This article has been contributed by Prachi Mehta – Neuro Wellness Coach.
What success can vary from one person to another? It’s a highly individualized and changing definition, determined by personal experience, beliefs, and the background in which we’re raised. Behind how we are successful is our brain and its neural circuitry, developed since childhood and continually changing as we live.”. Since the moment we are born, our brain starts to wire itself according to what we experience.
Neural pathways, the networks that control how our brain communicates and processes information, are wired by our environment, society, and our internal thought processes. This wiring has a big impact on how we define success and how we tackle challenges. For most, these neural patterns become habitual, dictating the way we think, act, and respond. But for business owners, this wiring can be a strength or a limitation.
The secret to overcoming these mind barriers is to rewire the brain. Rewiring isn’t about becoming a different person—it’s about letting go of old patterns of thought and replacing them with new connections that foster growth, resilience, and achievement.
What Does Happen When You Rewire Your Brain?
When you rewire your brain, you’re essentially retraining it to think, act, and react in a manner that’s in your interest. Your brain has been programmed by years of experience, and those neural circuits are well embedded. But here’s the positive news: your brain is pliable. Neuroplasticity, the capacity of the brain to reorganize and create new neural pathways, allows you to establish new pathways at any point in life. It doesn’t matter how old you are, or when you begin; with persistence, you can establish new thought patterns.
Consider it similar to building muscle. If you exercise for a day, you won’t notice any changes. But if you stick to a routine for weeks or months, your body does start to alter. The same is true of your brain. If you make a conscious effort to train your brain to respond differently, it will start to change. Over time and with persistence, you will find that your reactions to problems become more positive, your attitude changes and your skill at taking measured risks increases.
One of the most potent rewiring tools available is Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP). NLP is a series of strategies that can be used to re-pattern your thoughts, behaviours, and emotional reactions. With NLP, you are able to start “wiping out” undesirable old memories or associations and install new, positive ones. It clears the way for mental blocks, dissipates self-doubt, and fosters an attitude favourable to growth and success.
By applying NLP methods, you are able to reframe how you perceive your past experiences, releasing restrictive beliefs that have possibly influenced your definition of success. As new pathways in the brain are created, the previous ones gradually erode, and you start to think and act in ways that respond to your new desires and objectives.
How Rewiring Transforms You
As you start to rewire your brain, you begin to feel a fundamental change in the way you think about success. You’ll find that you confront obstacles with more creativity, optimism, and resilience. Your confidence boosts, and you begin making choices that bring you closer to achieving your goals with clarity and focus.
This process doesn’t happen overnight. Just like building muscle, rewiring your brain requires consistent effort. But once those new neural pathways begin to take root, you’ll find that the mental shifts become more natural. You’ll feel more aligned with your purpose, and your sense of success will grow exponentially.
For business people, this revolution is imperative. Your mind dictates how you do business, how you approach risks, and how you treat your staff. A rewired mind translates into becoming more flexible, more creative, and more stress-resistant under adversity.
The Power of Consistency
Consistency is the secret to rewiring your brain. Like how it takes frequent visits to the gym in order to have muscles, you must constantly employ the mental routines that aid development. The more you repeat the routines of positive thinking, empowerment, and toughness, the stronger your new wiring gets.
By making small, intentional changes to your daily routine—whether through mindfulness, visualization, or using NLP techniques—you can gradually shift your mindset. Over time, these new thought patterns will replace the old ones, and you’ll begin to see significant changes in your life and business.
Conclusion
Rewiring your brain is an empowering tool for business owners who want to tap into their full potential. By liberating yourself from old patterns of thinking and establishing new neural pathways, you can build the mindset necessary to succeed in today’s competitive business environment. With the strength of neuroplasticity and tools such as NLP, you can rewire your thoughts, behaviours, and reactions, making them serve you instead of sabotaging you.
Success is not a place—it’s a thought process that begins from within. By taking control of how your brain works, you have the ability to create long-term change and accomplish your highest aspirations. Begin rewiring your brain today, and see your business and life change in ways you never believed possible.
The field of entrepreneurship is more of a roller coaster ride with various personalities and stories. These stories of perseverance and struggle create the basis of entrepreneurship and create unique experiences. And the same is true of the story of Samuel H. Sam Altman.
So, who is Sam Altman? He is an American entrepreneur, investor, programmer, and blogger. His success can be attributed to his previous role as the former President of Y Combinator and the current CEO of OpenAI. This article will provide information about Sam Altman’s net worth and his path to success.
This StartupTalky article explores Sam Altman’s success story, including his early life, history, childhood, personal life, education, work history, awards, net worth, and more.
Sam Altman Biography
Name
Samuel H. Altman
Born
April 22, 1985
Birthplace
Chicago, Illinois, US
Citizenship
American
Education Qualification
John Burroughs School, Stanford University (dropped out), University of Waterloo
Title
CEO of OpenAI, Chairman of Oklo Inc., Chairman of Helion Energy
Sam Altman is a highly successful American entrepreneur, investor, programmer, and blogger. His rise to fame can be attributed to his impressive career and impact in the technology industry. Born in April 1985 in Chicago, Illinois, Sam grew up in St. Louis, Missouri, where he received a personal computer at the age of 8. This sparked his interest in programming and set him on a path towards his future success. Sam Altman has been a vegetarian since childhood.
Sam Altman’s education started at John Burroughs School and completed his high school studies there. He was later admitted to Stanford University but had to drop out in 2005. Despite this setback, Sam continued to pursue his passion for technology and entrepreneurship. In 2017, the University of Waterloo awarded Sam Altman an honorary degree, recognizing his notable achievements in the industry.
Sam Altman’s brother, Jack Altman, is a well-known figure in the technology industry as well. Jack is the CEO and Co-Founder of Lattice, a successful technological employee engagement software. Sam, on the other hand, is best known for his startup, OpenAI, which has made a significant impact in the field of artificial intelligence.
As of 2023, Sam Altman’s net worth is between $500 million and $700 million, reflecting his successful career and impact in the technology industry. He continues to be a leading figure in the industry and is widely recognized for his innovative ideas and impactful contributions to the field of artificial intelligence and technology.
At the age of 19, Sam began his entrepreneurial journey with his first company, Loopt. It was a location-based social networking mobile app launched during a time when Facebook and Twitter were rising to dominance. Despite the competition, Loopt was successful in securing over $30 million in venture capital. However, the company shut down in 2012 due to a lack of traction and was later acquired byGreen Dot Corporation for $43.4 million.
Hydrazine Capital
Established in 2012 by the Altman brothers, Sam and Jack, Hydrazine Capital is an early-stage venture investment firm that secured $21 million for its inaugural fund. Notably, a substantial portion of the fund originated from the proceeds of Altman’s sale of Loopt and contributions from prominent investor Peter Thiel. By 2016, Hydrazine Capital’s valuation had reportedly surged tenfold since its inception. The firm has strategically invested in promising ventures, including ValueBase, Zenefits, BuildZoom, Verbling, and Soylent.
Working in Y Combinator
While working on Loopt, Sam began part-time work at Y Combinator in 2011. His contributions caught the eye of co-founder Paul Graham, who named Sam as the president of Y Combinator.
As president, Sam invested in his first batch of startups, including Loopt, Airbnb, Dropbox, Zenefits, and Stripe. He also aimed to expand Y Combinator’s reach, with a goal of funding 1,000 new companies per year and the creation of YC Group as an umbrella organization for Y Combinator’s various units. In 2005, Sam founded YC Community, a $700 million growth-stage equity fund for YC companies, and Y Combinator Research, a non-profit research lab to which he donated $10 million.
Reddit
In November 2014, Sam Altman assumed the role of interim CEO at Reddit for eight days, bridging the gap between the tenures of Yishan Wong and Ellen Pao. Reddit, a widely popular online platform, serves as a diverse community where users can share content, engage in discussions, and participate in various forums known as subreddits. Altman’s interim leadership at Reddit marked a transitional phase during a pivotal moment in the company’s organizational structure.
Worldcoin
In 2019, Sam Altman co-founded Tools For Humanity, a forward-thinking company spearheading the development of Worldcoin—an innovative global iris-based biometric system integrated with cryptocurrency. This pioneering project is designed to revolutionize online authentication by offering a dependable solution to combat the prevalence of bots and artificial intelligence-driven fake virtual identities. Setting itself apart, Worldcoin employs a distinctive cryptocurrency distribution mechanism inspired by Universal Basic Income (UBI) to incentivize user participation. To join the network, individuals undergo iris scanning using Worldcoin’s unique orb-shaped iris scanner, aligning biometrics with cryptocurrency in a novel way. Through this groundbreaking approach, Tools For Humanity aims to reshape the landscape of online identity verification and foster widespread adoption of Worldcoin.
AltC
AltC Acquisition Corp., established by Sam Altman and Michael Klein under Klein’s Churchill Capital franchise in July 2021, saw Altman assuming the CEO role. The company successfully merged with nuclear energy firm Oklo in July 2023.
It is not a surprise that Sam Altman is known for being a successful investor. He has invested in many companies like Airbnb, Stripe, Reddit, Asana, Pinterest, Teespring, Zenefits, FarmLogs, Shoptiques, and many more. His efforts have helped many companies to make a big mark in the startup ecosystem.
He was the CEO of Reddit for around eight days. Being an investor, he developed a way for the community to own a part of the company. This fuelled the popularity of the community and the company on the bigger stage. He was the one who announced the return of Steve Huffman as the CEO of Reddit on July 10, 2015. In Sam Altman’s book How to Be Successful, you can see how Sam was instrumental in the success of Reddit as a company.
Sam Altman – Association with Nuclear Energy
As an entrepreneur, Sam Altman is recognized for his association with Helion and Oklo. He believes that nuclear energy is a crucial area of technological advancement and has played a role in its development for several companies. Sam’s success has no limits, as his association with the nuclear energy sector has helped boost the power of nations.
Sam Altman – Association with OpenAI
Established in December 2015, OpenAI was co-founded by a notable group of individuals, including Sam Altman, Elon Musk, Greg Brockman, Pamela Vagata, Ilya Sutskever, Trevor Blackwell, Vicki Cheung, Andrej Karpathy, Durk Kingma, John Schulman, and Wojciech Zaremba. Originally conceived as a nonprofit entity, OpenAI aimed to advance artificial intelligence (AI) research for the collective benefit of humanity. The company gained prominence for its creation of ChatGPT, a sophisticated conversational language model.
Notably, OpenAI commenced its journey with a significant financial foundation, receiving a generous donation of $1 billion. This substantial contribution came from key figures such as Altman and Musk, as well as Greg Brockman, Reid Hoffman, Jessica Livingston, and Peter Thiel, and institutional support from Amazon Web Services (AWS), Infosys, and YC Research. This diverse and substantial backing underscored OpenAI’s commitment to pursuing AI advancements without being constrained by the typical need for financial returns, aligning with its broader mission to impact humanity positively through digital intelligence research. He details his involvement in the success of OpenAI in his book “How to be Successful.”
Altman was removed as CEO by the board in November 2023 but was reinstated shortly after.
The company released a statement saying, “Mr. Altman’s departure follows a deliberative review process by the board, which concluded that he was not consistently candid in his communications with the board, hindering its ability to exercise its responsibilities, The board no longer has confidence in his ability to continue leading OpenAI.”
This is what he wrote on his X account:
i loved my time at openai. it was transformative for me personally, and hopefully the world a little bit. most of all i loved working with such talented people.
