THE BUSINESSMANBETWEENINTERTWINEDHOLISTICALLYRELATIONAWRITERAND
There is a saying, “Either write something that is worth reading or do something worth writing about.” As a writer, I say this confidently—this is what I and others in my community strive to do. And for every businessman and aspirant reading this, I bet you cannot disagree. After all, writers are daydreamers who take the less-traveled route while being artistic but adorably unorganized. Businessmen, on the other hand, tend to be more stoic and pragmatic. In other words, well-groomed individuals who are extremely organized, strategic, and unyielding in pursuing their objectives.
www.businessconnectindia.in | Vol. 5 | Special Edition September 2022 INDIA 4 Indranil Roy Indranil@businessconnectindia.in
Even though these two categories of individuals are at odds with one another, they are still intertwined by a common focus—to make a name for themselves. I’ll say this from my perspective. As an editor, I strive to write pieces that are loud, engaging, add value, and ultimately showcase my acumen. In a similar vein, a businessperson plans for the long term, continuously assesses his performance, pays attention to the unique demands of each customer, recognizes and employs trends, and employs marketing methods to increase his reach and pursue prospects. In the end, he finds success and gives us a journey for an amazing story.
Although there is a striking synergy between the two, it is clear that content is essential for both positions, especially for a businessman. Content that is expressive and communicable helps in driving more engagement with the target audience. This entails the need for content management agencies. They have specialist writers who understand the need for catchy content for various purposes. As a reputed media outlet, we understand the need for such services. As such, in this edition of Business Connect Magazine, we are listing a notable content management agency, Contentholic. For more than a decade, it has been providing a gamut of content writing solutions. Read their exclusive cover story to find out more and how it could be a preferred partner. In the end, all I want to say is that being a writer or a businessman has a glorious purpose. And it is their tunneled focus that keeps one another inspired. That’s all for this note, people.
See you next time!
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www.businessconnectindia.in | Vol. 5 | Special Edition September 2022 INDIA CONTENTHOLIC A Visionary Entrepreneur Revolutionizing The Academic Writing & Educational Consulting Industry SUCCESS STORY LIFESTYLE Suneet Kumar Singh FounderCONTENT 18 20 26
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THE TRAJECTORY
A Visionary Entrepreneur Revolutionizing The Academic Writing & Educational Consulting Industry SUNEET KUMAR SINGH
High-quality writing solution was the cornerstone of Contentholic. It was incepted back in 2011 when our country was still realizing the significance of content writing and digital marketing, and quality content was missing from the market. It was the light bulb moment for Suneet when he acknowledged the importance of reliable and affordable content development services to cater to the requirements of young entrepreneurs and start-ups. Within a short span of time, the venture turned into a full-service digital agency that specializes in content development and marketing services. Addressing the nascent stage of the startup, Suneet says, “We not only focused on quality content writing, but
STORYCOVER
we also diversified our portfolio in end-to-end content creation that included - Graphics & Creatives, Video Content, Profile Design, and Blog Writing Services. We were focused to offer one of its kind digital content solutions where they can outsource their whole content creation and content marketing needs to focus on their core business. The idea was a great hit and we started getting clients for 360-degree solutions.”
After a successful hit of the company, they started getting queries regarding advertising and events that allowed them to venture into this segment with an advertising vertical named- Brandholic. It was heavily into foraying the branding, advertising, events management, BTL &
This is the inside story dedicated to a business leader with a flair for creative writing since his early childhood days. Suneet Kumar Singh, the founder of Contentholic, is our cover star for this special September- edition. We sat down for a tete-a-tete with the visionary leader and discussed several parameters of his venture as well as his leadership. With an intense interest in reading, writing, and extracurricular activities, he spent a maximum amount of his time exploring his potential. To his surprise, he never intended to pursue writing as his profession but got into it accidentally. He began his trajectory as a freelance writer alongside pursuing his bachelor’s in humanities, just to make some extra income. Later, after attaining his Master’s in Business Administration, he decided to start his own entrepreneurial voyage by turning his skills into a fruitful career.
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Suneet Kumar Singh Founder
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• Assignment Help
• SOP for Visa Applications
• Student Visa Refusal Cases
• SOP Writing Services
• Resume Writing
Developing academic content for various educational institutions as well as higher education consultancies, the company was heavily converged on catering to academic writing. Its clientele has had almost all the leading Study Abroad Consultancies in India for content development. It has also been in constant strides to assist students to write their essays and applications for their academic purposes. Over the years, they incessantly honed upon their expertise and developed their forte in SOP Writing Services where a dedicated team of writers is the motive force behind it. Hence, they happened to become the first formal SOP Writing Agency in India. Their SOP writing services became quite popular across the business landscape which propelled them to promote their services formally as a professional SOP Writing Company and kept on getting great responses from their clients. After the leadership team realized that they are performing outstandingly across the domain, they decided to diversify their service vertical further by lending constant support to students with-
“Today.
retain the quality with the increasing number of applications every day, we made it a standard that one SOP Writer will handle a single case in a day. This is the secret sauce that we are able to deliver the expected quality in each draft we deliver. When it comes to refusal cases, we have a success rate of over 96% in cases with single refusal grounds. We have adeptly handled rejected profiles with even 4-time refusals and 19 years of study gap, where students themselves were pretty much convinced that they aren’t destined to go to Canada. Nothing gives us more pleasure than witnessing a satisfied clientele where we are the facilitators of turning their dreams into reality. We are sincerely glad to be part of their journey to their dream destination,” elucidated the founder.
