agriculture is the backbone of our country’s economy and a majority of our nation is into agri commodities. Owing to lack of scientific warehousing facilities, many commodities get damaged. We at LTC are in the business of warehousing, procurement, collateral management, fumigation services and testing of goods through our laboratory that has been accredited by NABL. Today, directly or indirectly LTC has helped over a lakh of individuals earn their livelihood.” Winner Formula “Start your business with a good intention, backed up by a good cause. Think out of the box and put maximum efforts to achieve your goals. Divide roles and responsibilities after selection of the right team, welcome new ideas and upgrade technology in your business. Unity of purpose amidst diversity of functions is our motto. Always give value-added services to your customers, because if your customer wins, so do you and your business.” 79

‘I was The first Agronomist to promote Fertigation Technology in India’

He’s truly planted the seeds of prosperity for Indian farmers. Armed with his expertise in irrigation, hybrid seed production and fertigation management, Dr. T. T. Patil, Chairman and Managing Director of Mahafeed Speciality Fertilizers (India) Pvt. Ltd. pumped in commendable efforts towards educating farmers across India. From 1994 to 2000, the Doctorate-holder in ‘Soil and Water Studies’ engaged local scientists in different states for translating and imparting his innovative technology in local language, creating a swelling segment of contended farmers across the country. Few water soluble fertilizers were attracting higher custom duty and agronomist Dr. Patil made efforts through his company to bring them under concessional tariff, so that it would reduce the cost to farmers. Water soluble fertilizers were being covered under the Fertilizer (Control) Order subsequently and through the efforts of Dr. T.T. Patil, it became easier to import and market them in different states.

MAHAFEED SPECIALITY FERTILIZERS (INDIA) PVT. LTD. Year of establishment : 1994 Director(s) : Dr. T. T. Patil, Praveen T. Patil City / State : Pune, Maharashtra Market Pioneer : Import & Marketing of Speciality Advanced Quality Crop Nutrition and Protection Products Certification : ISO 9001 : 2008 & CRISIL SME Rating 1A No. of employees : 115

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Fertigation Fixes It! “I realised that there was a mismatch between the irrigation water and the fertilizers used by farmers, resulting in below par results. After visiting Israel, I standardised most of the application schedules and adapted them to Indian conditions. Fertigation means the application of fertilizers and irrigation together through drip irrigation. It was cost-effective and improved the quality and productivity of farm produce significantly, apart from effecting substantial savings in water, fertilizers, labour and plant protection inputs. The trials that I conducted on grapes, pomegranates, bananas and some flowers confirmed that fertigation was the perfect answer to agricultural problems. Fertigation is environment-friendly, saves water and fertilizers and maintains good health of soil.”

Dr. T. T. PATIL

Chairman & Managing Director Dr. T.T. Patil, CMD of Mahafeed Speciality Fertilizers (India) Pvt. Ltd. is the “Pioneer and Initiator of Fertigation Technology” in the Country. His rm is a leading player in the import & marketing of speciality advanced quality agri crop nutrition and protection products across the nation...

Awareness Agenda “Many farmers export their fresh produce to the European markets, since it gives them better remunerative returns and this was due to adoption of fertigation technology. We also have organicbased products and my company will educate farmers in North India and Northeast India to adopt fertigation technology to improve crop productivity.” Success Formula “Balancing inventory management and financial costs is integral to business success. One must minimise financial costs so that it contributes more to company profits. Expansion of the business should be done in a phased manner, as per the availability of resources and skilled technical man power. Credit worthiness with bankers and suppliers is crucial towards taking the business forward. In business, we cannot afford to neglect our Gods, that is, our customers. Address customer grievances on priority and they will remain with you forever.” 81

Rivals can go blue in the face denying it, but competitors are probably turning green with envy. And with good reason. Mantras Green Resources Limited has carved an enviable niche for itself in the business of controlling industrial pollution via innovative technologies.

‘Taking no risk… that’s a big risk!’

A cast iron foundry business in Kolkata, set by his father, didn’t really excite the young Sharma. Exporting cast iron also wasn’t exactly his calling. Sharma came to Mumbai (then, Bombay), taking up employment as a supervisor in a company. In a career spanning 22 years, Sharma rose to become Vice-President of that very firm! That, however, swerved his psyche into a new direction… and Sharma turned entrepreneur, since he was keen on being called a “businessman” and wanted to ensure financial security for his family. Green Headstart “The Kyoto Protocol Treaty was implemented to reduce global warming by reducing greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere. I bagged the ‘Methane Extraction And Power Generation’ project around the time the Kyoto Protocol Treaty was implemented by the United Nations Framework Convention On Climate Change (UNFCCC). I got the project registered under the United Nations under the ‘Clean Development Mechanism’ during my service. That was also one of my motivations to start on my own.”

Mantras Green Resources Limited Year of establishment : 2007 Director(s) : Dr. U. K. Sharma, Dr. Kumar Bhagchandani, Vaishali Tambat City / State : Nashik, Maharashtra Market Pioneer : Environmental consultants, engineers, merchant importers and exporters Certification : QCI, ISO 9001:2008; EC No. of employees : 72 In association with

Dr. U.K. SHARMA Chairman & Managing Director Dr. U. K. Sharma – Chairman and Managing Director of Mantras Green Resources Limited – chucked the family business of cast iron foundry, opting to run a green energy firm that has emerged as a path-breaking leader in minimising industrial pollution via innovative technologies…

USP Power! “I had seen a Water ATM while visiting the House Of Lords in London, and initiated a Water ATM Project at my native village in Rajasthan to ensure clean water. As project consultants, we also do ‘Waste Water Treatment Technology’ which protects the environment by predicting problems that we obviate with the use of unique technology. Mantras Green has also designed an equipment that generates energy from kitchen waste and releases methane gas that can be used for cooking.” Two Good Online? “We have also formed an unit that reduces the grid consumption of captive power at the Nashik Toll Naka. Carbon emissions can be calculated and since there is less of Greenhouse Gas emissions, the overall impact decreases. Both our innovations are online and we are trying to get both into the market.” Winner Formula “Never let your confidence go low, no matter what. Don’t postpone work and don’t keep cursing your destiny. Move forward with time and technology, and see to it that your staff is familiar with it too. Take risks, because if you take no risks…that’s a big risk.” 83

‘Dreams turn into reality with determination, hard work & passion for excellence’

Medico Electrodes International Limited Year of establishment : 2002 Director(s) : Amit Mehra City / State : New Delhi, Delhi Global Pioneer : Disposable ECG Electrodes Recognition : ISO 13485, Highest CRISIL Rating No. of employees : 200

In association with

Amit Mehra

Amit Mehra, Chairman and Managing Director of Medico Electrodes International Limited is a well-known personality in the Industry and has taken the Company to new heights with his pragmatic approach and a clear goal to provide Biomedical Electrodes to the world at economical prices...