Sam Altman, a tech entrepreneur, has been involved in various political activities. In 2018, he considered running for California governor but opted not to. He later launched “the United Slate” to address U.S. housing and healthcare issues. Altman supported Andrew Yang in the 2020 Democratic presidential race and donated $250,000 to Joe Biden’s super PAC. He advocates for land value taxation and universal basic income (UBI), even proposing a “universal basic compute” idea in 2024. Altman also supported Dean Phillips in his 2024 Democratic presidential challenge. He was appointed to San Francisco Mayor-Elect Daniel Lurie’s transition team and is set to host a fundraiser for Senator Mark Warner in 2025.
How to be Successful? – Tips from Sam Altman
Sam has been associated with many successful startups, and his book gives you many tips from his experience. Here are some tips and strategies that can be used when faced with the question, ‘What product should you build? And How to be successful?’
Product building: According to Sam Altman, one should build a product that is so good that people share the story about it with their friends. If you can build a product that is so good that people spontaneously tell their friends about it, then 80% of the job is done, says Sam.
Successful companies and popularity: Sam Altman says that the most successful companies like Google, Facebook, and Twitter are popular because of their popularity. The popularity came when users described the services offered by the companies to their friends.
Quality of the product: Sam Altman’s startup playbook talks about the importance of quality in determining the future of the company. The product should be easy to understand and use.
Market: Sam Altman’s blog also highlights the importance of the market for a successful entrepreneur. The entrepreneur should aim for a market that is undergoing exponential growth.
Trends: In Sam Altman’s book “How to be Successful,” he talks about how trends are also an important factor that can determine the popularity and future of a company. One should ensure that the trend the company follows in terms of choosing a platform is not fake.
Sam Altman – Awards and Recognitions
Early Accolade (2008): BusinessWeek recognized Sam Altman as one of the “Best Young Entrepreneurs in Technology.”
Investment Influence (2015): Forbes named Altman the top investor under 30, highlighting his impact in the investment realm.
LGBTQ Advocacy (2017): GLAAD honored Altman with the Ric Weiland Award for his contributions to LGBTQ acceptance in the tech industry.
TIME100 Recognition (April 2023): Altman earned a spot on the prestigious TIME100 list in April 2023.
TIME Cover Feature (June 2023): Altman was featured on the cover of Time in June 2023, celebrating OpenAI’s inclusion in the TIME100 Most Influential Companies list.
AI Influence (September 2023): Altman was honored on the TIME100 AI list in September 2023, acknowledging his influence in artificial intelligence.
Sam Altman – Controversy
Sam Altman’s resignation: In November 2023, the company’s board fired Sam Altman as CEO of OpenAI. The board cited a lack of candor in Altman’s communications with them as the reason for his dismissal. This surprised many, as Altman was a co-founder of OpenAI and had been a vocal leader in the field of artificial intelligence (AI).
Appointment of Mira Murati: In the wake of Altman’s dismissal, the board appointed Mira Murati as interim CEO of OpenAI on the 17th of November. Murati is a researcher and entrepreneur with a background in AI and robotics, and she was the CTO of OpenAI. She is also a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and a member of the World Economic Forum.
Emmett Shear Joins the Board: On the 19th of November, the board extended Emmett Shear’s role as interim chief, the former CEO of Twitch. Despite concerns about AI, he accepted. Altman’s return followed rumors, possibly fueled by investor pressure, with Microsoft, a major shareholder, potentially influencing the decision.
Altman’s Microsoft Move: On November 21, an internal memo revealed OpenAI’s endeavors to address internal conflicts, exploring the possibility of Sam Altman returning. Unexpectedly, Microsoft’s CEO announced that Altman and others dismissed from OpenAI would be welcomed at Microsoft. The emphasis was on fostering independent identities and cultures for innovators within the company, signaling a notable shift in the tech landscape.
Altman’s Return to OpenAI: Almost 700 out of 770 OpenAI staff considered resigning due to leadership concerns, seeking the board’s resignation. Despite tempting offers, the majority remained loyal. OpenAI approached Anthropic’s CEO for a replacement and merger, but the offer was rejected. On November 22, Altman resumed the CEO role, merely four days after his dismissal by the board, citing a “loss of confidence” in his leadership.
Sam Altman’s entrepreneurial journey has been nothing short of inspiring. His diverse involvement in the startup world has solidified his position as a leading figure in the industry. With a commendable drive to make a positive impact on society, Altman is poised to go down in history as one of the most memorable entrepreneurs of all time. For those looking to follow in his footsteps, Sam has established YC Group, a platform dedicated to supporting and guiding the growth of budding entrepreneurs and their businesses.
FAQs
Who is Sam Altman?
Sam Altman is regarded as one of the most influential entrepreneurs of all time. He is an American entrepreneur, investor, programmer, and blogger. He is also the CEO of OpenAI and the former president of Y Combinator.
Who is the CEO of OpenAI?
Sam Altman is the CEO of Open AI.
Where was Sam Altman born?
Sam Altman was born in April 1985 in Chicago, Illinois.
What did Sam Altman do?
He is the CEO of OpenAI and the former president of Y Combinator.
Who is Sam Altman wife?
Sam Altman has been openly gay since his youth.
What is Sam Altman education?
Sam Altman attended Stanford University but dropped out in 2005 to pursue his entrepreneurial ambitions. He initially studied computer science but left to co-found Loopt, a location-based social networking company, which was later acquired by Green Dot Corporation.
What is Sam Altman net worth?
Sam Altman’s net worth is 1.5 billion USD as of 2025.
What is Sam Altman full name?
Samuel H. Sam Altman is the full name of Sam Altman.
What is Sam Altman age?
Sam Altman was born on April 22, 1985. He is 40 years old.
This year, India marks nine years of Startup India, a transformative journey that began in 2016. National Startup Day honours how entrepreneurs and startups are reshaping economies and societies. It celebrates creativity, tenacity, and innovation while emphasising the role that entrepreneurs play in advancing technology and environmentally friendly solutions. The day also highlights how crucial it is to create an environment that supports audacious ideas and gives business owners the confidence to question the status quo and create the future.
What DPIIT’s Official Data Reveals?
As of January 15, 2025, the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) had recognised over 1.59 lakh firms, solidifying India’s position as the world’s third-largest startup ecosystem. Over 100 unicorns power this thriving ecosystem, which is redefining entrepreneurship and innovation globally. This change has been driven by major cities like Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Mumbai, and Delhi-NCR, but smaller cities have also been making a greater contribution to the country’s entrepreneurial spirit.
Fintech, edtech, healthtech, and e-commerce startups have overcome regional obstacles and achieved international acclaim. India’s transition from job seekers to employment creators is exemplified by companies like Zomato, Nykaa, and Ola, which propel economic growth.
The Main Pockets of Startup Sector
According to DPIIT data, non-metropolitan areas account for more than half (51%) of India’s DPIIT-registered companies. An encouraging indication of India’s entrepreneurial potential is the growing number of businesses originating from non-metropolitan areas. Cities such as Jaipur, Indore, Coimbatore, Vadodara, and Surat provide entrepreneurs with affordable talent and growth prospects. In the meanwhile, companies receive substantial help from government-led incubator programs like Telangana’s T-Hub, which unlocks trillions of dollars in value and transforms India’s entrepreneurial scene. From 2014 to 2024, all of these emerging businesses have raised about $158 billion in capital.
Jobs Generation
By creating more than 16.6 lakh direct jobs in a variety of industries as of October 31, 2024, DPIIT-recognised startups have made a substantial contribution to the creation of jobs. With 2.04 lakh jobs, the IT services sector is the largest, followed by healthcare and life sciences (1.47 lakh) and professional and commercial services (about 94,000). These contributions demonstrate how startups propel economic expansion and generate a wide range of job possibilities across sectors.
A number of flagship programs have been introduced by the Startup India initiative to offer entrepreneurs all-encompassing assistance at various phases of their development. In order to ensure the expansion and viability of startups, these programs seek to solve important issues like funding, market access, and credit guarantees.
Startup India Seed Fund Scheme (SISFS)
With a capital of INR 945 crore, SISFS was established with the goal of giving entrepreneurs financial support for proof of concept, prototype development, product trials, market entry, and commercialisation during a four-year period beginning in 2021–2022. This would allow these firms to advance to a point where they can look for loans from commercial banks or other financial institutions, or raise money from venture capitalists or angel investors.
Credit Guarantee Scheme for Startups (CGSS)
The goal of the Credit Guarantee Scheme for Startups (CGSS) is to offer a credit guarantee up to a predetermined amount against loans made by Member Institutions (MIs) to finance qualified borrowers, or startups, as defined in the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade’s (DPIIT) periodically amended Gazette Notification.
Fund of Funds for Startups (FFS) Scheme
In accordance with the Start-up India Action Plan, the Prime Minister introduced FFS on January 16, 2016. A corpus of INR 10,000 crore has been granted for contributions to different Alternative Investment Funds (AIFs) that are SEBI-registered. FFS was established with the specific goal of assisting the growth and development of innovation-driven businesses. It does this by facilitating start-ups’ finance needs through participation in SEBI-registered Alternative Investment Fund funds.
Sates Realising the Power of Startups
The push for local entrepreneurs by the federal and state governments goes well beyond statistics and lofty discourse. A growing number of states increasingly see startups as a means of boosting demand and creating jobs. In 2016, for example, only four states had specific startup policies. This figure, which has now increased to 31 states and union territories (UTs), provides insight into how startups have gained popularity with influential decision-makers and oversight organisations. In addition to promoting policies, the Centre has onboarded numerous startups on sites such as the Government e-Marketplace (GeM) to expedite its procurement process and provide them with a platform to market their products directly to customers without the need for intermediaries. According to the DPIIT, as of October 2024, 27,208 of the 1.59 lakh certified firms had listed on GeM and fulfilled 3.53 lakh orders of INR 30,825 Cr.
BHASKAR: Strengthening the Startup Ecosystem in India
The Bharat Startup Knowledge Access Registry (BHASKAR) platform was introduced by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) in September 2024, in addition to the previously listed programs. The goal of this innovative project, which is a component of Startup India, is to centralise and simplify interactions within the Indian entrepreneurial ecosystem. In line with India’s goal of becoming a global leader in entrepreneurship, BHASKAR seeks to promote innovation, cooperation, and growth by bringing together startups, investors, mentors, service providers, and governmental organisations.
Startup Mahakumbh: Promoting Creativity
As a premier event, the Startup Mahakumbh unites investors, industry leaders, ecosystem players, startups, unicorns, and soonicorns. It promotes discussion to fortify the country’s startup ecosystem while showcasing India’s technological potential and entrepreneurial spirit.
With over 1,300 exhibitors spread across ten themed pavilions, the inaugural event in 2024 set an impressive example. Attracting a remarkable number of over 48,000 business travellers, it developed into a flourishing centre for innovative concepts and significant collaborations. With the theme “Startup India @ 2047—Unfolding the Bharat Story,” the second edition, which is slated to take place at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi from April 3–5, 2025, is expected to surpass expectations. As India moves closer to being a global centre of innovation by 2047, this ambitious theme seeks to examine the future of the startup ecosystem in that country.