KEY OFFICIALS CONTENTHOLICOF& ITS SUBSIDIARIES
Vineet & Parul are the main pillars of Contentholic and other subsidiary companies, and they take major responsibility for its growth and operations, under the leadership of the founder - Mr. Suneet.
LEADERSHIP TEAM
Suneet Kumar SIngh - the founder, has a vast experience of over 12 years in the industry and since he himself was a copywriter and advertising consultant, he is there to take care of the company’s branding and PR.
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ATL, and Public Relations services. This agency also penetrated the influencer marketing space which was relatively new as well as emerging domains across the marketing & PR industry back then. Gradually, they began doing political advertising campaigns for a few leading political parties in North India where they turned out to be a grand success.
• Thesis Writing Help
Singh has been a part of Contentholic since the beginning and he majorly takes care of the technology part of the company but is available for all business functions where ever needed. He has played a very important role in bringing the company to this level through wisdom and experience.
• LOR Writing
• Admission Essays
Vineetgrowth.Kumar
Parul Singh, having corporate experience of more than 15 years, takes care of the Business & HR Processes at Contentholic and other subsidiaries. She worked for Infoedge India Limited for more than a decade and joined Contentholic in 2020. She has brought some major changes to the company after which the company has seen immense
Gradually, their repute began spreading across the targeted market and many media houses and publications began approaching them. Suneet proudly claims that the big leap was to get featured by Vice Media which is a US-based Media Portal. Today, it has become one of India’s leading SOP Writing Agency handling a majority of Canadian Students with Visa Refusal Cases and the agency handles around 10 cases on average each working
HOW DID SOP WRITING TURN THE COURSE?
• Dissertation Help
“
One of the most dynamic sectors- overseas education has always been an ever-evolving and competitive space where novelty is quite prominent. Hence, to stay ahead of the curve, R&D plays a key role in making a difference. As the future of the candidates relies on their services, they cannot take any kind of risk which is done by keeping track of the latest developments and changes in rules and regulations of various universities and countries. “Deadlines, eligibility criteria, new visa rules, and application formats are some very crucial factors and they keep on changing on a regular basis. Owing to this scenario, we have to keep track of the latest market trends and happenings to benefit the students with the best possible solutions. The majority of cases where students fail to get admissions or study permits are mere cases of negligence or lack of information from the consultants where we strive to bridge the gap,” concluded Suneet.
unveils Suneet regarding the core inspiration behind Eduplor.
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Within a short period of time, they have managed to expand their horizons across different cities in Northern India with expansion in constant progress. So far, they have settled their branch offices with headquarters in New Delhi: Ahmedabad, Agra, Allahabad, Bharatpur, Dehradun, Lucknow, Ghaziabad, and Gurgoan. Furthermore, Mediplor has offices across countries like Canada, England, Thailand, and South Africa with the active expansion of their global network as well.
NEXT CHAPTER OF EDUCATIONAL SERVICESMEDIPLOR
SUBSTANCE OF R&D
Contentholic has gained a reputation to be the best academic writing agency in India. They often receive feedback that they are the best based on the thorough research done by the candidates. This stimulated students all over the nation to reach out to them to file their visa applications that were out of their service portfolio. But, after getting hundreds of requests every month, the leadership team started considering creating a holistic solution for their students so they don’t have to face problems of visa rejections owing to their negligence. They now handle cases not only from India but also from Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri-lanka, Singapore, Thailand, Russia, Dubai, Kuwait, Oman, and many more African Countries.
It took us almost 3 years to formally be prepared after gathering all the information and our own research of the process. Finally, after successfully running two agenciesBrandholic and Contentholic, we started education consulting services and diversified our business into the Study Abroad Domain. We started an ed-tech platform namedEduplor which is soon going to be one of the leading names in higher education abroad. Currently, we are only focusing on Canada and Singapore, promoting affordable education there along with work permits, visitor visas, spouse visas, and PR services. We are slowly expanding our portfolio to other countries in the coming months, but we believe in moving slowly and steadily. As a consultant, it is our duty to guide the students and their parents with the best options for their careers,
Well, Medical Education Consultancies have been in great demand for the past few years; a dearth of reliable ones airs the environment. Suneet recognized the potential of his team members in carving a reliable solution. Based on a thorough understanding and research, they decided that they would be able to provide an efficient solution to the industry. Hence, Mediplor was conceptualized to start medical education consulting for Indian as well as overseas geographies. Today, they offer educational assistance to medical aspirants in NEET Counseling Guidance while facilitating their admission process to Foreign Medical Universities and Colleges. All the colleges are approved by NMC and WHO and promote medical education across countries like- Russia, Georgia, Bosnia, Nepal, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and counting.