Chairman and Managing Director

His schooling was from the Delhi Public School and he graduated in Science from Delhi University in 1990. Thereafter he started his career by joining his father’s business under the name “Hindustan Sales” engaged in trading of Industrial Recording Papers. He installed the first machine and started with manufacturing of Industrial Recording Papers in 1991 with a capital investment of INR 50,000. In 1995, the first factory was commissioned which diversified into manufacturing of Medical Recording Papers. It was his vision for the future that he ventured into the manufacturing of Disposable ECG Electrodes in 2002. The success fuelled his passion to move the manufacturing activities to a much bigger stateof-the-art facility to Noida SEZ in the year 2006. Today, Medico Electrodes has positioned itself as one of the Leading Quality manufacturers of Disposable ECG Electrodes globally with a wide range of products to offer. In a short span of less than 14 years, Medico has reached the enviable position of perhaps being in the top three largest Disposable ECG Electrodes manufacturers of the world. Pioneer of ECG “Disposable ECG Electrodes complimented the business of ‘Medical Recording Papers’ and hence became an Obvious Choice” asserts Mr. Mehra. Moreover there was no ECG Electrodes Manufacturer in India at that time. “The market was dominated by imported Electrodes which were very expensive and supply was erratic. I took the challenge to start the manufacturing of Disposable ECG Electrodes in India.” Milestones “I started with an initial capital investment of Rs. 50,000 way back in 1991 and have achieved the present turnover of about Rs. 150 crores by attaining half a billion Disposable ECG Electrodes sales per year in less than 14 years. For the past five years in a row, the company has been awarded the Highest CRISIL Rating in the relevant industry category, which is an indication of the company’s financial strength. The company is accredited with ISO 13485 and US FDA Registration. Today, these electrodes are considered to be in the same league as the ones manufactured in the USA, Europe & Japan.” Global Reach “Over the years, the company has bagged many renowned national & international clients. Currently supplying electrodes to over 30 countries including Europe, USA, Latin America, Asia, Australia, Middle East (Gulf) and African nations. With a constant endeavor to grow the company, we acquired 100% shares of a UK based manufacturer of Tab Electrodes, Electrosurgical Plates and Hydrogels ; thus providing a multi-national base to the company.” Vision for the Future “To be a globally admired organization, we strive to achieve customer delight & continuously enhance stakeholder value. The company’s philosophy of work is pursuit of excellence through consolidation and growth. With the recent acquisition, the company has taken one more step towards achieving its goal of selling a billion ECG Electrodes annually by 2020 and is hopeful of achieving similar success worldwide in the new product range.” Pillars of Growth “International product quality, development of new products, competitive price and excellent customer service – have been the pillars of strength for establishing the business credentials worldwide.” 85

‘LUCK means right location, understanding, connections and knowledge’

Modest Start “After completing my graduation in Mechanical Engineering, I started my career in the injection moulding segment. Working for corporates, I handled plastic commodities. When I started my own firm in 2005, Plastics was an obvious choice. But I soon realised that the firm can’t remain a component manufacturer only. I knew that we have to graduate to contract manufacturing. Hence, I changed our strategy to ‘One Stop Solution’ so as to get an edge in the market.” Shimmering USPs “Although we are primarily a plastic injection moulding company, we also provide our clients total solutions ranging from product design to manufacturing. Our innovativeness, adaptability and comprehensive quality management practices have been our major strengths. We started out as an engineering company, but being quick learners we graduated to making model kits, toys and diversified into metals and castings, decorations and high-volume assemblies.”

MICRO PLASTICS PVT. LTD.

Year of establishment : 2005 Director(s) : Vijendra Babu N City / State : Bangalore, Karnataka Market Pioneer : Plastic Injection moulding, Design & Tooling, Toys and Model Kits contract manufacturing and Product manufacturing Certification : ISO TS 16949, ISO 14001, ISO 9001:2008; ICTI (International Council for Toy Association)- Class A; GSV (Global Security Verification); FAMA (Facility and Merchandise Authorization) by Disney; GSCS & FCCA by Walmart No. of employees : 510

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His business is no child’s play. And if one argues that it truly is – considering that Micro Plastics Pvt. Ltd. employs plastic injection moulding technology for toys – this is one entrepreneurial baby that is gurgling away to success. Vijendra Babu N, meanwhile, has been beaming all the way to the bank. Presently, the Managing Director of Micro Plastics Pvt. Ltd. has cause for jubilation. Soaring from a low-key start in 2005 with an employee strength of 25, his firm is all set to clock an annual turnover of Rs.100 crores this financial year.

Global Wings “We started out as an 100% Export unit with a back-up tool maintenance facility and assembly lines. MPPL has 100 machines and 70% of our products are exported to North America, Europe, Asia, UK and China.”

VIJENDRA BABU N Managing Director Vijendra Babu N, Managing Director of Micro Plastics Pvt. Ltd. has globally raised the benchmark for the plastic injection moulding industry. His success in the segments of toys, model kits, automotives, power tools, health care and varied avenues are ample proof of his gainful expertise...

Luck Mantra? “By LUCK, I mean being at the right location, having an understanding of the geography of that location, having the right connections and the correct knowledge. All these factors lead to success.” Winner Formula “We give a lot of importance to human values and team spirit within the organisation. For an entrepreneur to grow, he needs to have self-belief, passion, commitment and the ability to strategise smartly. Apart from these, he must ensure the support of his family, friends, employees, partners and bankers in his business plans.”

‘NISH has never lost any customer to competition’

Nish Techno Projects Pvt. ltd. Year of establishment : 2002 Director(s) : Niraj Desai, Himanshu Desai City / State : Surat, Gujarat Market Pioneer : Infrastructure Speciality Engineering Company Recognition : ISO 9001:2008, NSICCRISIL Rating SE-1B, SKOCH Order of Merit - India’s Best SME’s - 2014, NISC REGISTERED

In association with

Niraj Desai

Managing Director Niraj Desai, Managing Director – NISH Techno Projects Pvt. Ltd., has created his own job following his post graduation in electrical engineering, scraping through thick and thin in both life and business, Desai’s firm NISH is adept at creating solutions, that are device-driven…