As India commemorates the ninth anniversary of the Startup India initiative, the nation’s entrepreneurial scene has seen a notable transition. With more than 1.59 lakh businesses recognised by DPIIT and an expanding workforce, India has solidified its position as a global centre for entrepreneurship and innovation. Through flagship programs, capacity-building initiatives, platforms like BHASKAR, and events like Startup Mahakumbh, the initiative has empowered companies in non-metropolitan areas as well as other sectors. An inclusive and dynamic entrepreneurial ecosystem is fostered by the Startup India program, which continues to be a major driver of economic growth as India moves closer to becoming a global leader in innovation.
Trishneet Arora is an Indian Entrepreneur, Ethical Hacker, and Author. He is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the cyber security company, TAC Security Solutions. He has written several books based on cyber security, ethical hacking, and web defense. He was bestowed with the Entrepreneur of the Year award in 2020 by the Entrepreneur magazine in the Security Services Category.
He was named in the Fortune 40 Under 402019 list of India’s Brightest Business Minds. He was listed in the Forbes 30 Under 302018 Asia list. He is profoundly known as Mark Zuckerberg of India and is highly praised for what he has achieved in his tender 20s. Moreover, his company is predicted to achieve a $1 billion net worth in the next year. With Trishneet Arora’s net worth of around INR 1100 crore at the age of just 30, let’s look at how Trishneet’s journey has been from a middle-class family to get into the esteemed Forbes List.
Learn more about Trishneet Arora, his net worth, education, family, TAC Security, and more from this article. This story of Trishneet Arora will surely spark some inspiration & dedication in many!
Trishneet Arora- Journey From a Middle Class Family to Forbes List
Trishneet Arora Story
Trishneet Arora- Personal Life
Trishneet was born in Ludhiana, Punjab, India. He came from a middle-class family. He had no background in computer engineering or so in his family. His parents were not happy with his studies as he was solely interested in the technical knowledge of computers and hardly liked the theoretical structure of school education. His passion grew from playing video games to cordially understanding the hardware of the system.
Trishneet Arora- Education
Trishneet had no interest in the formal structure of school education. He failed in standard 8th but his technical knowledge led him to cross a milestone in his professional career. Not much is known about his further education and qualifications.
However, his fascination for computers did not let him focus anywhere else. He focused only on learning new computer skills and techniques. Gradually, he became fascinated with ethical hacking. He read international books that helped him to learn the required knowledge of computers and hacking.
Trishneet Arora- Professional Life
He has conducted several training sessions with the officials and helped the Punjab and Gujarat Police in investigating cyber crimes. Reliance Industries, Central Bureau of Investigation, Punjab Police, and Gujarat Police are some of his crucial clients.
He is a cyber security expert and is also famous for authoring books like The Hacking Era,Hacking TALKwith Trishneet Arora, and Hacking with Smart Phones. He held countless seminars, lectures, and workshops based on technical manuals throughout his career.
At age 19, he started his own cyber security firm, TAC Security Solutions. The famous filmmaker Sunil Bohra is working on a biographical film based on the life of Trishneet Arora. The film is expected to be released soon with Hansal Mehta as the Director of the movie.
Trishneet serves as the Founder and CEO of TAC Security, headquartered in Mumbai, India. He founded the cyber security firm on27 February 2013. The company has worked with Fortune 500 companies. It is considered one of the Empanelled Cyber Security Auditors for the Union Government, that manages UPI and NPCI.
TAC Security
The company offers protection to corporations against data theft and network vulnerabilities. It primarily provides vulnerability assessment and penetration testing services. He also asserted that there have been innumerable attacks against different portals of his company.
The venture has four office locations across two countries. It also offers cyber security to various Indian companies including Reliance Industries. TAC Security raised Pre-Series “A” funding from Indian Investor Vijay Kedia in 2016. Before that, the firm had inducted the former Vice President of Cognizant, Subinder Khurana on its board.
In June 2021, Tech Mahindra announced a partnership with Trishneet Arora’s cybersecurity firm, TAC Security. The partnership will leverage AI and user-friendly analytics to help reduce vulnerabilities across the entire IT stack to safeguard clients’ applications and infrastructure against cyber threats.
Along with Tech Mahindra, TAC Security has partnered with 21 global partners from 9 countries, including Google, IBM, and Deloitte. TAC Security’s revenue has 1.5 times in FY 21-22 from the previous year of FY20-21.
Trishneet Arora- Success Story
He started his career in the IT field as a Tech Instructor. He variably made a good network by conducting sessions at many places. He eventually got recognized and wasrecommended to companies and government organizations for providing training in IT infrastructure and data security issues.
While continuing with the offered work, he knew that someday he would build a promising future with a well-established cybersecurity firm. His hard work and determination led to the formation of his company, TAC Security Solutions, in 2012.
The Gujarat Police Department officials were impressed by Trishneet’s speech, which was delivered in 2013 and they invited him to conduct a workshop for their crime division. His journey of competing with the criminals while working on cybercrime for the law started henceforth.
Recently, Trishneet Arora announced that he will offer jobs to Agniveers. Agniveers are the candidates who will enroll under the Agneepath Scheme of the central government of India. They will be given 4 years of training in the armed forces of their choice to fulfill the dream of joining the Indian Army and serving the nation.
“Agniveers are an important asset to the society, our youth is the strength of the nation that would be an honour to give back, contribute and empower the youth. The people in reference are going to be empowered to be cyber warriors and we are grateful for their services so far,” – Founder and CEO of TAC Security, Trishneet Arora.
The cyber security company, TAC Security has won more than 100 Awards globally in FY 21-22 by Forbes, Fortune 500, and more. Trishneet Arora also got many awards for his entrepreneurship.
Ranked 6th Youngest Rich Indian on Hurun Rich List (2024)
Listed in the Forbes India Top 100 Great People Managers (2020)
Conferred with Entrepreneur of the Year award (2020)
Listed in the Fortune India’s 40 Under 40 (2019)
St. Gallen Symposium listed his name in Leaders of Tomorrow (2018)
Listed in the Forbes Asia 30 Under 30
GQ Magazine listed him in the 50 most influential young Indians (2017)
Received Punjabi Icon Award from PCHB (2015)
The Chief Minister of Punjab, Parkash Singh Badal conferred him with the State Award on the 65th Republic Day (2014)
FAQs
Who is Trishneet Arora?
Trishneet Arora is an Indian Entrepreneur, Ethical Hacker, and Author. He is the Founder, Director, and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the cybersecurity company, TAC Security Solutions.
How much is Trishneet Arora Net Worth?
Trishneet’s net worth is INR 1100 crore (September 2024).
What is Trishneet Arora’s Education?
Trishneet had no interest in the formal structure of school education. He failed in standard 8th but his technical knowledge led him to cross a milestone in his professional career.
Where is Trishneet Arora from?
TAC security founder, Trishneet Arora is from Ludhiana.
What is TAC Security Solutions?
TAC Security is a global leader in vulnerability management that protects Fortune 500 companies, leading enterprises, and governments around the world.
StartupTalky presents Recap’23, a series of in-depth interviews where we engage with founders and industry leaders to explore their growth in 2023 and their predictions for the future.
OTT platforms will continue to disrupt traditional media and may even start to compete directly with cable and satellite TV providers. This could lead to more cord-cutting and a shift in the traditional TV landscape
Revenue in the OTT Video market in India is projected to reach US$4,144.00m in 2024. The market is expected to show an annual growth rate (CAGR 2024-2028) of 7.74%, resulting in a projected market volume of US$5,584.00m by 2028.
In a recent Recap’23 interview, we at StartupTalky had the privilege of connecting with Kaushik Das, CEO & Founder of AAO NXT. We explored how the AAO NXT industry is revolutionizing the OTT platform industry by analyzing its documentaries, web series, feature films, and future strategies.
StartupTalky: What service does your company provide? What was the motivation/vision with which you started?
Mr. Kaushik Das: AAONXT stands as Eastern India’s premier OTT platform, curating a rich array of web series, feature films, and documentaries. Our foundational vision was to bridge the gap in global entertainment by highlighting indigenous Odia content, celebrating Odisha’s cinematic heritage, and reaching out to the vast diaspora of over 50 million Odias worldwide.
StartupTalky: What new services have been added in the past year? What is/are the USP/s of your service?
Mr. Kaushik Das: Yes, we’ve continually expanded our content library. Our offerings now span across diverse genres and languages, including Assamese, reflecting our commitment to linguistic diversity. Our USP lies in our focus on authentic regional narratives, ensuring that stories resonate universally while staying rooted in their cultural origins.
StartupTalky: How has the industry you are in changed in recent years and how has your company adapted to these changes?
Mr. Kaushik Das: In the rapidly evolving landscape of digital content consumption, AAONXT has consistently demonstrated agility and foresight. Recognizing the pivotal role of collaborations in amplifying our content portfolio, we’ve forged strategic partnerships with leading production houses. These alliances not only enriched our content library but also positioned us as a preferred platform for diverse content creators, ensuring a steady influx of high-quality content.
Moreover, understanding that user experience is paramount in retaining and expanding our viewer base, we’ve invested significantly in refining our platform’s interface. Our user-friendly design, intuitive navigation, and personalized recommendation algorithms have enhanced viewer engagement, fostering longer sessions and deeper content exploration.
Beyond content and design, our commitment to innovation is unwavering. We continually monitor industry trends, harnessing emerging technologies and methodologies to enhance our platform’s capabilities. Our audience-centric approach means that every feature, update, or content addition is meticulously curated, keeping viewer preferences and feedback at the core.
In essence, our proactive approach to partnerships, coupled with a relentless focus on enhancing user experience and pioneering innovation, has positioned AAONXT as a trailblazer in the digital content realm, adeptly navigating industry transformations.
StartupTalky: How do you stay up-to-date on the latest trends and developments in your industry?
Mr. Kaushik Das: We prioritize market research, engage in collaborations with content creators, and invest in technological advancements. Our team actively attends industry events, ensuring we’re always abreast of emerging trends and developments.
StartupTalky: What key metrics do you track to check the company’s growth and performance?
Mr. Kaushik Das: For AAONXT, the metrics we prioritize offer a comprehensive view of our platform’s health, audience satisfaction, and growth trajectory. At the forefront, subscriber growth remains a vital barometer of our platform’s appeal and market penetration. A rising subscriber base not only signifies increased brand recognition but also underlines the efficacy of our content and user experience.
Content engagement rates provide us with insights into how effectively our offerings resonate with viewers. High engagement, reflected through metrics like watch time, shares, and interactions, indicates content relevance and viewer satisfaction. This engagement, in turn, fosters a sense of community and loyalty among our user base.
Viewer feedback stands as a testament to our commitment to continuous improvement. We actively solicit and analyze feedback, using it as a catalyst for refining our platform, enhancing content offerings, and addressing user pain points. Such direct insights from our audience enable us to remain agile and responsive to evolving preferences.
Strategic partnership expansions offer a dual benefit. They not only amplify our content library but also solidify our position in the industry, opening doors to collaborative ventures that drive mutual growth and innovation.
Additionally, the diversity of our content library and user retention metrics are pivotal in our evaluation matrix. A diverse content portfolio ensures that we cater to varied audience segments, fostering inclusivity and broadening our appeal. Meanwhile, robust user retention metrics, indicative of viewer loyalty and satisfaction, reaffirm our platform’s value proposition and sustainable growth potential.
In summary, a holistic blend of subscriber growth, content engagement, viewer feedback, strategic alliances, content diversity, and user retention forms the cornerstone of our performance evaluation, guiding AAONXT’s strategic direction and operational excellence.