THE CONCEPT BEHIND EDUPLOR
“
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BOOHOOBILLIONAIRETHEFAMILY From a Market Stall to a Billion Dollar Business www.businessconnectindia.in | Vol. 5 | Special Edition September 2022 INDIA 18 SUCCESS STORY
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WProfits increased 54% to £92 million in the year ending in February thanks to the fast-fashion business model’s success. The business, which debuted on the stock market in 2014, is now worth more than Asos and Marks & Spencer combined. Shortly after reporting record profits, Boohoo announced a contentious bonus scheme in which its executives could receive a £150 million bonus if the company’s stock rose by two-thirds in the next three years. Kane and Kamani would get two-thirds of the money.
Mahmud Abdullah Kamani is a British billionaire business magnate who was born in August 1964. He is the executive chairman and co-founder of the Boohoo Group. Abdullah Kamani, his father, is from Gujarat, India; he lived in Kenya until the 1960s, when civil unrest forced him to leave the country. He then moved to north-west England with his wife and four children. Before starting a family textile business that supplied high end brands like New Look and Primark, Abdullah started out by selling handbags at a market stall.
The two had the bright idea in 2006 to bypass the retail middlemen and sell directly to customers using the internet’s cutting-edge capabilities at the time. His designers study pictures of celebrities like the Kardashians and the ultrastylish Gigi Hadid in order to create copy-cat clothes for a fraction of the cost. Both have extensive experience in the fashion sourcing sector, and they have combined their skills and contacts to develop a fast-fashion engine that, according to the business’s chief executive, John Lyttle, could have a design up on the website in as little as 48 hours. In this way they made a great fortune.
Family Background
Boohoo, unlike its competitor Asos, only sells its own clothing, giving it greater control over both product and profit margins. It can quickly source clothing from factories in Leicester, which enables it to be more responsive to social media-driven trends.
In addition to the brands it acquired in August of last year, Karen Millen, Coast, Nasty Gal, and Miss Pap are now part of the Boohoo roster. The company’s portfolio of brands allows it to reach markets with higher average incomes than the teenagers and young adults who favour Boohoo. There may be upcoming acquisitions as well.
Expansion & Acquisitions
In July 2020, allegations were levelled against the I Saw It First fashion brand and More fray Ltd, a Boohoo supply company, of paying less than the minimum wage and failing to protect employees from the coronavirus pandemic. Jalal Kamani owns the company, which he founded with his brother Mahmud.
Controversies
oohoo is an online retailer of fast-fashion clothing for young men and women that offers quick delivery at low prices. Boohoo has grown from a three-employee business to a company with a 5,000-person workforce in less than 15 years. The company has £1.2bn in sales and sends millions of parcels each week. As of July 2021, the company is worth about £3.54 billion, up from a valuation of £560 million when it went public in 2014. Carol Kane, the joint CEO of the company, and Mahmud Kamani founded it together. Mahmud Kamani is 55 years old and his family which includes wife Aisha and sons Umar, Adam, and Samir have upgraded from a home in Chorlton, Manchester, to a luxurious lifestyle that includes homes in Dubai and New York, among other places.
B
In 1993, Pinstripe hired Carol Kane, who is now 53 and a fashion design graduate who had just returned from a job in the Hong Kong garment sourcing sector. Then, in her mid20s, she organised the group’s design team and gradually rose to prominence before collaborating with Mahmud Kamani to found Boohoo in 2006. Kane manages product lines, connections with online influencers, and the customer-facing side of the business, whereas Kamani is more concerned with developing Boohoo’s infrastructure behind the scenes.
Mahmud Kamani has three sons with his wife Aisha. Umar Kamani and Adam Kamani, co-founders of PrettyLittleThing, are both involved in the family business. Jalal Kamani, his brother, was the former trading director of Boohoo. Adam drives a Rolls Royce, Samir a Range Rover, and Umar a £300,000 Lamborghini Aventador. Mahmud Kamani stays connected to Kenya by donating to Kibera Kids, a non-profit organisation based in Nairobi.
Business History
PrettyLittleThing, Nasty Gal, and Miss Pap are three additional well-known fast fashion brands whose parent company is Boohoo. Before co-founding PrettyLittleThing in 2012, Umar, Adam, and Samir, three of Kamani’s sons, worked for the Boohoo company.
It all started with a Manchester market stall. Mahmud’s father, Abdullah Kamani, fled a war-torn Kenya in the 1960s to start over in the UK, and he started making a living by selling handbags. Abdullah later established a wholesale textile company where he procured and sold clothes, primarily from India, and where he established himself as a key supplier to high-street brands like New Look and Primark. Mahmud, his son, began working on the stall and developed a career in the wholesale company Pinstripe, delivering goods in a van for his father.
Its expansion goals are clear. Boohoo raised £200 million in May to acquire brands, and has already acquired Oasis and Warehouse, as well as consolidating its stake in Pretty Little Thing, paying Umar Kamani and his business partner, Paul Papworth, more than £260 million for their 35% stake.
Personal Life
An Enthusiast On a Mission To Transform The Perspective Of Creativity And Design Dhruva Paknikar
The
Douglas MacArthur has quoted, “A true leader has the confidence to stand alone, the courage to make tough decisions, and the compassion to listen to the needs of others. S/he does not set out to be a leader, but becomes one by the equality of his/her actions and the integrity of the intent.” The biggest pillar for a company is its leading executive, who gives a vision and guidance to the entire team towards success and growth. The Dominix Global team gives the credit for the remarkable growth and its passionate approach to business to its founder.