The first flight from techie to industrialist of Desai took off in 2000- ‘Nidhi Systems’, was his debutant venture in the hardware of entrepreneurial track, where he delivered engineer-driven solutions in the distribution and services space. Desai improved his ability and agility to turn math and physics theories of electrical engineering into entrepreneurial exercises that bore bonanzas. In Desai’s second shift of business with Himanshu Desai, who had the similar entrepreneurial backdrop, they started spanning and spreading NISH’s engineering exercises in textile, chemical and water belt of business. The dynamic duos, spelled solutions in electrical, instrumentation and automation circuits. Also worked hand in glove with corporate conglomerates in engineering their future and dream, altogether. First Steps “I completed my graduation and after gaining experience at Hitachi-Hirel, I found myself looking at a much bigger goal. Over time, the business grew from 0 to millions in four years building my confidence. Then indicating that it was the right time to setup my own business. I started Nidhi systems, as a product distribution and services business but doing it differently, my laser-like focus was on transforming outdated technology to the latest one in textile machines, thus, supplementing customers with vigorous values. As anticipated Nidhi systems grew exponentially within 2 years, being the first start up in the region crossing 1crore turnover in 2002.” Hand in ‘Glove with Giants’ “My ambitions were much higher and I realized the need of complementary strengths as well, hence I invited Himanshu Desai to join me. We both founded NISH, and focused on textile, chemical, steel and water sector, offering turnkey solutions which include electrical, instrumentation and automation. This strategy has been much successful as he (Himanshu) is a skilled professional in instrumentation whereas I have been trained in electrical engineering myself. This way we added more value to our customers, in particular small scale industries running on old technologies. NISH was focused on customers and worked with multinationals to create market such that SMEs can afford new technology or automation. In no time, NISH became a pioneer in changing business of its customers, yielding them high return on investment on process automation done by us.” NISH’s Vision “Our brand is NISH – ‘Instrumentation based, process driven’, the principle is very clear, we offer niche solutions based on standard products and this simply means returns on investment for our customers. Major innovation for NISH is offering solutions in Electromation. We at NISH provide our customers project built from medium voltage, low voltage, PCC/MCC, Automation, Instrumentation, erection & commissioning and operation & maintenance.” NISH’s Achievements & Desires “NISH has never lost any customer to competition, so our major achievement is customer satisfaction, which reflects in our association with them since inception. So for us it is creating solution for the customers thereby keeping them loyal, giving us repetitive business. We wish NISH to become Asia’s leading infrastructure specialty engineering company.” 89

‘Our CSR is offering concessions in city bus business’

On one occasion, Prasanna Patwardhan was forced to travel atop a bus for want of a vacant seat. Incidentally… it was his own bus! And to set facts right, the young Patwardhan was then “helping out” his father in 1985 in their “tourist access business”, as he puts it. As the entrepreneur traversed the breezy route from Nagpur to Pune, he had little inkling that the gusts of wind were stealthily smuggling out the cash from his pockets. At Pune, Patwardhan discovered that the entire day’s cash collection accrued from his bus service business had vanished! Presently, Patwardhan – a Science graduate who also holds credentials in Marketing Management – is yet sitting atop. At the apex, that is, as Chairman and Managing Director of a flourishing passenger mass transit operations provider, boasting of a turnover upwards of Rs. 200 crore! Modest Start “We got our first bus permit in 1988 and the bus service was from Pune to Mahabaleshwar. In 1992, we started our holiday business, taking into account the hotel booking aspect too. I’ve also worked as a driver for two-three consecutive days and issued tickets from ticketing counters, because of lack of personnel. We started with the name Prasanna brand and later changed it to Purple brand. As a company, we earn money on our Intra City coaches. But we offer different kinds of concessions in our City Bus business and that’s our CSR activity.”

PRASANNA PURPLE MOBILITY SERVICES PVT. LTD. Year of establishment : 1986 Director(s) : Prasanna Patwardhan, Rohit Pardeshi, Priyada Patwardhan City / State : Pune, Maharashtra Market Pioneer : Passenger mass transit operations & surface mobility solutions No. of employees : 3500

In association with

PRASANNA PATWARDHAN

Chairman & Managing Director Prasanna Patwardhan, Chairman and Managing Director of Prasanna Purple Mobility Services Pvt. Ltd. is clearly sailing through a purple patch in his business. Over a thousand of his trademark buses are buzzing close to 110 routes in over 6 cities in India, raking in speedy returns…

Group Power “The Prasanna Group has three companies: Prasanna Purple Mobility Solutions Pvt. Ltd. (Human Logisitics) that operates in three verticals- Intercity, City Bus and Holiday Packages; Prasanna Transport Network Pvt. Ltd. (Logistics) – a full-fledged cargo arm that deals with 250+ strategic delivery locations and 90 offices across states and Smilestone Motels Pvt. Ltd. : located on the PuneNagar highway, it is an ideal location for travellers to break their journey and enjoy a break.” USPs Galore! “We were the first company to start the online booking service, we had designed our own software and were the first in Maharashtra to start overnight bus services. In Delhi, we operate the ‘Hop-On, Hop-Off’ service, which is also quite unique. All our ticketing is digital, you can book our tickets through mobiles also and we have centralised control systems.” Winner Formula “Being a national-level basket ball player has surely added new facets to my personality. Be passionate about your work, believe in your plans and stick to them, even during tough times.” 91

‘My product itself acts as my marketing manager’

P. G. Deshmukh – originator of the famed Brand Mosquito Coil – has displayed a slow and remarkable rise to the top, from poverty to prosperity and stunning detractors with his talent and tenacity. Born at Nandgoan, a small village in the Satara district of Maharashtra, his beginnings were uneventful. “My grandfather said that I should develop our land since we were progressive farmers,” says Deshmukh. “But he also said that in order to accomplish that I had to get better education so that I could realise those ambitions.” Clinching his graduation in Science from a college at Karad in Satara district, Deshmukh strode into Mumbai, for a Post-Graduate degree. Housing, however, proved to be a deterrent for the young Deshmukh as he fetched no success in renting an apartment. The pavements of Mumbai turned housing ground for Deshmukh for a period of six months! Mumbai Streets To 6th Floor! “I had the opportunity to meet Balasaheb Desai, who was the then Revenue Minister and was from my district. When he heard of my living conditions in Mumbai, he called up the Director of Institute of Science and arranged for me to live in the hostel at Churchgate in South Mumbai. So I was transported from the streets of Mumbai to the sixth floor of a sea-facing hostel room!”

Pratap Organics Pvt. Ltd. Year of establishment : 1989 Director(s) : Pratap G. Deshmukh, Dr. Anjali Patankar City / State : Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra Market leader : Manufacturers of speciality chemicals and drug intermediates Certification : ISO 9001:2008 & CGMP Compliance Certified Company No. of employees : 110 In association with

Coil Cachet “After completing my M.Sc., I got a job in a chemical company at Mumbai, where I worked for more than a decade as a Research & Development Officer. In 1972, I came out with famed Brand Mosquito Coil and it was my first product in the market. Until then, only Japan was making products of this sort.”