StartupTalky: What were the most significant challenges your company faced in the past year and how did you overcome them?
Mr. Kaushik Das: While content acquisition and market positioning presented challenges, we overcame them by forging stronger collaborations with local content creators and innovating our content distribution strategies, ensuring a wider reach and diverse offerings.
StartupTalky: Good service is something everyone is talking about in the service industry. How do you ensure that your clients are happy?
Mr. Kaushik Das: In the fiercely competitive landscape of digital content delivery, AAONXT’s unwavering dedication to service excellence is deeply rooted in a multifaceted approach that places our users at the heart of every decision and innovation. At its core, our commitment is anchored in crafting personalized user experiences that resonate with individual preferences and viewing habits. Recognizing that every viewer is unique, we’ve invested extensively in developing algorithms and user interfaces that curate content tailored to specific tastes, ensuring that each user feels seen, understood, and catered to.
Prompt and efficient customer support stands as another cornerstone of our strategy. We’ve established robust channels for user queries, feedback, and concerns, ensuring that our response mechanisms are not just reactive but proactive. Our customer support teams are trained to anticipate user needs, offer timely resolutions, and foster positive interactions that enhance overall user satisfaction.
Furthermore, our dedication to unparalleled client satisfaction extends beyond individual interactions to encompass broader community engagement initiatives. We’ve cultivated vibrant online communities where users can connect, share feedback, discuss content, and even influence future platform developments. These community-centric spaces not only foster a sense of belonging among users but also provide us with invaluable insights into emerging trends, preferences, and areas of improvement.
Consistent iteration forms the final pillar of our commitment. We view user feedback as a catalyst for growth and innovation, continually refining and enhancing our platform based on user insights. Whether it’s introducing new content categories, optimizing streaming speeds, or enhancing user interface elements, every update and enhancement is meticulously designed to meet and exceed viewer expectations.
In essence, AAONXT’s strategy for ensuring unparalleled client satisfaction is a synergistic blend of personalized user experiences, responsive customer support, vibrant community engagement, and continuous iteration based on user feedback. Through these concerted efforts, we strive to set industry benchmarks for service excellence, reinforcing our position as a platform that truly values and prioritizes its users.
StartupTalky: What are the different strategies you use for marketing? Tell us about any growth hack that you pulled off.
Mr. Kaushik Das: Navigating the competitive terrain of the digital content industry demands a multifaceted and dynamic marketing approach. At AAONXT, our growth trajectory has been shaped by a strategic blend of innovative marketing strategies, each tailored to amplify our brand presence, engage our audience, and foster sustainable growth.
Central to our marketing blueprint are our digital campaigns. Leveraging data-driven insights and analytics, we’ve crafted targeted campaigns that resonate with specific audience segments, driving awareness, engagement, and conversion. These campaigns are meticulously designed to highlight our unique value propositions, showcase our diverse content offerings, and reinforce our brand ethos in memorable ways.
Influencer collaborations stand as another pivotal pillar of our marketing strategy. Recognizing the influential power of digital personalities and content creators, we’ve forged strategic partnerships with influencers who align with our brand values and resonate with our target demographic. These collaborations have enabled us to tap into new audience pools, foster authentic brand advocacy, and leverage the credibility and reach of influencers to amplify our messaging.
Complementing our digital campaigns and influencer partnerships are our community-driven initiatives. We’ve cultivated a vibrant online community around AAONXT, fostering spaces where users can engage, share feedback, discuss content, and even contribute to platform enhancements. This community-centric approach not only fosters brand loyalty but also turns users into brand ambassadors, driving organic growth through word-of-mouth referrals and peer recommendations.
A standout growth hack that has significantly propelled our expansion has been our localized content approach. Recognizing the diverse linguistic and cultural landscape of our target audience, we’ve invested in curating content that resonates deeply with regional sensibilities and preferences. This hyper-localized content strategy has not only enhanced user engagement and retention but also fostered a deeper connection with our audience, driving organic growth as satisfied users advocate for AAONXT within their communities.
In summary, AAONXT’s marketing strategies blend data-driven digital campaigns, strategic influencer collaborations, community-driven initiatives, and a hyper-localized content approach to drive brand awareness, engagement, and growth. Through these concerted efforts, we’ve carved a distinctive niche in the digital content landscape, continuously expanding our footprint and reinforcing our position as a preferred platform for regional content consumption.
StartupTalky: Foreign clients- this is what most of the service-based companies are looking for. What has been your experience?
Mr. Kaushik Das: Engaging with a global audience has been a transformative experience for AAONXT, particularly in our interactions with the expansive Odia diaspora scattered across continents. The rich tapestry of cultural connections and shared experiences that bind the global Odia community has provided us with a unique vantage point to understand the nuanced content preferences and aspirations of Indians residing overseas.
Our content, meticulously curated to reflect the diverse cultural ethos of Odisha, has resonated deeply with the global Odia diaspora, serving as a nostalgic bridge to their roots and a vibrant celebration of their cultural heritage. This resonance has transcended geographical boundaries, forging a powerful emotional connection that transcends mere content consumption, transforming it into a shared cultural experience that unites the global Odia community.
Beyond content consumption, our engagement with the global Odia diaspora has been characterized by vibrant interactions, feedback loops, and community-driven initiatives. The enthusiastic response from overseas audiences has been instrumental in refining our global content strategy, ensuring that our offerings strike a harmonious balance between preserving regional authenticity and catering to the cosmopolitan sensibilities of a global audience.
Furthermore, the feedback and insights garnered from our interactions with the global Odia community have been invaluable in shaping our broader global content strategy. These insights have empowered us to craft content that resonates universally, transcending cultural boundaries to captivate and engage diverse audiences, irrespective of their geographical location.
In essence, our experience in engaging with foreign clients, particularly the global Odia diaspora, has been immensely rewarding. Their feedback, enthusiasm, and unwavering support have not only enriched our content offerings but also reaffirmed the universal appeal and enduring power of regional narratives. Through these engagements, we’ve forged stronger bonds with our global audience, reinforcing AAONXT’s position as a trusted curator of authentic regional content that resonates with Indians all over the world, fostering a sense of unity, belonging, and shared cultural pride.
StartupTalky: What are the important tools and software you use to run your business smoothly?
Mr. Kaushik Das: State-of-the-art streaming technologies, content management systems, analytics platforms, and AI-driven recommendation engines have been pivotal in enhancing our platform’s efficiency and user experience.
StartupTalky: What opportunities do you see for future growth in your industry in India and the world? What kind of difference in market behavior have you seen between India and the world?
Mr. Kaushik Das: As we cast our gaze towards the future, the digital content industry stands at the cusp of unprecedented growth and transformation, presenting a myriad of opportunities and trajectories that promise to redefine the landscape both within India and on the global stage.
Domestically, India’s burgeoning digital adoption, fueled by robust internet penetration, affordable smartphones, and a tech-savvy youth demographic, sets the stage for exponential industry growth. The rapidly evolving digital infrastructure, coupled with a burgeoning middle class with disposable income, creates a fertile ground for platforms like AAONXT to flourish. We anticipate a surge in demand for diverse, high-quality digital content that caters to a myriad of tastes, preferences, and regional nuances. This demand will not only fuel content consumption but also stimulate innovation, fostering a vibrant ecosystem of creators, storytellers, and technologists who collaborate to push the boundaries of digital content creation and delivery.
Furthermore, as India continues its march towards becoming a digital-first nation, we foresee a democratization of content creation, with regional narratives and voices taking center stage. This democratization will pave the way for a renaissance of regional storytelling, enabling platforms like AAONXT to serve as catalysts that amplify these voices, making localized narratives accessible, resonant, and celebrated on a national scale.
On the global front, the ascendance of regional content to mainstream prominence heralds a new era of cultural exchange and appreciation. Platforms like AAONXT, with their curated repositories of authentic regional content, are uniquely positioned to bridge cultural divides, fostering a global community that transcends geographical boundaries. We anticipate a growing appetite for diverse, localized content among international audiences, driven by a desire for authentic storytelling that offers a window into different cultures, traditions, and perspectives.
Moreover, as global audiences increasingly seek content that resonates on a personal and cultural level, the demand for regional content is poised to skyrocket, offering platforms like AAONXT an unprecedented opportunity to expand their global footprint, forge strategic partnerships, and emerge as leaders in the global digital content space.
All in all, the horizon is brimming with potential and promise for the digital content industry. Domestically, India’s digital transformation promises a golden era of growth and innovation, while on the global stage, the rise of regional content opens doors to new markets, audiences, and opportunities. As we navigate this exciting landscape, platforms like AAONXT are poised to play a pivotal role in shaping the future of digital content, fostering cultural exchange, and celebrating the rich tapestry of stories that unite us all.
StartupTalky: What lessons did your team learn in the past year and how will these inform your future plans and strategies?
Mr. Kaushik Das: Adaptability, audience-centricity, and collaboration have been key learnings. These insights shape our future strategies, emphasizing innovation, talent acquisition, and fostering a culture of continuous learning and growth.
StartupTalky: Drawing from your rich entrepreneurial journey, what singular piece of advice would you extend to fellow founders within the service sector?
Mr. Kaushik Das: Embarking on an entrepreneurial journey within the service sector is both exhilarating and challenging, marked by moments of triumph and adversity. Reflecting on my own experiences and lessons learned along the way, there is a singular piece of advice that I would wholeheartedly extend to fellow founders navigating this dynamic landscape: cultivate a relentless focus on innovation, prioritize the evolving needs of your audience, and foster resilience as your guiding force.
Innovation stands as the lifeblood of any successful venture, especially within the service sector where differentiation and value proposition are paramount. Embracing innovation means continually challenging the status quo, seeking novel solutions to persistent challenges, and staying abreast of emerging trends, technologies, and market dynamics. It’s about fostering a culture of curiosity, experimentation, and forward-thinking that empowers your team to envision and create groundbreaking services that resonate deeply with your audience.
Equally critical is the unwavering commitment to prioritize the needs and aspirations of your audience. In the service sector, success is intrinsically tied to your ability to understand, anticipate, and exceed customer expectations. This entails cultivating a deep sense of empathy, actively listening to customer feedback, and iterating your services based on real-world insights. By placing your audience at the heart of your decision-making process, you not only enhance customer satisfaction but also foster enduring relationships that drive loyalty, advocacy, and sustained growths.
Resilience, perhaps, is the most invaluable trait that I would advocate for. Entrepreneurship, with its inherent uncertainties and challenges, demands a steadfast resolve and unwavering determination to persevere in the face of adversity. It’s about embracing failures as invaluable learning opportunities, navigating through obstacles with grace and grit, and maintaining an unwavering belief in your vision and mission, even when the path forward seems fraught with challenges. Resilience is what transforms setbacks into comebacks, trials into triumphs, and dreams into realities.
In essence, my advice to fellow founders within the service sector is to embrace innovation as your compass, prioritize your audience as your North Star, and cultivate resilience as your steadfast ally. By weaving these principles into the fabric of your entrepreneurial journey, you not only set the stage for sustained success but also leave an indelible impact on the communities you serve, the industry you operate in, and the world at large. These responses encapsulate AAONXT’s journey, vision, and strategic approach in the digital entertainment landscape.