Gulshan Praveen | Business Connect
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Author and Physician, Edward de Bono has well-quoted, “There is no doubt that creativity is the most important human resource of all. Without creativity, there would be no progress and we would be forever repeating the same pattern.” When we think about Creativity, the first thing that strikes our mind is Design. Design is considered a synonym for creativity & art, and the designer is the artist. Giving a tribute to all the big brains in the design arena, we are back with our exclusive edition, “Creative Company of The Year-2022.”
Dhruva Paknikar Founder
THE BRAIN BEHIND THE BRAND
CREATIVE OF THE YEAR 2022
Business Connect has been a great appreciator of creativity and out-of-the-box solutions. We have a great history of featuring numerous creative institutions and leading executives who are revamping the business world with unique solutions. Here, our editorial team had an interesting and joyful virtual session with the leadership panel of Dominix Global Pvt. Ltd. The company’s primary objective is to create impact in daily lives and businesses through design and design thinking. The Founder of the company, Mr. Dhruva Paknikar shared numerous lesser-known facts about the company and also spread light on his overall entrepreneurial journey so far. We truly hope and desire that this fascinating read will surely add some extra value to the lives of our global readership panel. The read will surely motivate the young brains out there to break their barriers and chase their dreams.
Business, ATAL tinkering labs, VIT, Spacers, Venture Centre, and JKKN (Govt. of Jammu & Kashmir). He has guided more than 200 startups in the domains of Design, Design Thinking, and Design Driven Strategies. He has been a Juror for 2 consecutive years at the Association of Designers of India-PDF, Midas Bazaar, PitchTech Flame University, and GradJury MIT Institute of Design amongst several other competitions. He has also bagged the ‘Design Icon Award’ as India’s best young lifestyle designer.
PARTING WORDS
Other than being a zealous entrepreneur, Dhruva is a fabulous leader and an impactful designer. He is an impact designer who strives to make a global impact through design. He is the only Indian product designer to have collaborated with renowned industrial designer Karim Rashid. He is the only Indian Product Designer having worked with Karim Rashid. He has also worked closely with several well-known international designers, including Emmanuel Cairo, JaquesDolle, and Klaus Peter Speidel. Narrating his journey, he affirms, “I began the journey with a single laptop and without any investment. I founded Dominix Global Design Pvt. Ltd. in 2016 which is presently the only Indian firm that provides a holistic approach to all four verticals, Brand & Business, Digital, Product, and Space Experience Design. It is the only company to have created and curated over 140+ design derivations predicated on psychological principles. Dominix’s prime objective is to provide low-cost solutions for global designs.”
“Entrepreneurs should never lose sight of the main motive of a venture which is to simplify and make life easier for businesses and their customers. Cutting edge technologies should be employed with the aim of reducing manual tasks, costs and inconvenience to the end users. Innovation, Right Intent, Risk taking ability and Farsightedness to diversify and evolve are the best tools that can help any entrepreneurial venture to thrive in this competitive and rapidly transforming business ecosystem.”
international markets.” Moreover, he has a plethora of global recognitions for his excellent and out-of-the-box solutions, such as the France Furniture Awards, Q Award (London), IAF Award, Best of Best AKDF Award (South Korea), and ‘Design Icon Award’ in India’s best young lifestyle designer.
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Dhruva has completed his higher studies in institutions like Jnana Prabodhini, MIT, and Strate Ecole de Design in Paris which has given him a great impact on his overall professional knowledge and an edge in the industry. He has an impeccable record of working with some fabulous and extraordinary designers, including Emmanuel Cairo, Philippe LoPresti, Claus Peter Speidel, and companies like Ikea, Mitsubishi, CK, etc. “Till present, I have a portfolio of designing 500+ brands and products selling gloriously in the
Dhruva has been interviewed by Creme Magazine, Face Magazine, Young Designers column at the Brunel University (UK), Hindustan Times, E-Sakaal, Begin-up, ‘Success Magazine to name a few that reflects his capabilities and excellence, and makes him a leading persona in the realm at the age of 29 only. He has talked as a speaker at various international institutions and universities in India, France & United Kingdom. He was recently interviewed by the World Talent Economy Forum (Malaysia). His TEDx talk on “The Impact of Design” at Flame University impacted thousands globally. Dhruva is a design mentor at Encubay- Greenhouse Capital Africa, Midas Institutes, MIT School of
Before signing off, the leader shared some valuable nuggets for the upcoming business enthusiasts out there by saying,
A PROMISING CAREER
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The rising incomes, increasing health awareness (due to the digitization era), lifestyle diseases (diabetes, cancer) and the increasing accessibility of health insurances, altogether have been the key drivers of the Healthcare market in India today.
PublicHealthEntrepreneurship: Healthcare
How developing countries like India exploit the talent and the potential of Young Entrepreneurs to tackle the country’s public health challenges is a hot topic all over the world? It is expected that the Indian Healthcare market will reach 26 Lakh Crore by the year 2022. The hospital industry in India is expected to grow at a CAGR of about 17 percent to reach about 600 Lakh Crore by the year 2022.