P. G. DESHMUKH

Chairman & Managing Director P. G. Deshmukh, Chairman and Managing Director of Pratap Organics Pvt. Ltd. has risen from poverty to prosperity, catapulting his firm to global success as a manufacturer of speciality chemicals and drug intermediates...

Pyrethrin Winner “My company used to supply Natural Pyrethrin to the army and a firm from South India started supplying Synthetic Pyrethrin to them. Through the process of Thin Layer Chromatography (TLC), I was able to prove that our Pyrethrin was natural. We had to submit our analysis to the Shri Ram Institute, New Delhi. Ultimately, my company won the court case on the strength of my analysis. When I returned to Mumbai, the owner of the company gave me charge of a new unit at Navi Mumbai!” Export Euphoria! “Pratap Organics started business in 1989 and over the years we have built a reputation of being one of the major suppliers of speciality chemicals and drug intermediates across the globe. Once gained entry into the European market in 1994, we started supplying raw materials to the regulatory markets in the US, UK, Brazil, Taiwan, Japan and Korea. I have almost 100% export turnover and exhibit every year at pharma exhibitions, such as CPhl Europe, CPhl Japan, Informex USA and Chemspec Europe.” Success Formula “As a businessman, you should never compromise on integrity and quality of your products. My product itself acts as my marketing manager. If your product quality is consistently good, your customer will definitely come back to you.” 93

‘We consider our customers as Co-Creators’

Once the family business lacked manpower, now it employs over 300 people. At present, Top ‘N Town has a robust distribution network that spans close to 20,000 retail outlets and 205 distributors across India with its strong presence in eight states of the country. Ramani revolutionized the ice-cream wonderland by encompassing the whole ice-cream eating experience and opening up 600 ice-cream parlors that has made the brand a love all name in almost every household. From The Heart of an ‘Inner-Entrepreneur’ “Our journey has been a tale of transformation, grit and determination. It’s an exemplary proof of conversion of dreams and ambition into reality, and not just mine, but of my brothers too! We stand here holding the reins because of our unity and the trail of hard work.”

Ramani Ice cream Co. Ltd.

Brand Saga “Very early into the business we understood that a robust brand and efficient distribution system supported with quality product will be the key differentiator. We overcame the problems of no timely seasonal supply and non-availability of other logistic support once we started our in-house manufacturing brand and started working very closely with retailers so that they don’t have to take a business hit during slag. Ice cream production is primarily a seasonal business. Consistency in demand and supply is what drives it.”

Year of establishment : 1988 Director(s) : Prakash Ramani, Kishore Ramani, Vijay Ramani, Arun Ramani, Harish Ramani City / State : Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh Market leader : Producers of Lipsmacking variety of ice-cream, pioneers of Ice-cream parlors in India Certification : ISO 9001:2008, HACCP by Det Norske Veritas (DNV) No. of employees : 300

In association with

Reminiscing about the times when he was only a young boy, secretly admiring his grandfather running a modest ice cream shop, he too like every child loved ice-cream. From slicing, scooping ice cream and washing dishes after the customers were done with their share to becoming the manufacturer of the spell-casting brand, Top ‘N Town, the struggle was real. Ramani realized earlier on the practical problems of being a non-producing merchant.

Prakash Ramani Chairman Prakash Ramani, Founder of Ramani Ice cream Co. Ltd. is the man and breed behind the legendary brand, Top ‘N Town. From installing a small mom-andpop ice cream parlor to building a de facto monopoly in the ‘Creamy’ sector, Ramani enjoys a whooping icy success…

Nailed their Niche “We pioneered the concept of exclusive ice cream parlors in India. Lack of eating joints and places for gatherings gave us the edge and made us the preferred choice. We started the tradition of serving ice creams in a colorful, warm and cheery ambience for youngsters to use as a hangout place. Also, our huge range of products and specialties was the paramount reason for attraction of customers.” Cutting Edge Technology “Our focus is on delivering the right product to the consumer at the end of the value chain. Most of the time product gets deteriorated due to temperature shocks. To combat that, we stay up to date with the technological aspects in our manufacturing and distribution units. We have put in place higher insulation freezers, temperature monitoring devices and are currently in process of upgrading our manufacturing unit to international standards. We have also put in place a sales force automation app which automates our internal processes and reduces time spent by sales team on data collection, data entry, fixing manual error, adding more time for business development.” 95

‘An ODC is considered as high & heavy, so is our responsibility in its carriage!’ Sarjak Container Lines Pvt. Ltd. Year of establishment : 2003 Director(s) : Ashish Sheth, Amita Sheth City / State : Mumbai, Maharashtra Global Market leader : Shipping ODC/ OOG cargoes on Flat Racks and Open Top Containers Recognition : Maritime and Logistics Awards, Business Gaurav SME Awards, South East Cargo & Logistics Awards, Gujarat Star Awards and SME Business Excellence Awards No. of employees : 220

In association with

Ashish Sheth Managing Director Ashish Sheth, first-generation entrepreneur and Managing Director of SARJAK Container Lines Pvt. Ltd. has made path-breaking strides in the segment of multimodal transport operators. Clearly, India’s premier ODC/ OOG carrier is loaded with success…

It’s a business that would have remained in conventional waters, made few splashes and bagged little success… but for its head honcho: Ashish Sheth that wasn’t enough! Green-lighting his company SARJAK Container Lines in October 2003, Sheth registered his presence as a freight forwarding company in Mumbai, India, driving the trade between Nhava Sheva and the Middle East. Flagging off operations with an initial investment of 10,000 USD and driven by his astute business acumen, SARJAK - meaning ‘creator’ in Hindu mythology - has succeeded in setting impressive global benchmarks and built a solid presence spanning 90 countries and 185 port cities. Kickstarting success “We commenced operations in 2003 and together with our strategic management teams, we have succeeded in transforming SARJAK into one of the most respected and the most awarded ODC carrier from India. Standing tall with the virtues-Change, Innovation, Passion, Commitment & Communication, the entire team is focused on delivering complex ODC consignments against all odds en-route.” Most Difficult Hurdle “A stable organization cannot be built without assets and for Sarjak it’s their own special equipments. In 2003, having initiated the business with limited capital and no financial support from any bank, managing cash flow while also building assets was quite a challenge. The decision to pump in all the savings into the business to buy assets was the most crucial one of my life, but it paid off.” Extended Reach “With our extensive inventory of self-owned special equipment, SARJAK can efciently handle part or full cargoes for vital industries like infrastructure, mining, energy, cement, steel, automotive, military, ports, railways, etc. Our inventory of special equipment consists of Flat Racks, Super Racks, High Cube Hard Tops, Open Tops and Flat Beds, among others.” Sterling Milestones “We pioneered the movement of ODC / OOG cargo on Flat Racks and set a trend that has now become the industry standard. SARJAK was the first NVOCC in the World to own Super Racks and High Cube Hard Top Open Top Containers. RINA, an internationally acclaimed certification body has confirmed that SARJAK is the ‘First In The World’ to be issued the Approved Continuous Examination Program (ACEP) certificate.” Success Mantra “Autonomy with authority leads to creativity, and creativity coupled with accountability, leads to credibility. Having established credibility, achieving success is not a far goal.” 97