The Indian startup circuit has witnessed many astounding stories. The growth of many multinational companies has added to its worth and value as an ecosystem where everyone gets an opportunity to shine and rise. With the new era approaching, it is time to have a sneak peek into one of the most successful entrepreneurs, Vijay Shekhar Sharma. Well, if you are residing in India or if you have kept in touch with the Indian startup ecosystem, then you might have heard about Paytm. It is one of the first e-wallets and is still considered the representative of the Indian startup system in the e-wallet circuit.
Vijay Shekhar Sharma is a billionaire with a $1.2 billion net worth. Once, Sharma used to earn around Rs 10,000 a month when he was 27 years old and based in Aligarh. From the small town of Aligarh to being the head of one of the largest fintech companies focused on digital payments and wallet-based payments, the journey of Vijay Shekhar Sharma is as unique and interesting as it is inspiring.
So, let’s take a walk along the journey of Vijay Shekhar Sharma and get a glance at the key highlights of Vijay Shekhar Sharma’s Story, Education, net worth, obstacles & more.
Vijay Shekhar Sharma- Biography
Name
Vijay Shekhar Sharma
Born
8 July 1978 Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh, India
Citizenship
Indian
Education
B.Tech from Delhi College of Engineering (now Delhi Technological University)
Vijay’s story can be compared with that of Mahendra Singh Dhoni. Both of them came from small towns but were full of sheer determination and passion, and eventually brought about a big change in the system. In real life, Vijay is self-effacing and has no pretensions. He speaks from the heart. His colleagues love him because he is a genuine person who is kind to all. Talking about the Indian startup circuit, everyone loves him because he epitomizes startup resilience.
Vijay is further known for his love of rock music and rock concerts. The Paytm founder is also famous for his heartfelt speeches. Furthermore, he is a really cheerful person as a CEO and often takes the stage to deliver motivational speeches that are roaringly applauded both by the employees of Paytm and other audiences.
Whenever Vijay shared his life story, one would get the idea that he truly understands what it takes to succeed in the ever-changing and challenging world of entrepreneurship. He has been on the receiving side of the harsh times when one would have to toil hard with no guarantee of success. However, Vijay has a wonderful ability, which is to make others laugh because he admires his roots and failures.
The above-mentioned characteristics of Vijay make him one of the most charming CEOs in the country today. However, one must be aware of the fact that his self-effacing humour doesn’t take away Vijay’s staunch belief in inspiring change.
Vijay Shekhar Sharma- Overcoming The Tough Circumstances
Vijay was the third of four children born to school teacher Sulom Prakash and Asha Sharma, a homemaker. He has seen the tough life of the economically backward section of the country. When he was a 12-year-old kid who used to sport a chappal and visit his school, his batchmates had no money to afford a pair of slippers. After witnessing this, he wrote a poem expressing his bewilderment at the inequalities of life.
Vijay hailed from Aligarh, where he was based in a small town. Vijay was once considered an ineligible bachelor, earning around Rs 10,000 a month at the age of 27. Though the challenges tried hard to bring him down, he always had the ember in him to shine.
Sharma didn’t even have an educational background in English and was hence quite poor in the language. However, he didn’t shy away from it but taught himself English through rock music.
Vijay Shekhar Sharma was, nevertheless, quite inclined to literature, Hindi literature to be precise, since his early school days. He wrote many poems and even got some of them published. The Paytm chief recently shared on Twitter one of the poems he had written back in 1991 on August 6, 2022. The poem is titled “Vishwas Karo Karm Mein” and is motivational to the very brim, so much so that it strikes the right chords even with the netizens.
Just found my poem, from our school magazine published in 1991. 😊 I was in class 10 then. pic.twitter.com/84pVlrBGJw
Vijay was one of the two people from his village who went on to pursue engineering. Vijay holds an engineering degree from the prestigious Delhi Institute of Technology. As per Vijay, if one used to study in a Hindi-Medium school, he/she had to face many difficulties. A child reading in the 1990s framed Hindi-medium school rarely had access to books and coaching facilities! Therefore, Vijay realized he was alone on his path to success.
During his time at DTU, he expressed his life in a manner similar to the popular Bollywood movie Tare Zameen Par! That is, he could see the lips of his teacher moving, but he could not understand a single word! While preparing for the exams, he and his friends would read the answers and not know the questions because the questions were written in English. However, he conquered one of his greatest fears successfully!
Paytm, which was founded in August 2010, has always been highly valued as a company and features as one of the biggest digital payment services relied upon by merchants and users alike. Furthermore, it has recently witnessed one of the biggest IPOs in Indian history, which kickstarted on November 8, 2021. However, ever since the listing of Paytm shares, the company has witnessed some challenging drops in the share prices, which declined to a record low of nearly 37% to hit an all-time low of Rs 1,283 per share. Nevertheless, the shares of the company had finally seen a rise of 9% in prices, as reported on November 23, 2021.
Vijay Shekhar Sharma’s Paytm was recently barred by the RBI from onboarding new customers under its banking vertical, Paytm Payments Bank. This significantly affected Paytm’s performance on the share market. Right after the spreading of the news, the company’s shares tanked 14% to hit a new low of Rs 672 on the BSE in the intra-day trade on March 14, 2022. All of this started after it went for its public listing.
Paytm, which once commanded the market and looked forward to a magnanimous public listing with an issue price of Rs 2,150, has witnessed a considerable erosion of its value, which waned by 70%. As per the reports dated March 18, 2022, the Paytm Founder and CEO, Vijay Shekhar Sharma, has lost around Rs 88 crore daily after its stock market debut on November 18, 2022.
Paytm has seen a whole lot of controversies since the wake of the new year, 2022. Amidst the free fall of its shares that the fintech company is witnessing, reports of the arrest of the Paytm founder Vijay Shekhar Sharma were also circulated. Vijay Sharma was allegedly arrested and bailed on the same day, February 22, 2022, for hitting the vehicle of DCP (South Delhi) Benita Mary Jaiker. Though the fintech company and its founder are currently pitted against challenges on all sides, this too, will pass.
Vijay Shekhar Sharma- Converting The Obstacles Into Opportunities
Vijay Shekhar Sharma: Founder and CEO of Paytm and One97 Communications
The turning point in Vijay’s life came when he went to market one Sunday and picked up a Forbes magazine. He came to know about the success stories of mega-brands like Apple, Intel, and HP and how they became one of the biggest names in the startup circuit. Each of the companies had one thing in common: all of them were built from basement garages! Then, Vijay wanted to go to Silicon Valley. But, due to a lack of money and resources, that was never possible. Therefore, despite giving up, he taught me that even though Vijay couldn’t visit Silicon Valley, he could create one in India!
Hence, he started an internet company with his friend Hari during his college days in 1997. It was in their second year of college that Vijay started a company called XS Corps back in 1997. Both of them wanted to develop search engines, and they knew that the search engine would become the main attraction given the fact that the internet was taking giant strides in the technology circuit during that time. Reflecting on this, Harinder Takhar and Vijay Shekhar Sharma managed to build indiasite.net, which was made to serve as a search engine for a firm. After working on it strenuously for a period of 2 years, they managed to pull off a great deal and sold the website to US Lotus Interworks for a million dollars.
It was in the same year, early in his career, that Vijay Shekhar Sharma developed electronic itineraries for Jet Airways. He also made another website for India’s tourism department. In contrast to the other ventures in his professional career, where he was utterly serious, passionate, and dedicated, Sharma was really impatient when it came to studies. He often used to walk out of the examinations. I wanted to achieve a lot in a short span,” said Sharma.
Sharma’s company, XS Corps, was attempting to create a search engine in India. Though this idea could not be materialized then, due to the scarcity of funding, the company managed to create a content management tool, which helped several media agencies like Living Media and Express Group to host their content. In the final year of college, Sharma aimed to go for River Run Software, which offered the highest-paid job on campus. Sharma still has the memories of the interview day really fresh in his mind. It was one such occasion where he was under immense pressure, which was similar to some more instances. For instance, when he sat in front of Jack Ma or when he sat face to face with the RBI governor, it was the same inexplicable pressure that Vijay experienced.
XS Corps was acquired by a US entrepreneur in 1999 for $1 million of cash and some stocks. This gave him the opportunity to pay off his father’s debt, and in doing that, he left the job there. However, his parent insisted he join a real job, but his sheer determination towards developing a new company never allowed him to stay in the traditional job for a long period! Throughout his life, Vijay wanted to be a bird who had freedom; he never wanted to be a horse who ran the same track over and over again!
Hence, to pursue his dream, he founded One97 Communications in 2000 with an aim to create an online directory for people to access through SMS. Sharma managed to work on the idea and managed to expand other value-added services like live astrology, cricket, songs, and more. However, soon after, he realized that recovering money from telecom operators in India wasn’t as easy as it seemed. In his first tenure, he learned that cash flow matters, not profitability! With the lack of a collection team and mounting outstanding amounts, the company was on the verge of collapse, and Sharma again had to hit the roads for a new job in 2003.
This was because he was the victim of this cash flow problem, as his clients would never pay him on time. Sharma took up repairing computers against a daily wage and was forced to sell 40% of the company for Rs 8 lakh to his angel investor at that time. It was high time for Vijay as his sister’s marriage was coming up, and he wanted to secure that marriage. There was a big problem for the family as his father, even though he was clean on the loan defaulters sheet, was not granted a loan of 2 lakhs! Hence, by drawing inspiration, he developed Paytm, the platform that aimed to resolve the issues of the poor and economically backward sections of society. The platform was built for a shopkeeper or an auto-rickshaw driver who is never respected or liked by any financial institution.
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The platform has been synonymous with the rise of e-wallet in the country. The Paytm Payments Bank has become the first platform to offer a zero-balance account facility. This platform also offers UPI payments and shopping facilities. Paytm as a brand continues to rise in the modern-day era of e-commerce.
How to Be Fearless By Vijay Sharma – Founder of Paytm
Vijay Shekhar Sharma – Awards and Recognitions
Vijay Shekhar Sharma has received numerous awards and recognitions during his career, some of which are:
Received Best Serial Entrepreneur Award at Rural and Urban Development Summit 2022 from the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, Govt. of India.
Forbes magazine has ranked me as the youngest Indian billionaire.
Vijay Shekhar Sharma was felicitated with the Yash Bharati Award, the highest civilian award from the Uttar Pradesh government.
He was ranked in the 62nd position in the Forbes list of the richest person in India in 2020.
He was listed as the youngest billionaire in India in 2017, with a net worth of $1.3 billion.
Time Magazine listed Sharma among the 100 most influential people in 2017.
Sharma was recognized by The Economic Times as the ET Entrepreneur of the Year for 2016.
He was also named the Dataquest IT Man of the Year in 2017.
Sharma was felicitated with an Honorary Doctorate from Amity University, Gurgaon, in 2016.
He received the title Businessman of the Year at the GQ Men of the Year Awards in 2016.
He also became the NDTV Indian of the Year in 2016.
Sharma also emerged as India’s Hottest Business Leader under 40, as recognized by The Economic Times in 2015.
Vijay Shekhar Sharma- An Inspiration
Vijay has been the face of the economically backward section of Indian society. Even though he came from a family that had financial issues, he was able to break the barriers and work for the betterment of society. Undoubtedly, Vijay is one of the biggest names in the Indian Startup circuit!