In recent years, India has been facing a growing burden of diseases and a critical shortage of health system resources, lack of basic infrastructure and qualified medical professionals, doctors, and surgeons. It is the need of hour to urgently fix the basic health concerns in the sector of infectious diseases (Tuberculosis, diarrhea, Hepatitis A & E, typhoid fever, dengue fever, Japanese encephalitis or Acute Encephalitis Syndrome, AES, malaria, leptospirosis, and rabies), NCDs (Non-communicable diseases), lifestyle diseases, and the emergence of new pathogens causing epidemics and pandemics.
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NextGen
What is needed in the global healthcare business market today is a new innovative model of public services for solving public health issues, and that is possible only by entrepreneurial thinking!
Probably due to its viral cause, there are only a few therapeutic options that are commercially available to deal with this fatal disease. The use of DRACO, a double-stranded RNA activated Caspase Oligomerizer against RNA viruses as a therapeutic approach in the treatment of viral diseases like Japanese Encephalitis Virus has a great potential in the future.
In recent month, the outbreak of a common vector-borne infectious disease meningitis or encephalitis caused by bacteria, viruses, fungi, or parasites in Northern part of India, elicited a massive response from the public authorities. Japanese encephalitis (JE), mostly caused by viral encephalitis in Asia with about 50,000 clinical cases reported annually, is primarily a disease of children which is caused by a single-stranded RNA flavivirus in which the membranes around the brain gets inflamed. JE virus is transmitted to humans through the biting of an infected mosquito, predominantly Culex species. The 3 of the most commonly identified etiologic agents in acute encephalitis are Herpes simplex virus (HSV), varicella-zoster virus (VZV), and enterovirus. Transmission of these viruses mainly occurs in rural agricultural areas, in hot & humid season (Month of May-June).
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In addition to that, the problem of the malnourished child due to poor sanitation and the mortality of about 7% before the age of five are some other major issues to be tackled in urgency. What other issues need to be tackled?
With an aim to provide essential public health services, Entrepreneurship in the Public Health sector has vast scopes for budding Entrepreneurs for Startups business. They can plan projects in Surveillance, Diagnosis and investigation of health hazards and health issues, Providing Information, education, and empowerment to women, Mobilizing community partnerships and action in identification of health issues, Designing of policies and plans that support individual and community health efforts, Enforcement of laws and regulations providing safety, Linking people to required personal health care, Arranging workforce for competent public and personal health care, Assessment of effectiveness, accessibility, and quality of health services, and Research for new insights and innovative solutions to health issues.
With the interim budget allocation of Rs 62,398 Crore for the year 2019-20 which is about 1.3% of the total budget, Modi2.0 Government in Healthcare sector, in addition to the launch of the world’s largest government-funded healthcare scheme Ayushman Bharat, has confirmed its commitment towards the healthcare of common man.
One critical issue which may be solved by public health entrepreneurship drive is the eradication of unemployment in India which has soared in recent times to its highest level in the last 20years (7.2%, According to February 2019 report).
Young Entrepreneurs should bring new ideas for improving human health and make the dream true of a Healthy and Wealthy India. Here the collaboration of basic scientists, clinical investigators, public health professionals, and Entrepreneurs are required to develop a common language for describing disease mechanisms to improve human health in India.
Some aspects that set Elite Pro Basketball apart include:
Elite Pro Basketball
Elite pro basketball league is the only professional 5x5 basketball league in india. Majority owner of EPB is All Air India Inc. in the US. Along with a supporting team of about 100 individuals, they manage a professional league in India and have hired over 160 players with the highest salaries in Indian Basketball history. They hosted open tryouts so that everyone had an equal opportunity to try out for this league.
• Highest salaries/contracts to players in the Indian basketball ecosystem.
THE COMPANY CULTURE
Sunny Bhandarkar Chief Executive Officer
When it first began, the biggest professional basketball league, NBA was “simply another league”! Making the best basketball players in the world is a multi-billion dollar enterprise today. EPB hopes to develop a comparable system that would offer India world-class athletes who will one day compete for Olympic medals and World Cup podium finishes. They will also serve as a platform for up-and-coming ballers to gain recognition for their talent and dedication to the sport.
• Fan engagement and team support.
COMPANY OVERVIEW
The goal for EPB is to develop a league model that is sustainable and includes a predictable pay scale for players, coaches, and staff. The enterprise seeks to develop elite athletes from the Indian basketball ecosystem by offering top-notch facilities and coaching. They want to establish a distinct identity, thus they want to have two seasons each year. This will guarantee that EPBL athletes are active throughout the entire year, allowing them to improve their levels of performance and fitness, which will ultimately result in the development of a better breed of
Theyballers.are
The CEO, Mr. Sunny Bhandarkar, has had a knack for the game ever since his childhood, as both of his parents were basketball players. Like any other fanatic, he watched Michael Jordan growing up. Nearly all public and private schools
Kriti Anand | Business Connect
• Two seasons in one year for the viewers/fans to get attached to the league & the game.