‘We treat challenges as opportunities & see them through as a sustainable business model’

Engineer En-route Entrepreneur “After the successful setup of my consultancy and environment projects, I conceptualized & developed a project of integrated common hazardous waste management and became a developer & operator of the first facility in Kutch back in 2008. In order to come closer to the industries, I developed a common hazardous incineration facility in Dahej. I have a great satisfaction of stirring this organisation since early 90’s. During these two decades, I have been able to put my thoughts into action and have achieved all the desired goals with my dedicated team and remarkable growth in business and goodwill.”

SAURASHTRA eNVIRO PROJECTS PVT. LTD. Year of establishment : 2008 Director(s) : Chetan Contractor, Varoon Contractor, Shaila Contractor City / State : Surat, Gujarat Market Leader : Environmental Infrastructure Solutions Certification : ISO 9001, ISO 14001, OHSAS 18001, CARE Rating A No. of employees : 350

In association with

Chetan Chandrakant Contractor is working towards the green goal, unlike other entrepreneurs, for preserving our environment for the future generations. Being a mechanical engineer, he started a fabrication shop where he worked to ensure the demand for pollution control equipment increases. He studied environmental sciences and formed a team of talented young employees to develop R&D units, laboratories, and environmental models for sustainability for industries. Actively working towards the conservation of ecology by reducing use of fossil fuels, he also aimed for generating power and revenue. SEPPL, is a company which believes in researching the nip of the bud, hence, they thoroughly understood the water chemistry and the ground reality of the industry waste management situation. They succeeded with ZLD (Zero Liquid Discharge) Common Effluent Treatment plant due to which they are able to recover about 65% of water.

Chetan Chandrakant Contractor Chairman and MD Mr. Chetan Chandrakant Contractor, the Chairman and MD of Saurashtra Enviro Projects Pvt. Ltd. (SEPPL), is constantly developing technologies to make the business sustainable. Chetan believes in conserving the environmental balance as the future is everything...

Major Highways “Continual development of technologies on existing equipments are our major achievements. We think globally, act locally to meet local demands. I started off by signing the First Throughput Agreement with government of Gujarat. I also signed with an Industry for transferring Gas & Oil from off-shore to onshore which was executed successfully. At Vibrant Gujarat Summit 2009, out of more than 500 projects shortlisted for MoUs, our project was selected as the best project. This added impetus to our growth, followed by a dream come true project i.e off- shore monitoring being considered off-beat but we successfully completed it.” Saving the environment in 21st century “We achieve our goal by reducing use of fossil fuel and conserving water. As a group we are developing a sea water surface interface. We will be plying a RO-RO-ferry service in the Gulf of Cambay. This vessel will operate between 2 terminals for transportation of goods which will consume 10 % of diesel as compared to normal road transport needs.” Futuristic approach “All our projects are in line with sustainable development by way of which we preserve the Ecosystem. We are the first Environment Infrastructure Company to implement SAP as ERP across all functions in an integrated manner.” 99

‘I’m proud to be recognised as an entrepreneur’

A large chunk of his success was made because of his vision which he gained through his past experiences, and Dr. Giridhar Thota, CEO, Shodhana Laboratories Limited, will heartily agree on that one. The Postgraduate in Chemistry from Warangal in Telangana started his career with a small firm called Macro Molecular Products - dealing primarily with varnishes. Thereafter, Dr. Thota progressed, bagging placements and expertise at other firms like Warner Hindustan. In 1982, Dr Thota was handpicked for Standard Organics Limited. For two years, Dr. Thota functioned as the Group Leader (R&D) and Instruments Specialist. Dr. Thota was one of the first key scientists to be handpicked into the Dr. Reddy’s Group. Eventually he turned into Chief Technologist for the R & D department in 1985 and then to Vice-President in 1988 and further climbing the ladder to becoming, Senior Vice-President (Technical) in 1990. During his tenure, Dr. Thota played a keyrole in strengthening Dr. Reddy’s Group foundation by contributing his expertise and knowledge in developing and delivering of new molecules. For Example Dr. Thota developed and delivered Ibuprofen, like that there are many more in his basket. In order to fulfil his passion of entrepreneurship, in 2000, Dr. Thota started Shodhana Laboratories Limited for manufacturing bulk intermediates and active pharmaceutical ingredients.

Shodhana Laboratories Limited Year of establishment : 2000 Director(s) : Dr. Giridhar Thota City / State : Hyderabad, Telangana Market Leader : Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients, Intermediates, R&D Certification : WHO GMP, ISO 9001: 2008, ISO 14000: 2004 No. of employees : 300

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Initial Hiccups “I was worried about licenses and governmental policies. But my team of professionals in individual departments solved those problems. Earlier, banks refused me loans since some of them had bad experiences with pharmaceutical companies.”

Dr. Giridhar Thota Chief Executive Officer Dr. Giridhar Thota, Chief Executive Officer of Shodhana Laboratories Limited, has smartly traversed the path from top employee (for Dr. Reddy’s) to a successful entrepreneur in the segment of pharmaceuticals. The protégé once working at Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories is notching novel highs in the world of R&D and new molecules...

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Innovation Boost “We are constantly building our reputation by satisfying our customers by providing them the right quality of products in agreed timelines . We are also developing new products and adding new molecules to our basket. We have good system practices and excellent facilities to suit the current regulatory requirements. We have been approved by TGA, Mexican Cofepris, KFDA, 5+ CEPs and more.” CSR thrust “Helping orphanages, AIDS victims, leprosy patients, education of teenage girls, schools in rural areas, schools for blind and water supply are some of the issues that we tackle, at present. We also contributed around Rs. 25 lakhs to ‘Mission Kakatiya’, for restoration of lakes in villages in Telangana state.” Success Secret “Unless you work with passion, you will not be able to learn and innovate on your own. You have to work towards excelling in your own capabilities. I’m proud to be recognised as an entrepreneur.” 101

‘Overtrading is the biggest enemy of any entrepreneur’

Its heritage is heroic, its success robust and its longevity assured. The Sun Narula Group - more lovingly referred to as SNG - was green-lighted in 1953 as a healthcare firm by P. K. Narula, CoFounder and Chairman of the Group. Narula’s large zamindar family hailed from Punjab and in 1947-1948, they trooped into Delhi armed with the ambition of getting into business. Identifying the healthcare segment as a probable source of business in North India, they commenced providing medical supplies to government hospitals. Garnering experience and expertise, SNG - now adroitly led by the Narula Directors: Pankaj and Puneet – has made significant strides providing automation to healthcare logistics. Spanning operations over 350 leading hospitals and healthcare providers, the company has emerged as a pioneer in India and South East Asia. With a deft in-house team in place, the firm is competently placed to deliver efficient turnkey solutions right from design to execution. Teething Issues Pankaj: “When my father got into business, his aim was to provide solutions for good healthcare infrastucture to Indian hospitals. When the business split up, I went abroad to study in the 1980s and returned in the 1990s to join my father in business.” Puneet: “I joined my father in business, while I was still an under-graduate. We’ve also had our share of mistakes, but we’ve learnt from every single one of them.”