One of the most important business sectors in the circuit is movies. With movies, one could earn millions. However, this is a very difficult line to proceed as a businessman. Well, Ronnie Screwvala is one of the biggest personalities in the Bollywood circuit. He is the founder and CEO of the famous UTV Group. His companies include UTV Software, Bloomberg UTV, UTV Motion Pictures, and many more to name. Read this article to learn about the story of Ronnie Screwvala.
Rohinton Soli Screwvala Quick Facts
Name
Rohinton Soli Screwvala
Born
8 September 1962 – Bombay, Maharashtra, India
Education
Sydenham College of Commerce & Economics
Citizenship
Indian
Title
Founder of UTV Group (Now Walt Disney India), Founder Trustee of Swades Foundation, Founder of Unilazer Ventures, Board of Advisor AIESEC India, Founder of RSVP Movies, Co-Founder of UpGrad
Ronnie is Parsi by blood. He had completed his studies at Cathedral and John Connon School. His father was an employee of British firms J L Morrison and Smith. He is married to Zarina Mehta. Ronnie met her during his initial days at the theatre with Pearl Padamsee.
From childhood, he had a keen interest in theatre and has been a part of the acting crew in a few professional plays with Bombay theatre. He has worked with some big names like Pearl and Alyque Padamsee. He has produced over 70 films, and some of his famous works include Rang De Basanti, The Namesake, Khosla Ka Ghosla, Jodhaa Akbar, and many more iconic movies.
Ronnie Screwvala – Initial Days
His actual entrepreneurial journey started way before UTV came into the circuit. During his initial days, his father wanted him to become a Chartered Accountant. But, he was sure that business was the field that attracted him. Hence, to achieve that, he was looking for business opportunities. Later on, while he was on a trip to England, he got a chance to visit a hairbrush factory. He came across two discarded fully functional automatic toothbrush-making machines. Hence, to open up the doors of business, he purchased it. As soon as he returned to India, he started a business. The business was concerned with making toothbrushes. Many years later, the business became one of the largest producers of toothbrushes and was supplying goods to mega-brands like Colgate.
Apart from the toothbrush business, he had started his own cable network company by the name of Network. During those days, he used to go door to door and ask the residents to sign up for the network. This was a good business idea because, at the time when Doordarshan was the only channel available, this network provided a three-hour video channel providing movies. Initially, this business started with just 30 houses. Later on, it expanded to popular places like Cuffe Parade, Colaba, NApeansea Road, Breach Candy, and Hanging Gardens within a short period.
Ronnie’s idea was way ahead of the time. Well, it is very surprising to see that at a young age, Ronnie understood the importance of good service. He made sure that his services were for the betterment of the entertainment sector as he provided his customers with family-oriented content with good picture quality.
Ronnie Screwvala – UTV Group
Ronnie and Zarina founded the UTV Group, now a country’s household name. This company was founded in 1990 to provide television content to broadcasters. Also, this company was the first independent producer in India, and the company started working by taking up advertisements and movies. Later on, the company started producing quiz shows. One of the company’s biggest hits was the Mashoor Mahal.
Within two decades, UTV expanded into broadcasting, gaming, film, and various other businesses. For the company, the biggest leap to success came during the time of incorporation. The team was engaged in the production of television content for Doordarshan. During this time, Subhash Chandra, who owned Zee TV, had just started to take small steps in the television circuit. Hence, they offered UTV a 550-episode contract. This was the golden opportunity for the team to shine on the big stage.
Ronnie Screwvala – Change of Events That Transformed UTV Into a Mega-Brand
The Success Story of Ronnie Screwvala’s UTV
The very first thing that changed the fortunes of the company was the introduction of flight entertainment by Air India. They hired UTV to provide flight entertainment for their customers. In 1993, the team started to accept programs from external customers and began marketing airtime on their programs. Apart from that, it launched a daily soap named Shanti. The team acquired a 54.60% stake in Lazer Production. Later on, in the same year, the company ventured into the movie distribution business.
In 1996, UTV and Disney got into a contract. This was about dubbing the content for Disney movies for Indian fans. Also, in the same year, UTV started offering services to international airlines for its in-flight entertainment division. The subsidiary of the company USLl acquired Ram Mohan Biographies. The brand was renamed to UTV Tools.
UTV also took a diverse turn in broadcasting by acquiring a controlling interest in Vijay Television Limited. This company operated as Vijay TV. With over 86% stake, UTV incorporated a group named UTV Net Solutions Ltd. IT was focused on Internet content creation via Indian regional language portals. In 200, the company started broadband content collection under the name sharkstram.com.
Hungama Channel, a household name in the country, is a product of UTV entertainment. This channel became the leading children’s television channel within a few years of its release. The company’s success can be measured by the fact that it got itself listed on the Bombay and National Stock Exchange.
With a deal of $10 Million with US-based BKN New Media, UTV opened up the door for itself as a mega brand. UTV toons expanded to 200 employees and purchased additional Autodesk’s 3D Max 8 software.
Ronnie Screwvala – Life as an Entrepreneur
Ronnie Screwvala – Life as an Entrepreneur
Unilazer Ventures
Screwvala is actively engaged as a venture capitalist/private equity investor through his brand and arm, Unilazer. His investment approach involves making early-stage investments in Indian new economy companies and startups, acquiring significant minority stakes, and leveraging his entrepreneurial experience to support founders. Unilazer’s diverse investment portfolio spans sectors such as e-commerce, leading online eyewear companies, AI and Bots, agriculture, and micro-housing finance.
RSVP Movies
RSVP Movies marks Screwvala’s comeback to the media and entertainment sector but with a renewed focus. At RSVP, the emphasis is on working with fresh storytellers to create bold, inventive narratives across films and digital media. Additionally, RSVP is adopting innovative distribution strategies to take its disruptive content to wider audiences globally across theaters and OTT platforms.
U Sports
Screwvala is a co-founder of U Sports, a venture with a strategic emphasis on three distinct sports. Notably, Kabaddi is a widely popular sport in India and across Asia, where his team, U Mumba, stands out as a top contender in the 12-team ProKabaddi League. U Sports also delves into the realms of E-Sports and Football. In the domain of football, the brand U Dreams is dedicated to nurturing and managing talent across various age groups for extended periods.
upGrad
Screwvala co-founded upGrad, a leading online education company in India specializing in higher education. With a strong focus on areas like Digital Marketing, Data Analytics, and Product Management, upGrad has become a major player. The company has valuable partnerships with colleges, including IIT Madras, IIIT-B, BITS Pilani, MICA, and Cambridge Judge Business School Executive Education.
The Swades Foundation
Screwvala, alongside his wife Zarina, dedicates a quarter of his time to the Swades Foundation, with a shared commitment to empower a million people out of poverty. Swades operates in a 3000 sq km area in Raigad, Maharashtra, focusing on Water, Sanitation, Health, and Education, and primarily on creating livelihood opportunities for half a million people in 2000 villages.
During the early days of UTV, Ronnie formed a society named SHARE (Now The Swades Foundation). This stood for Society to Heal, Aid, Restore, Educate. The objective was to develop rural Maharashtra. Presently, Ronnie has donated a whopping INR 2350 crores to the foundation. By establishing The Swades Foundation, he has taken a bold initiative to empower a million people and help them break free from the shackles of poverty. With his unwavering commitment to this shared cause, he is making a significant impact on the lives of those who need it the most.
Ronnie Screwvala – Shark Tank India
Ronnie Screwvala – Shark Tank India Season 3
Accomplished media entrepreneur Ronnie Screwvala has joined the popular start-up reality show Shark Tank India as a new Shark for its upcoming third season. Known for founding UTV Group and currently heading content studio RSVP Movies, Screwvala brings over 30 years of experience across television, films, and digital platforms. His addition to the panel, comprised of Anupam Mittal, Aman Gupta, Namita Thapar, and others, will provide a more diverse perspective and industry expertise to evaluate budding ventures this season. With his sharp insights into B2C and B2B, everyone eagerly anticipates his funding choices and operational guidance this season.
With a clear vision to change the entertainment sector, Ronnie has worked for the betterment of the circuit. His company, UTV, has changed the way we watch and enjoy movies. Apart from the fact that he is a successful entrepreneur, his work for charity makes him an inspiration for many entrepreneurs!
FAQs
Who is the owner of UTV India?
While publicly traded for a time, UTV India is now ultimately owned by The Walt Disney Company, which acquired a controlling stake in 2012. Disney gained full ownership 2013 and integrated UTV’s operations into their Indian media network.
How much was UTV sold for?
UTV was sold to Walt Disney for ₹2,000 crore ($454 million).
Who is the owner of upGrad?
upGrad is co-founded by Ronnie Screwvala, Phalgun Kompalli, and Mayank Kumar.
What’s Emotional Intelligence? Described as a concept that involves the ability, capacity, skill, or self-perceived ability, to identify, assess, and manage the emotions of one’s self, others, and groups.
Emotions affect our behavior and also hold the power to influence the way we think. Referred to as Emotional Quotient (EQ) and Emotional Intelligence Quotient (EIQ). Emotional intelligence can be described as one being aware of the emotions of one’s self and that of others and using them to guide behavior.
There are two sides to Emotional Intelligence, including being able to recognize emotions in ourselves and responding to them. And being aware of the emotions of others, using it as a guide to managing behavior.
There are two sides to emotional intelligence, including being able to recognize emotions in ourselves and responding to them. And being aware of the emotions of others, using it as a guide to manage behavior.
Focusing on the following abilities:
To assess how others feel
Be conscious of how others feel
Connecting with others
Identifying emotions
Controlling one’s own emotions
Using emotions to aid social communication
The four main elements of Emotional Intelligence include:
Self Awareness
Self-awareness refers to the ability to recognize one’s emotions correctly and be aware of your thoughts and handle your feelings. Keeping track of your emotions and being conscious of how they affect others as well.
Self Management
Most of the time you cannot control what’s happening around you in your surroundings but you definitely can control how you respond to it. Self-management is precisely the same; it includes managing stress, motivating oneself, controlling one’s impulses, and regulating your thoughts and emotions in various situations.
Social Awareness
Social Awareness includes considering things from another point of view. Understanding different perspectives and standpoints of others. Social awareness plays a great role in society helping one be an empath, collaborate and share information with others. Lastly, it makes the process of communication easy.
Relationship Management
As the name implies, Relationship Management in context with emotional intelligence includes enhancing your listening and speaking skills, conveying your emotions in a non-defensive way, the ability to deliver and accept feedback, resolving conflicts, and being respectful and appreciative of others. Leaving others with a positive impact.
Why is Emotional Intelligence More Important Than Intelligence?
Having a high level of Intelligence Quotient (IQ) is not the only essential aspect of guiding a leader. EQ is equally critical to having balanced leadership. Studies have shown that emotional intelligence might be even more essential than cognitive intelligence. Asking how you feel could be a key question in understanding and being self-aware. How? We will explain that further.
In relation to Entrepreneurship, There’s so much buzz these days with emerging startups, entrepreneurs, and breakthrough products in the market. But what is the meaning of entrepreneurship, anyway?
Entrepreneurship can be described as the ability to build up a business with a new business model or improve an existing one with the aim of building profit or making a social impact.