• They are creating a new market for sports in India with a new league.
committed to providing the best products and services. They undoubtedly possess the talent. The main channels of communication will be their athletes, teams, and the sustainable league they want to build, which will set the bar for others to follow. They work to maximize the potential of the athletes with a competitive pay structure, better training and coaching facilities, and upgraded facilities.
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Introducing A World-Class Platform For India In Basketball
Employees are able to join any teams they like and learn as much as they desire. They don’t want them to be limited to one particular team. They ensure that there is constant exchange of ideas and that everyone has the chance to develop. They wish to build employees who will advance the business.
The company’s USP is developing leaders. Mr. Bhandarkar entered this system as a professional American football player. As time went on, he was encouraged to assume an increasing number of duties. He earned this title with a lot of effort and, of course, support from leaders in the US. He strives to apply the values to the existing framework. Top performers are given opportunities to lead specific teams, and they have created industry leaders through this process of cultivating leaders.
The sports sector is a continuously evolving industry, where R&D is possibly the most significant part. They studied the ecosystem for seven years before introducing the league. Before returning to the basketball arena, every last detail was taken into account. There will be many more years in the R&D path.
In order to accommodate more teams as the seasons progress, the EPBL will hold auctions as the second season begins. The next step will be to involve athletes from other countries. Additionally, they intend to put a lot more effort into attracting a large audience of basketball lovers from abroad.
“ “
Work strategically to achieve your dreams. Tackle the roadblocks positively. “No Dream Is Small!”
ACHIEVEMENTS AND MILESTONES
They have already included some of the top-notch arenas with cutting-edge basketball facilities. They have a department with experience in broadcasting and the most up-to-date technical knowledge. With the help of their top tech teams, they plan to emulate the western Basketball tournament style of play.
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The EPB staff is made up of a group of professionals who are energetic, young, and driven. The work environment has been designed so that everyone is free to express their opinions, offer constructive criticism, and advance personally. The team’s constant travel for events gives them the chance to explore and network.
PARTING WORDS
A professional basketball league that cultivates the elite skill that its basketball athletes possess was sorely needed in a nation with a population of 1.25 billion people. The business was started with the intention of allowing basketball players to make respectable earnings and pursue careers centered around their love of the game.
“Intense scrutiny creates workers, freedom creates family”. Mr Bhandarkar believes in respecting freedom. He enjoys working with individuals who have fresh perspectives, open minds, and individual approaches. The young employees at EPB are really passionate about sports in general and this project in particular. He constantly strives to uplift others, make them laugh, and most importantly, make them feel like family.
Take opportunities, take calculated risks, and learn from your errors, but always rise again.
March 2022: Announced India’s Biggest Professional Basketball League, with 12 Aprilfranchises.2022: Announced 12 Marquee players, with different attributes and attractive careers.
August 2022: Signed 25 players all over India (Selected from the Hyderabad try-outs)
July 2022: Signed 40 players all over India (Selected from the Hyderabad try-outs)
(February 2022: Sold all franchise ownerships. All in the USA, with a mix of American and NRI/ Indian American owners.
May 2022: Organized India’s biggest ever invitational basketball try-outs at Hyderabad.
in India lack the necessary amount of sports infrastructure, but one thing that they nearly always do have is a basketball court. This demonstrates that despite basketball being so firmly ingrained in India’s educational system, the Indian basketball team was still not producing appreciable achievements on a global scale. This made him think that basketball needed a more ambitious goal than simply being widely popular, and that Indian basketball players’ aspirations needed to alter.
June 2022: Signed 60 players all over India (Selected from the Hyderabad try-outs)
29 www.businessconnectindia.in | Vol. 5 | Special Edition September 2022 INDIA NEVEREDITIONMISSOUR Follow us on BUY NOW FOLLOW NOW SUBCRIBE NOW I would like to subscribe* Business Connect for one year at Rs.1000 (12 issues) I am enclosing the Cheque/DD no. _________________________ dated ___________________ of Rs. ________________ of bank __________________________________________ Branch ______________________________________________ drawn in favour of FANZINEINDIA. My Personal mailing details (IN BLOCK LETTERS): NAME _____________________________________________________ Company Name _____________________________________________ Designation _____________________________________ Address HowYourAgeTelephone__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________City_________________________State______________________PIN___________________________________________________Email(Required*)__________________________________________________inyears_______________Experience_______________Industry___________________Education__________________feedbackaboutthemagazine___________________________________________________________________________didyoucometoknowaboutBusinessConnect?______________________________________________________________ Now you can also subscribe through credit card: visit - http://www.businessconnectindia.in All the payments are accepted in Cheque/DD favouring: FANZINEINDIA, 701, DDA 2, Janakpuri District Center, new Delhi-1410058 *This offer is valid in India only. Please mention your name and address on the back side of your Cheque/DD. Cancellation and refunds are not allowed. If you have any query, please send us the email to corporate@businessconnectindia.in or call to 011-41065208. Business Connect offers you amazing business stories along with multiple interesting and motivational stories written by our expe rienced editors. You may grab an opportunity through our special offer : Get 12 Issues by paying just Rs. 1000. INDIA’S FASTEST GROWING BUSINESS MAGAZINE
• ‘Practice’- Practice and make work-life balance. Everyone needs to rest, avoid rushing.