Sun narula group Year of establishment : 1953 Director(s) : Pankaj Narula, Puneet Narula City / State : New Delhi, Delhi Market Leader : Providing automation to healthcare logistics Certification : ISO 9001; CE No. of employees : 90 In association with

PANKAJ NARULA Director The Narula siblings – Puneet, Director (Projects & Technical Head) and Pankaj, Director (Marketing & Business Development) of Sun Narula Group have taken forward the family legacy of 62 years, ensuring that SNG remains a front-liner in providing automation to healthcare logistics in India...

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Wow USP! Pankaj: “We are one of the only organisation in South Asia that offers healthcare automation solutions for intra hospital logistics, pharmacy storage and drug management, etc. in the hospital spaces. We are also one of the only organisation in our segment to have implemented a dedicated centralised customer support, pan-India. We have also implemented a completely new and bespoke CRM software that will provide customers with an open platform to interact at real time, which is expected to go live momentarily.” Puneet: “We are not a product-oriented company, we are a solution provider in the healthcare segment and that’s our niche. We have been extremely successful in one of our verticals connected with the Intra-hospital logistics called the pneumatic tube system.” Winner Mantra Pankaj: “Work hard, focus on your goals and be dedicated to them. Understand your customer needs and take care of them.” Puneet: “An entrepreneur should know how to create a demand for a product that you wish to sell. I learnt that technique from my father. Overtrading is the biggest enemy of any entrepreneur.” 103

‘We were taught by the best to be the best!’

Pouring oil on troubled waters - as the classic phrase goes - is a knack that comes easy to the fatherson duo of R.B. Ghosh and Shukanto Ghosh, assert industry insiders. Incidentally, oil has been a major contributor to their prosperity too. Flagging off operations with the development and manufacture of oil field equipment and expanding the gamut of engineering options later, their firm Sparklet Engineers Private Limited has emerged a winner in India, as a fast-growing organisation catering to Oil and Gas Exploration. R. B. Ghosh, admittedly a self-motivated technocrat, launched the company’s Oil and Gas Division in 2000, taking Sparklet into unchartered territory and bagging enviable success over the years, thanks to their innovative product lines. RBG: “Initially, I had started Sparklet as a partnership firm and then moved on to make it a proprietorship firm. We’ve risen from being a simple machine shop to fabrication, to opening the doors to the oil and gas industry by developing import substitutes to then becoming a niche player in the oil & gas sector.”

SPARKLET ENGINEERS Private Limited Year of establishment : 2000 Director(s) : R. B. Ghosh, Shukanto Ghosh, Devika Ghosh City / State : Ambernath, Maharashtra Market Pioneer : Oil and Gas Exploration Sector Certification : ISO 9001:2008; ASME: NB, R, U, U2, S & PP Stamp & API certificates No. of employees : 280

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SG: “My father was the first one in his family to break the service chain and get into business. But he never got the kind of recognition that he really deserved. I was keen that he would get it as the Founder of the firm. My personal achievement has been in assisting my father to make Sparklet the brand that it is today.” (L-R)

SHUKANTO GHOSH Managing Director

R.B. GHOSH Chairman The father-son pair of R. B. Ghosh, Chairman, and Shukanto Ghosh, Managing Director, have taken their firm Sparklet Engineers Private Limited to greater heights globally in the oil and gas exploration sector, amassing accolades and honours for their varied product lines...

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Sparkling Highs RBG: “We have increased in turnover each year, and have doubled and more in certain years. In terms of technology, we have combined resources of two different streams of engineering expertise into one, creating products which no one in India has ventured into, till date. Moving to UAE with our product facility has been one of the high points in our entrepreneurial journey.” SG: “We’ve succeeded in making our products more competitive by pooling in available country resources and merging them with international technology. We’re unique in this respect.” Success Mantra RBG: “We were taught by the best to be the best! Believe in your core ability. Have a vision and stick to it. Take calculated risks, move ahead with the times and don’t compare yourself with others.” SG: “We believe in the future without forgetting the past. Trust your instincts as an entrepreneur. Be true and honest to yourself. Take time to choose the vendors and consultants that you decide to work with, because they will help take your company forward on the route to success.”

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‘An entrepreneur must learn the chemistry of confidence’

He’s speeding forward on the road to entrepreneurial glory. Amitesh Singh, CEO of Suman Forwarding Agency Pvt. Ltd., confessedly, loves challenges and displays smartness in embracing opportunities. In 2000, when Singh joined forces with his father to kickstart a logistics firm, success was inevitable given Singh’s entrepreneurial thirst for expansion and excellence. Soaring from a pure transportation firm to a company that specialises in containerised cargo and allied activities, and rising virtually from scratch to pegging a turnover of Rs. 200 crores in over a decade, SFAPL and Singh have certainly come a very, very long way… Scoring Steadily “Our flagship company Integrated Logistics Division commenced operations in 2005 with a turnover of Rs. 36.3 million employing 10 people. By the time we reached the financial year 2014-2015, our turnover had crossed Rs. 1,940 million and that was a major milestone for us.” Transport Trailblazer “SFAPL provides model solutions for logistic needs and consultations, executes demanded transport services, takes care of supply chain services and door to door transportation. We’re trailblazers in the sector of multi-modal transportation, warehousing and inventory management. SFAPL is considered as a trend-setter in rail, road and water transportation and value-added support for our principals in the areas of sales. We believe in functionality, deliverability, flexibility and we are masterminds in creating new heights in the logistics arena.”

SUMAN FORWARDING AGENCY PVT. LTD. Year of establishment : 1989 Director(s) : Awdesh Singh, Amitesh Singh, Suman Singh, Sangeeta Singh City / State : Kolkata, West Bengal Market Pioneer : Customised solutions for multi-modal door to door transportation and logistics Certification : ISO 9001:2008; CRISIL SME Rating 1 No. of employees : 300

In association with

AMITESH SINGH

Chief Executive Officer Amitesh Singh, CEO of Suman Forwarding Agency Pvt. Ltd. has boosted his firm, taking it from a humble transportation company to emerging as a trend-setter providing customised solutions in the sector of multi-modal transportation and logistics and redefining the logistics industry...