Being an entrepreneur is cool. But it comes with its own set of challenges. Being one requires you to be more than an innovator, risk-taker, or just a leader. Sure, these do fall into the categories of three qualities that are required for being an entrepreneur, along with the ones listed below:
Managing people
Having an open and easy-going attitude
Following their passion and being highly motivated
Having a spark of creativity
Being well-rounded and having a passion for the work they do
Curious to learn
Let’s take a look at the challenges faced by an entrepreneur:
Hiring the right people and staff
Managing time and budget
Making the right decisions
Building connections and collaborating with other organizations
But being an entrepreneur is more than that. It also requires emotional intelligence. Emotional intelligence is so valuable these days that companies consider choosing one’s employees based not only on their IQ but also on their EQ test. An article from Forbes has also stated that empathy is the most important leadership skill.
Importance of Emotional Intelligence in Entrepreneurship
Wise Decision-Making
While decision-making, rational thinking is critical. Making the right decisions for anything has a huge impact on your business. Be it investing in something or making changes to the packaging of your product. Keeping your emotions in check, and self-regulating your emotions from time to time will help keep the bar of making irrational and impulsive results low. You act wisely rather than make careless decisions under the influence of your emotions.
Create and Improve Relationships With Empathy
Empathy is the ability to put yourself in another person’s position and see and feel from their point of view. Empathy makes a person better listener, and creates better connections and relationships with others. You practice sharing how you feel and based on being aware of others’ emotions you also understand the power dynamics that influence the social dynamics in different situations. You learn to respect other people’s experiences and respond appropriately.
Empathy helps people to be seen and acknowledges their presence. This helps your employees to develop and also gain their loyalty and respect. Increased empathy levels also mean better health and quality of life with reduced stress. Other important soft skills such as interpersonal awareness, self-esteem, resiliency, stress management, and motivation all fall under emotional intelligence.
Diffuse Conflicts
Arguments may occur when differences in opinions may arise, things might take a quick turn when things turn heated and neither is ready to understand the importance of being aware of the other person’s feelings. Turning it into a conflict that makes the surroundings stressful. One learns to be able to handle distressing emotions effectively by adapting to situations and practicing flexibility. Handling communication tactically and effectively managing conflict helps maintain harmony.
Effective Communication
Communication is important in any relationship. It involves the encoding and decoding of the message. Communicating does not only involve the message, but also the way you say it and decode it. Technology has made the process of communication so much easier now. It only takes seconds for you to deliver your message to the other person exactly the way that you want it.
Proper and effective communication is a very important part of Entrepreneurship. In a business setting, it can make or break a deal. Communicating consists of both verbal and non-verbal communication. A higher level of EQ makes you good at reading the body language of a person, making you better at non-verbal communication and working in group environments better.
By gaining a sense of self-control, you can communicate clearly rather than letting your message be clouded by your emotions and respond to a situation in a calm, measured, and reflective manner. You can control your reactions. You are confident and communicate your thoughts with clarity and with effect while communicating. Not only that, but you allow yourself to communicate better, you tune into other people and notice them. EI strengthens your communication skills.
Your employees are the most valuable assets to your company. So, you have to be careful with how you connect with people and understand them. With a higher EQ, you can build stronger relationships at work, and create environments that are best for your employees. Making them feel valued and appreciated. When you are critically aware of their emotions, you can better manage them, Change the magnitude of the efficiency of your employees’ performance, predict their job performance as well as retain them.
Establishing a Clear Vision
Leadership requires you to have a clear vision and be able to communicate it continuously and creatively. It’s important to look at how your employees feel about certain goals and challenges in your team. It helps you read and manage the energy in the room and better understand how to channel it.
With Emotional resilience learn to bounce back at the challenges, crises, failures, setbacks, or difficult situations thrown at them which happens more than often in the business environment. Entrepreneurs adapt to them in a positive manner. With higher emotional intelligence comes confidence, positivity, and stability for a leader to bring the organizational vision into the light and turn it into reality.
Inspire, Motivate and Tackle Self-Doubts
EQ teaches you how to bounce back, which leads to a better flow of emotions between your rational and emotional brain. Allowing the rational brain to understand the emotions better. Rather than acting impulsively and preventing you from drowning in them. It transforms poor experiences into great ones rather than just assuming the worst-case scenario. You become more introspective.
Practicing emotional intelligence makes one aware of one’s own strengths and weaknesses, which is beneficial to tackling self-doubts that come your way. You are intrinsically motivated and driven by passion which makes you action-oriented, and committed to what you do and enables you to take initiative. Emotional intelligence is important for one to be able to achieve new goals and better ways of learning to do things.
Improves Social Skills
Social skills are a huge part of being an entrepreneur. Collaborating with other people or organizations with whom your goals align requires social skills. Being able to persuade others and coordinate and cooperate with others to collaborate with other organizations working towards similar goals. Guessing social cues, taking initiative, and negotiating are some significant skills that are required for you as an entrepreneur to thrive.
Team building
With a high level of EQ, you become proactive and take the initiative to manage those around you, becoming well aware of their emotions. People want to feel valued and appreciated. As an entrepreneur with high emotional intelligence. You not only perform better but also build a cohesive team that enables problem-solving, and creates a positive environment with empathy. And direct the team towards working on the main objective of the group.
Make it a practice to connect with your emotions. Being vulnerable takes courage. Talking about your emotions and being self-aware will help you so much rather than just blocking them and not acknowledging your emotions. Talk about your emotions with someone you trust. Remember, there is no just thing as good or bad emotions. Let your mind process what you are feeling. Align your head with your heart. Accepting and acknowledging your emotions can be the first step in practicing emotional intelligence.
Connect Emotionally With Others
When someone is talking, actively listen to them. Be present and observe their body language and gestures and read the non-verbal cues. A professional surrounding does not mean there shouldn’t be an informal conversation, if so, create the space for non-professional dialogue to flow. Conversations around non-professional matters will help you connect and understand the other person better. Respect the emotions of others, offer new perspectives to them, and give them where necessary. Not everyone can understand emotions naturally but emotional intelligence can be practiced and put to use.
Use Your Team’s Feedback
Let your colleagues all chime in when you understand what they are saying. You can better understand the problems existing in your organization and find a way to change them, which in turn makes room for everyone to grow. Conducting feedback sessions can be a great tool for group improvement.
Other tips to improve emotional intelligence include:
Use gratitude practice
Tune into your emotions. Monitor and track your own emotions and see how they affect others. You can maintain a journal to help understand how you feel.
See how you as a leader are affecting the people that need you to guide and direct them
You can make space for emotional intelligence to grow by surrounding yourself with people who have a positive outlook on life and are willing to support you
Try listening to the problems of the people, give regard to their feelings and try to look at what’s causing them
Practice empathy by accepting and being respectful toward the feelings of others
Create a positive atmosphere in your office spaces where everyone’s opinions are welcomed. Which will help the members be proactive and innovative.
Conclusion
Success is not just based on measuring one’s IQ, it also involves the essential elements of one’s behavior and character. Emotional intelligence has the power to encourage entrepreneurs to do better and redefine what entrepreneurship means. These practices are sure difficult to put into practice but can be induced in our day-to-day activities in an organization.
Reviewing the outcome of practicing emotional intelligence, one will realize that we can create entrepreneurs that are better leaders, working in fast-paced environments that can effectively manage their teams as they have their teammates have their emotions in check with what they do. They learn to manage conflict, change and create space for collaboration and connection. Remember emotions hold the power to move.
FAQs
What do IQ, EQ, and EIQ stand for?
IQ stands for Intelligence Quotient; EQ stands for Emotional Quotient and EIQ stands for Emotional Intelligence Quotient.
What is Emotional Intelligence?
Emotional Intelligence can be described as one being aware of the emotions of one’s self and that of others and using them to guide behavior.
What is Entrepreneurship?
Entrepreneurship can be described as the ability to build up a business with a new business model or improve an existing one with the aim of building profit or making a social impact.
In spite of their hardships, those who are physically or mentally challenged serve as an inspiration and an example that “Anyone can do anything”. Recently, there has been much buzz about how entrepreneurs are changing the world, but little about how differently-abled entrepreneurs are changing perceptions. There is a saying that says ‘Disability is just a matter of perception.’ If you believe in yourself, then nothing can stop you.
Would you believe that Walt Disney, the founder of the Disney Company, suffered from dyslexia growing up? Incredibly, a disabled individual became a cultural icon of the country and is still remembered today. The example I gave above illustrates how some people have changed the mindset of those who are afraid to dream big. Our special needs entrepreneurs can be found here awe-inspiring others with their business success stories.
Top 12 specially-abled entrepreneurs who are inspiring the world
Sharath M Gayakwad
Occupation
Founder of Gamatics
Establishedin
2014
Awards
Arjuna Award for Para-Swimming
Sharath M. Gayakwad – Founder of Gamatics
Sharath M. Gayakwad is the first Indian swimmer to qualify for the London 2012 Summer Paralympics. From adoring his sport to winning record-breaking medals for his nation, he has come a long way. In 2014, he became the first Indian to win six medals in a multidisciplinary sports competition, breaking P.T. Usha’s record. Since his swimming career began, he has achieved 39 international medals and 55 national medals, turning his biggest weakness into his biggest strength.
With a modest socioeconomic background, he began mentoring children in November 2014 by founding a company called “Gamatics.” The startup focuses on providing high-performance practises and pieces of equipment for swimming at a very affordable rate, unlike the marketplace. Sharath wishes to impart to his students the strategies, abilities, and challenges he encountered while competing. In addition, the venture lists nutritionists and physiotherapists to give sportsmen the finest of everything.
A 19-year-old girl was diagnosed with epilepsy in the first year of college and left her studies behind to focus on treating her epilepsy. During recuperation, she met patients from various states, age groups, and financial backgrounds, and each one had a story to tell. Eventually, she started volunteering after realizing that everyone goes through something, and epilepsy happened to her. She began collecting funds through social networking in 2009, which helped defray her treatment costs and covered other epilepsy patients’ costs as well. In the year that followed, she became a member of the Indian Epilepsy Association to help many people going through similar issues.
In India, nearly 12 million people are victims of epilepsy. Still, one is there to provide employment opportunities to them, so she wants to earn independently as well as give jobs to epileptic people. She did her research on people working in a building with office space of matchbox size, and therefore, wanted to create a space for conferences or meetings that could be rented whenever needed and be budget-friendly. That’s when she started SoboConnect, establishing a 15-seater rent-by-day workspace to replace her father’s old warehouse that looks like an arbitration hall with projectors so that the meeting can be conducted effectively.
Mohammed Gaddafi
Occupation
Co-founder Maa Ulaa bike taxi company
Established In
2016
Location
Chennai
Mohammed Gaddafi – Co-founder Maa Ulaa bike taxi company
The Maa Ulaa bike taxi company in India’s capital is the first service operated by people with disabilities, inspired and designed by Mohammed Gaddafi, who lost his legs at 19 years of age. Gaddafi derived the business idea from an amputated leg person, parking his government-provided tricycle and begging on a Chennai beach. When Gaddafi asked “Why?”, his response was “How can we lead better lives just because the government has provided bikes?”. Thus, Gaddafi decided to break ground by starting up a journey with the differently abled with his best friend Balaji. As a result, he intends to use the bicycles provided by the government of Tamil Nadu for disabled people for a good cause.
Aditi Verma
Occupation
Founder of Aditi’s Corner
Established In
2015
Location
Mumbai
Aditi Verma – Founder of Aditi’s Corner
There is no denying that individuals with down syndrome are changing the face of entertainment. One of them is Aditi Verma. Aditi’s mother learned that she had bronchitis in this manner when she was only 2 years and 6 months old and needed open-heart surgery. She became interested in cooking while attending a special education school, and at age 25 she launched her own cafe. Aditi’s Corner was the name of the cafe she opened, which she operated in addition to serving customers coffee and pastries. She received the Entrepreneur beyond Challenge Award from the Rotary Club of Mumbai in 2017, and despite having both physical and mental impairments, she went on to become a great achiever.