• Keep hands-on: If you have a business, make sure that you know it inside out for making yourself work for it outside the comfort zone.
• B+ve: Doubting what you are capable of doing and whatnot lead to success as it is key to keeping yourself outside the limitations and comfort zone.
“Everything people ever wanted is ONE STEP OUTSIDE their comfort zone”.
- Orrin Woodward
“Success is on the other side of your comfort zone.”
Is it sounds powerful? Maybe it seems you promising, and filled with great potential, right? Not entirely, and here’s why. You can read thousands of quotes present on the web about getting out of the comfort zone, but implementing them to real life is something challenging. Making a step outside of your comfort zone is extremely hard and needs a lot of courage, similarly: on the other hand only when you face your fears and feel uncomfortable you can do unbelievable things that end to success.
As we all know, Life of a person begins at the end of your comfort zone. The sooner you took your step away from comfort zone; the sooner you’ll get to realize that it really wasn’t all that comfortable.
I found some of the steps that will help you to step out of your comfort zone. These are the following:
You have to get out of your comfort zone and take risks. You don’t know what’s out there for you until you go and dig into it, and find it for yourself.
• Step up and take initiative: Make things happen to you instead of waiting for them to happen to you.
Here are 7 benefits of stepping yourself outside the comfort zone:
1. Opportunity to grow: Challenging yourself can help you to reach yourself at highest peak performance level. Therefore you cannot expect to evolve and reach out to new heights if you only stick to your normal habits and old routine lifestyle. Learning new skills and lessons will always help you throughout your life better.
Everyone is master of their comfort zones, so it should be no surprise that we all (means you, me and the world) withstand being curious and keep stepping outside of it. Let us understand with this famous quote:
• “Push yourself hard”. Keep trying to never give up even when the going gets rough.
• Keep trying: improve a skill by doing it over and over again until you get it right what you needed.
• Personal care is important: Exercise - Keep your body healthy to avoid sickness and increase productivity.
Growth www.businessconnectindia.in | Vol. 5 | Special Edition September 2022 INDIA 30
• Set your own priorities and work accordingly: Identify what needs to be done now and what can wait by thinking out of the box.
Stepping Out of Your Comfort Zone Path towards success
• ‘Make a list’ – even mental one (Mind-mapping) of what you really want to achieve. Go through this list every day in the morning and let it motivates you.
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5. Life becomes lively: When your life stops being a scene from the movie Groundhog Day, everything shows up different. Life becomes more interesting and worth living. All Risks may look like adventures and little obstacles if could look them like opportunities.
3. Increase your self-confidence: Tackling the unknown and proving to yourself you can push past your boundaries and limiting self-beliefs builds your self-confidence and self-esteem. Insecurities always like to feed on your habit of not trying. If you stop thinking, start acting then you will realize what’s possible.
1. Learn about yourself: Taking new risks, will help you grow as an individual. It will teach you about your interests, passions, talents, strengths, and weaknesses. Every time you accomplish something you didn’t think you were capable of, you become more knowledgeable and skilled.
4. Learn to deal with challenges: Life is unpredictable and it’s important to have the skills and confidence to face them head-on. By knowing of the fact that you were able to overcome something, which is thought and was insurmountable will build your confidence to reinforce your independence of who you are.
2. Expanding yourself and your creativity: When you try something new, you may find a new hobby or talent that you didn’t know that you had. New and challenging situations require you to find your own creativity in order to reach a solution.
1. Build new relationships: Trying something new every time, helps you to meet all sorts of new mindsets people, you may not meet them, otherwise you don’t step out of your comfort zone. In order to have good relationships with others, you must have a good relationship with yourself. Stepping out of your comfort zone, discovering who you are and overcoming your fears will ultimately result in better relationships with others.
Philip Samuel is a versatile leader who can effortlessly adapt to various roles and responsibilities. Born in 1947, in Tamil Nadu, India, he was the youngest child in the family. He pursued his primary education at a small Montessori School in Chennai. His high school was completed at Madras Christian College High
THE X-FACTOR
Indfrag Biosciences Pvt. Ltd. was started in a collaboration with Quest’s International a subsidiary of Unilever facility in the South of France. It has been considered a Portmanteau of Indian Fragrances. Headquartered in Bangalore, India the organization also has 4 manufacturing units in India of different capacities. It allows them to be flexible enough to supply a few milligrams to tons of kilos of extracts to the end clients. It has a big global network of raw botanical extract suppliers across Europe, and other countries like Ghana, Madagascar and Indonesia. It has become one of the greatest brands in India for manufacturing botanical extracts for the health and beauty industry. Abiding to offer the best quality and practices across its targeted space, Ind frag Biosciences has been known to offer innovative products that are manufactured with standardized procedures, deliver ing simply the best to their respective customers. It owns the certifications from FAIR TRADE, RAINFOREST, ALLIANCE, KOSHER, HALAL and ISO certification for the manufacturing capacity and ingredients. It is also a member of the Union for Ethical BioTrade (UEBT).