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Private Freight Terminal “Our subsidiary called SFA Logistics Park Pvt. Ltd. is coming up with a state-of-the-art private Freight terminal at Dankuni in West Bengal, in accordance with the circular of Railway Board, Government of India. It’s one of its kind in Eastern India, which will be handling all kinds of cargo, steel, cement, sugar, jute, iron steel, with multiple facilities, CFS, warehousing, bulk storage and other essential facilities along with custom-built facilities for customers.” Agenda On Anvil… “We wish to convert road traffic to rail, which will contribute remarkably in boosting the Indian economy. We are planning a chain of PFTs (Private Freight Terminals) at Gujarat, Assam, UP and other locations on a pan-India basis, out of which a few have already been identified.” Success Mantra “An entrepreneur must learn the chemistry of confidence. Know which are the factors that boost your confidence, so that you are able to get greater success. Surround yourself with successful models and maintain a never-say-no attitude. Focus on creativity, flexibility, assistance, innovation, resilience, execution overview, planning and finances.” 107

‘Our working objective is to achieve total customer satisfaction’

He appears to be in-charge of his own destiny, adopted an entrepreneurial avatar in 1977. By installing a small natural mentha oil distribution in the Rampur district of Uttar Pradesh, Gupta parlayed Rs.15,000 into a million dollar natural oil company. Swati has multiple industrial plants in Rampur. It makes products for several medicinal and cosmetic industries, consumer goods, flavour and fragrance companies. The roster of conglomerate clients for Swati includes Colgate, Emami, Wrigleys, ITC, Dabur and Asian Paints. Gupta with his several strengths has well-crafted and engineered the brand– Swati, trouncing its rivals constantly. The institution has been pumping in revenue and providing employment to over 350 people. Entrepreneur by Volition “The only thing I possessed in late seventies was a meagre Rs.15,000 and a piece of land, still I decided to go with my gut. Indeed the baggage of chemical engineering that was paramount helped me in drifting towards the oil-oriented direction. I owe a part of my success to a local camphor making company in Bareilly, where I worked for a good time to garner relevant and relative experiences in the oil field segments.” Real Reason of Choosing Essential Oil Industry “I chose this industry citing, land in our surrounding regions are actively producing a crop Mentha Arvensis, a raw material for natural & essential oils such as Mentha Oil. Since this an in-demand crop that is available to us, I decided to turn this opportunity into a sustainable surplus.”

Swati Menthol & Allied Chemicals Ltd. Year of establishment : 1990 Director(s) : S.K Gupta, Sanchit Gupta, Nitin Kumar Gupta City / State : Rampur, Uttar Pradesh Global Pioneer : Swati is in top 3 Global Pioneer in the industry Recognition : ISO 9001, 22000, FSMS, GMP, Kosher, HALAL, Sedex SMETA 4 Pillar Certified, REACH ready No. of employees : 350

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Swati- Synonym for Highest Quality “We are highly equipped with advanced production equipments, a proven purification process, through which distillation is carried out to enhance quality and provide purity to products. We also have a modern laboratory with the latest testing equipment and instruments. In essence, we are devoted to globally acceptable quality standards. Notably, we are an ISO 22000:2005 certified company and we carry out all our production as per GMP, GLP guidelines.”

S.K Gupta

Managing Director S.K Gupta, Managing Director, Swati Menthol and Allied Chemicals Limited has scraped through trying times very well, with honesty and hard work as the main ingredient for success. Gupta, an alumnus from IIT Kanpur, has metamorphosed a small unit of mentha oil into a sweeping success…

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Swati –The Social Superstar “We believe in giving it back to the society at large providing our moral and financial support to ensure less fortunate children get education at no cost. Our social entrepreneurship is proactive for a decade now.” Banking on Success “Our cordial arrangements with the banks help us in giving our best shot at success. Our Consortium bankers have offered a vulnerable package which can help us reduce our costs and also help our business in maintaining our margins.” Gupta’s Mantra for Professional Success “Success is a cocktail of host of things that includes hard work, innovation, intact-integrity, adaptability in hostile environment, ability to withstand losses and setbacks.” 109

‘I’m in a business that gives back to Mother Nature’

Vikalp Mundra unabashedly urges you to…’Own Your Sun’. And going by his bright track record, Mundra has made a success of making it feasible, courtesy his solar power business. As Jt. Managing Director & Promoter of Ujaas Energy Ltd., Mundra – a business scion who took the entrepreneurial road less taken – does have cause to beam away. Till date, Ujaas Energy Ltd. is the only solar space company (with asset light model) to sparkle as a Public Listed Company on the BSE/NSE. Furthermore, Ujaas Energy holds the distinction of being selected as the ‘Best Under A Billion’ category by Forbes Asia - an express honour, since only eight companies from India were handpicked by their discerning jury. An electrical engineer and post-graduate in Financial Management, Mundra garnered expertise in the transformer and power distribution business for over 15 years. In January 2010, the National Solar Mission was launched and Mundra soon ferreted out the light that would luminously guide his career to success: Solar Power. Solar Start! “I read the mission document of the National Solar Mission a couple of times and decided to set up a solar plant. I realised that apart from offering a new business opportunity in India, it was an extremely scalable business. Besides, I was happy that I was in a business that gives back something good to Mother Nature.”

UJAAS ENERGY LTD. Year of establishment : 2006 Director(s) : Shyam Sunder Mundra, Vikalp Mundra, Anurag Mundra City / State : Indore, Madhya Pradesh Market Pioneer : Solar power generation Certification : ISO 9001:2008; ISO 14001:2004 No. of employees : 197

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VIKALP MUNDRA

Jt. Managing Director & Promoter Vikalp Mundra, Jt. Managing Director & Promoter, Ujaas Energy Ltd. has tasted radiant success with his company emerging a winner in the segment of solar power. The only Indian listed company in the solar space category has been hailed by Forbes too!