Simon George, a 52-year-old engineering graduate from Kerala, has been paralyzed below the waist for more than 30 years. The wheelchair-bound man nevertheless founded SpecialCare Holidays in 2018, the country’s first travel company for people with impairments. The Kochi-based company provides excursions for those with disabilities, the elderly, the ill, and others who need extra care while on vacation. It provides services like lodging, contemporary tools, motorized wheelchairs, wheelchair-accessible transportation, knowledgeable tour guides, medical experts, nursing assistants, and sign language interpreters. Because of Simon’s efforts, the Kerala tourism administration has agreed to include “accessible tourism” as a specific service within its “responsible tourism” policy.
Gunavathy Chandrasekharan
Occupation
In charge of Guna’s Quilling
Established In
2013
Location
Chinnalapatti in Tamil Nadu
Awards
District and State awards
Gunavathy Chandrasekharan – Owner Of Guna’s Quilling
Gunavathy Chandrasekharan was primarily just one and a half years old when she was given the polio diagnosis. She lost much of the function in her legs and is presently unable to walk more than 20 feet without assistance. She is in charge of Guna’s Quilling, a company she founded in 2013. She uses the quilling process, in which paper strips are rolled, shaped, and glued to produce beautiful motifs, to create crafts. She sells her handmade products, which she and four other women helped produce, at markets across India and earns roughly Rs 80,000 from a single market. Gunavathy has won district and state awards in the art & craft category. To encourage Tamil Nadu children to strive for the things they are immensely passionate about, she often visits schools and institutions there.
Pranav Desai
Occupation
Founder of VOSAP
Established In
2015
Awards
NRI community award in Los Angeles, Corporate award
Pranav Desai – Founder of VOSAP
Pranav Desai, an Ahmedabad native, was four years old when he was diagnosed with polio, which left both of his legs paralyzed and required braces and a cane for him to move. Through the Voice of Specially Abled People, his organization, he decided to use his personal and professional expertise to empower those who are differently abled (VoSAP). In 2015, while working for the global conglomerate NTT Data, Pranav, an engineer, and MBA graduate, founded VoSAP. Thru openness, knowledge, and occupation, the international advocacy group—which has more than 3,000 volunteers—seeks to empower persons with disabilities.
Iftkhar Ali, an IIM Calcutta graduate, was given a polio diagnosis when he was just a year old. He is an Agra native who created the Delhi-based ALIQAN Technologies software and web development company. Before starting ALIQAN Technologies in 2015, he worked as a management consultant for HCL, TCS, and IMS India. He had also served as IMS India’s center operations head. A few of ALIQAN Technologies’ clients include HCL, Wipro, the Indian Air Force, the Shiv Nadar Foundation, Allizhealth, The Football Link, and Allizhealth. Iftikhar wants to expand operations in the services sector, launch two more product companies, and go into the educational sector.
Sangita Desai
Occupation
Co-founder of Raw Nature Company
Established In
2017
Situated
Mumbai, Maharashtra
Sangita Desai – Co-founder of Raw Nature Company
Despite having Symbrachydactyly, a congenital disease involving limb abnormalities, Sangita has been a prosperous fashion designer for 25 years. While studying English literature at Sophia College, she fell in love with fashion, and in 1989 she enrolled in the American College of London to pursue a fashion degree. Sangita, who was born without any fingers, created outfits for the Vareli ad campaign for Aishwarya Rai in addition to working for Manpreet Brar, who qualified India for the Miss Universe competition, and Shweta Menon, Ms. Asia Pacific. However, in 2006, the Mumbai rains wrecked her studio, which led to a setback for her. Sangita joined her father’s essential oil company and sought to expand it significantly, refusing to let nature stand in the way of her ambition. The knowledge she acquired allowed her to launch the Raw Nature Company in Mumbai, which provides a variety of natural plant personal care products for both men and women. Her products are cruelty-free, vegan, and devoid of any synthetic dyes, fragrances, or other potentially harmful ingredients. Amazon, Flipkart, Nykaa, and other important offline retail firms are now selling Sangita’s items.
Shailesh Sheth, a mobility-impaired investor, founded the Antarnaad venture with the assistance of his group of physically disabled people and other young people. Prior to this, he worked for 15 years in the finance and commercial sectors. As part of the initiative, all types of disabled people must obtain training in economic empowerment. The Ahmedabad-based nonprofit supports people in Gujarat and the surrounding areas who have similar physical constraints in achieving their potential and living the lives they want.
Conclusion
The idea of entrepreneurship is currently the one that is most frequently discussed and pushed in the country as a way to address financial difficulties. Specially abled persons have demonstrated that their dreams and aspirations are unaffected by what others think or say about them. Even a disability can be overcome. And it is because of their talent and labor that have shaped who they are today.
In today’s competitive world your organization needs to constantly evolve and adapt to the rapidly changing environment. If you don’t change on time your organization will come to an end. Although, change is a very complicated process.
No matter how good the change might be for you or your organization it is very difficult to adapt to new things. This is because our brains are hardwired to look for familiar and easy things.
So, how do you change? The ADKAR model provides you with 5 steps that make change a reality. Read this article till the end to know what the ADKAR model is and how you can use it.
The ADKAR model was developed by author Jeff Hiatt, after analyzing the change patterns of more than 700 organizations. The model provides a 5 step framework that one needs to follow to make change possible. After a point of time, change becomes necessary for the growth of the organization to help evolve and stay in the competition. You can even use the ADKAR model at an individual level too.
This framework can be followed in any sequence, although it is highly recommended to follow the ADKAR model in the sequence given below.
The ADKAR Model
A: Awareness
D: Desire
K: Knowledge
A: Ability
R: Reinforcement
Awareness
In the first stage, you need to make sure that your employees are aware of the exact reason why they need to change. This step is very crucial because change is a complicated process.
Sometimes, we are habituated to doing things in a certain way that even if someone comes up with a more efficient way to do that work we don’t take the initiative to change. This is why telling your employees the benefits of change is very important. Don’t keep the conversation one-directional. Ask them questions and build trust.
Share real-life examples and tell different stories to help your employees understand the need for change. Don’t complicate things and break down all the steps in an easy-to-understand manner. Remember, you don’t want to scare your employees, rather encourage them to take the right steps for change.
Understanding the need for change and having the desire to take the right steps to change are two different things. This is a very tricky phase because you cannot easily understand what others are feeling.
If there is no desire, your decision for change might not go well with your employees and that may proceed to make things worse. That is why healthy company culture is required to excel. So, the desire for change is very necessary to achieve the wanted results.
To foster desire tell your employees how the change will make their work easier or why they should be concerned about the change. For example, don’t tell your employees that they must use the new software launched by your company for sales and marketing. Instead, make them understand how easy it would be for the sales and marketing team to monitor reports and send details to different teams using the new software.
Tell your employees that they would be able to manage more tasks in less time which would lead to more returns for the company and ultimately more salary for them. In this way, your employees will get the desire to learn and use the new software.
Understand which things are creating resistance in the way of change. Do your employees fear that they don’t have the right skills to make the change happen? Are your employers finding the roadmap to change difficult? Find the root cause for resistance and give the required solutions to your employees.
Knowledge
In this phase, you tell your employees what responsibilities, skills, and tools they need to have in order to change. Give them clear guidance, break down the training part in detail and make sure your employees know what steps they need to take during the journey
Don’t give your team generic training or steps, rather be specific. For example, if you want your employees to use the new software you need to give individual tasks to different teams. This means that you need to provide in-depth training to the sales and marketing team on how they should use the software. While other teams would only be concerned about how they can download and share reports.
Remember too much change may demotivate your employees. Break down the change journey into small steps. Teach your employees using different mediums like PPTs, videos, interactive games, blogs, or a self-paced course.
Ability
In this stage, you are asking the question: Is the desired change achieved? Basically, you are applying what you have learned in the previous stages. You are demonstrating a change in reality.
So, if we take the example of newly launched software again we are now testing how your employers are using the software for sales and marketing. Are your employers able to upload data and analyze it? Can your employees make reports and send them to other teammates? Now, how can we measure change?
Here, are three effective ways to measure change effectively:
Speed of Adoption
Here, you measure how quickly your employees adapt to the change. For example, how much time are your employers taking to learn the functionalities of the new software?
Ultimate Utilisation
How much of the change has been adopted by the employees? Coming back to the previous example, you can check how many things your employees can do with the new software.
Proficiency
How well the person is performing the change? Basically, you are checking how efficiently your employers are using the new software. Can your employees manage multiple tasks and boost their productivity using the software?
Although these are not hard and fast ways to measure change. You need to find the measures according to your change. To enhance ability, provide practical training, and monitor the performances. Allow your teams to test out their skills.
Reinforcement
Implementing a change for a few days doesn’t mean that your employees would continue following the new pattern.
That’s why you need to continuously train your employees until the change becomes a habit. Evaluate the results of the change and if the results are positive celebrate the success. Correct mistakes if your employees fall back to the old habits.
On the other hand, if your employees are adopting the change efficiently, praise them publicly. This would encourage other employees to adapt to the change. Take feedback and try to find the pain points. You might even want to consider providing more training to your employees if needed.
Pros of the ADKAR Model
The ADKAR model can be used both in small and big companies. It can also be used on an individual level.
The model focuses on people’s needs and behavioural patterns.
At the same time, the model provides a practical approach that can be applied immediately.
Cons of the ADKAR Model
Since the model is ready-made and can be applied instantly it doesn’t provide you with micro-level details. You are not able to get a deeper knowledge about change.
If you want a more complex change management system that is targeted to your organizational culture then the ADKAR model may not be suitable for you.
As you can see if you use the ADKAR model effectively you will see a change in your employees. Although it is not mandatory to use only this change model. You can use other models as well according to your needs and organizational culture.
You might even want to combine other models with the ADKAR model to build an effective change system for your organization. Remember, first you need to tell your employees why are the changes being implemented. Tell them the exact reason without complicating things.
Then to build desire tell the benefits of the change. Find what is stopping your employers to make the change and address it with some effective solutions. Once you build desire in your employees define what skills, responsibilities, and steps they need to take in order to make the change possible. Make a roadmap and break down all the steps into small tasks.
In the ability stage, you check how much your employees have changed. Measure the change, find pain points, provide solutions, take feedback and repeat the cycle.
In the end, you will analyze how much change has been adapted. Praise your employers publicly if they have efficiently adapted to the change and provide training to the ones who are finding the change difficult.
FAQs
Who Developed the ADKAR Model?
Jeff Hiatt, founder of Prosci developed the ADKAR model after analyzing the change patterns of more than 700 organizations.
How Does ADKAR Change Model Work?
Awareness and desire build the mindset for change. During the first two stages, you understand the reason and need for change. Knowledge provides you with a clear roadmap on how you change. In the fourth stage, you understand how much you have changed and what you can do to further improve. In the reinforcement stage, you take all the efforts to make the change a habit.
Which of the Five ADKAR Steps Do You Think Would be Most Challenging?
Building a desire for change is very difficult since most of us don’t want to change. This is because our brains are hardwired to look for familiar and easy things.
Ashwini