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Ujaas Aura “The word ‘ujaas’ in the local language stands for ‘Light of the dawn’. Ujaas became the first company to generate and sell solar REC in India from its solar power plant of 2 MW commissioned at Rajgarh (Madhya Pradesh) in March 2012.” Three-Tier Winner! “We have three business verticals: Ujaas Park; Ujaas Mysite and Ujaas Home. Ujaas Park, our major innovation offers a complete turnkey solution to a small and medium size investor. Ujaas Mysite will establish solar projects at the sites of clients or inside greenfield project premises. Ujaas Home, as the name suggests, is concerned with providing solar solutions to homes.” Success Secret “Honesty, perseverance and commitment are crucial to success. Trust your team members and empower them fully. In life, there are no stationary goals, they’re always dynamic. Life is a journey and one should enjoy every moment of it. Meditation always helps me to remain in a state of bliss.” 111

‘I believe in encouraging women empowerment in the entrepreneurial ecosystem’

VARUN AGRO PROCESSING FOODS PVT. LTD. Year of establishment : 2010 Director(s) : Manisha Dhatrak, Shashikant Dhatrak City / State : Nashik, Maharashtra Market Pioneer : Tomato Pulp, Fruit Pulp Certification : ISO 9001:2008; ISO 14001:2004 No. of employees : 190 In association with

manisha dhatrak Managing Director Mrs. Manisha Dhatrak, Managing Director of Varun Agro Processing Foods Pvt. Ltd., is a first generation Women Entrepreneur. An electronic engineer by qualification always had it in her to face challenges and fulfill her dream of being an entrepreneur...

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Mrs. Manisha Dhatrak is the key person responsible for the creation, management, vision and execution of the business located in Nashik, Maharashtra. For a decade post her marriage she ran a small scale factory of tomato ketchup which was successful, giving her the confidence to conquer her dream to set up a large scale industry. She belonged from a farmer background and had farms with excessive production of tomatoes. She eventually decided to start off with aseptic food processing. On delivering the first production, the sample was approved by Hindustan Unilever Ltd. Today Varun Agro is an approved vendor of Hindustan Unilever Ltd. and is the largest tomato processor in India. Ladder of Learning “I faced many ups and downs, and initially made a huge investment in the business which was a step towards growing as an entrepreneur. There was a time when I couldn’t even afford a CA for my company; hence I had to take financial aid from a bank. Though it took almost a year for the loan to be sanctioned, it further geared the smooth running of the plant. I studied each equipment used in the industry in depth for nearly 5 years.” By the Farmer, For the Farmer “Implementing a public private partnership model, so far we have done contract farming with 5000 farmers in 15,000 acres in Dindori, Niphad Talukas of Nashik district. Under this contract, the entire quantity of fruits is purchased by the company from the farmers without any intermediaries. The farmers get their share of profit increasing their income hence, leading to an improved standard of living. Farmers are trained on better implementation of agricultural & environmental practices such as drip irrigation, mixed farming, perm-culture, crop rotation considering sustainable point of view that improves biodiversity.” En Route Growth “Our manufacturing facility located in Nashik, has an annual capacity of 48000MT. The estimated value of our sale is 6000MT, with production that runs 24X7 throughout the year. During the initial 9 months of FY-2013, almost 92% of the revenue came from the sale of tomato paste and rest came from fruit pulps like mangoes, pomegranates, papayas, lime, grapes, oranges and bananas. We are growing immensely and have entered into a contract with Unilever Asia Private Ltd. for supply of tomato paste. Today we are the suppliers & exporters of aseptic fruit pulps all across the globe. Our major markets are UK, Europe, South Africa, Gulf Countries, USA and Asia.” Zealous Opinion “Our motto is, ‘Working towards creating a better future every day’. Focus and hard-work has helped us as a team to achieve our targets. It’s my strong belief that women have it in them to take the next step towards starting a business without any hesitation. We are encouraging women empowerment and are working towards the better development of our country.”

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SPECIAL THANKS TO Shri. Vijay Vishwas Pant, IAS, PS to Hon’ble Minister of MSME Shri. Govind Jaiswal, OSD to Hon’ble Minister of MSME Shri. Siddharth Jhawar, OSD to Hon’ble Minister of State for Finance Ministry of MSME Shri. K. K. Jalan, IAS, Secretary Shri. S. N. Tripathi, IAS, Addl. Secretary & Dev. Commissioner Shri Manoj Joshi, IAS, Jt. Secretary SME

Acknowledgements

Vodafone India Ltd. Shri Ajay Sehgal, Sr. VP & Head SME, Vodafone India Ms. Ranjita Kanani, Head GTM Strategy, Vodafone India Ms. Monalisa Sahoo, Head Marketing, Vodafone Business Services Ms. Manjusha Dhavan, Vodafone Global Enterprise Standard Chartered Bank Shri Shyamal Saxena, Head, Retail Banking India Shri Pallav Garg, Executive Director & Head Business Banking (SME) Ms. Shanu Singh, Brand & Marketing - India Ms. Prerna Dey, Associate Director, Client Segment Business Banking Life Insurance Corporation of India Shri Tapan Arahandra, Secretary Corporate Communications Mrs. Komal, Corporate Communications NDTV Shri Pappan Mujumdar, Sr Vice President Ms. Rachana Oberoi, Producer Ms. Jasmine Makujina, Executive Producer Shri Rohit Kulkarni, Country Manager, Payoneer Inc. Ms. Radhika Chatterjee, Head Marketing, Infinia Corporate Solutions India SME Forum Shri. Vinod Kumar, Hon. President & Trustee Shri. Prahlad Kakar, Chairman of the Jury & Trustee Shri. T. R. Bajalia, Member of the Advisory Board Shri. J. S. Juneja, Member of the Advisory Board Shri. Hemendra Mathur, Member of the Advisory Board

Director General - India SME Forum Sushma Morthania Head Partnerships & Alliances - India SME Forum Bernard Joseph India SME Forum Team Dr. Dnyanada Khanolkar Shipra Verma Shruti Ingle Sneha Acharya Head of Initiative & Producer - India’s Small Giants Urvashi Wuthoo Senior Consultant Saurabh Ghosh Editorial Ajit Ramchandran Yazdgerd Bilimoria Ambika Wuthoo Amit Saraswat Asst. Producer Karan Gulyani Inhouse TV Production Jayant Kaushik Ashish Sah Web & IT Team Ajaz Ahmed Avdhesh Mishra Print & Production Shailesh Ghadigaonkar Rajesh Dhone Finance & Administration Vaishali Morthania Rajan Sarvatkar Rashmi Thomas

Printed and Published by Mrs. Shikha Chauhan, CEO, Nirvana Motion Pictures Ltd. for and on behalf of India SME Forum, for private circulation to Members and the trade. This Yearbook can be ordered from the office of the India SME Forum at a cost of Rs.2000/-. To order please send a request by mail to info@indiasmeforum.org or call +91 22 4113 99 99 If you would like to nominate an Enterprise for the India’s Small Giants, mail the Project Manager at projects@indiasmeforum.org India SME Forum Secretariat 404, Durga Chambers, Veera Industrial Estate, Off Veera Desai Road, Behind Hard Rock Café, Andheri West, Mumbai 400053

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