Philip has always been known to be a woman-equality evan gelist along with speaking in favour of the rights of the under served communities. His own organisation has a girl power team that is known to have bagged magnificent accomplish ments. Today, when his son Fabian is managing major portions of the business operations, he guides the leaders with his indus try experience and spends his spare time performing charitable causes. It has been Philip’s relentlessly dedication and commit ment only that Indfrag Biosciences has become a recipient of in numerable awards such as The Best EOU(MSME) for Food and Agro products for 2008-2009, Export Excellence Award 2003-04 by MEPZ, and Best Vendor of The Year by one of its sizeable US customers for three consecutive years in a row.
person who has always been driven by a fascination with curating unique and effective business concepts. His zeal as an entrepreneur himself allows him to reach out to young en trepreneurs and offer them better business ideas while motivat ing and guiding them via his years of experience and offering them valuable lessons. Idearampage is a website developed by him to facilitate this endeavour and to help those in dire need of helpful information.
Kajal Dobhal | Business Connect
ABOUT THE BRAIN BEHIND THE COMPANY
INDFRAG BIOSCIENCES PRIVATE LIMITED
A BRIEF OF THE COMPANY
The major factor that sets them apart from the rest is their focus on sustainability which is at the core of their overall business model. The motive is clear that it asserts to create a resilient planet where communities could be benefitted by leveraging sustainability-driven innovation. Their journey to create sus tainable impact began in 2014 when they implemented several initiatives showcasing the company’s commitment to sustain ability for long-term growth and stability. “We strive for collec tive impact by aligning with our sustainability goals. Our avid belief affirms that economical growth, as well as sustainability projections, are interlinked phenomena,” claims Philip.
School. Later, he was enrolled in Vivekananda College followed by admission to the College of Engineering, Guindy, to pursue BE in Mechanical stream. Throughout his career, he has worked with several governments as well as private organizations, across manufacturing, projects, development of new venture ideas and foreign collaborations for over 12 years. After attain ing some industrial acumen, he happened to establish a unique consultancy named Transprojects that was dedicated to helping and setting up new ideas and foreign associations. Moreover, he is the holder of several US patents. Unilever, the conglomer ate, reached him to handle their project that involved extracting fresh flower essences in association with a small French orga nization. This motivated him to establish Indfrag Biosciences where he began with extracting the fragrances of Jasmine and Tuberose. Using his strategic outlook, he managed to expand the reach of Indfrag Biosciences by diving deep into providing different plant extracts focusing on the cosmetic and health in Hedustry.isa
Walking the path of resounding success with innovative ideas…
www.businessconnectindia.in | Vol. 5 | Special Edition September 2022 INDIA 34
This time the inside story is of an organization that manufactures botanical extracts for the cosmetic and health food industry. Founded and spearheaded by the Chairman & MD- Mr Philip Samuel- Indfrag Biosciences Pvt. Ltd. has made an impact across its targeted industry in the most sophisticated manner. Since 1989, there has been no looking back of the company as it leaps forward to attain greater heights. Philip’s visionary approach and positive mindset always gave him a leading edge over his peers. As a serial entrepreneur, innovator and inventor, he is a leader with a difference. Let’s dive into his story to know the different aspects of his venture and his leadership style.
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PHILIP SAMUEL Chairman & Managing Director
At present, the leader is intensely focused on fostering and expanding its sourcing program. They are in constant strides toward developing strategystrategies.sociallyall-inclusive,sustainableThisinsightfulwillenhancetheuseofrenewableenergyintheirmanufacturingprocesses.Forthefutureahead,theyareextensivelypreparingaroadmaptoconservenaturalecosystems.
LTDPVTBIOSCIENCESINDFRAG
WHAT’S UP FOR THE FUTURE?
E:info@paliumskills.com P: +91-844 844 8828 W: Corporatewww.paliumskills.comEntrustuswith their Employee Training Onsite & Offsite Classroom Online Training for Corporates, Institutes & Individuals IT Courses Soft Skills Foreign Languages Functional Training
India to launch first against CERVICAL CANCER TODAY. Details here
www.businessconnectindia.in | Vol. 5 | Special Edition September 2022 INDIA 38
On(DBT).July
It is very effective and prevents cervical cancer because in 85% to 90% of cases, cervical cancer is caused by this particular virus and this vaccine is against those viruses. So, if we give it to our young children and daughters, they are protected from the infection and consequently probably 30 years later, cancer does not occur.
“ “ Health
India is all set to receive its first cervical cancer vaccine, the Quadrivalent Human Papillomavirus Vaccine (qHPV), today i.e. on September 1. Union Science and Technology Minister Jitendra Singh will launch the vaccine at IIC Delhi. Serum Institute of India (SII) CEO Adar Poonawalla will be present at the event, officials said.
The cervical cancer vaccine, the quadrivalent human papillomavirus vaccine (qHPV), is developed by the Serum Institute of India (SII) and the Department of Biotechnology
Dr. NK Arora said,
According to officials, the qHPV vaccine CERVAVAC has demonstrated a strong antibody response that is about 1,000-fold higher than the baseline against all targeted HPV types and in all dose and age groups.
12, the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) authorized the Serum Institute of India (SII) to manufacture an indigenously-developed vaccine against cervical cancer. In India, cervical cancer is the second most common cancer in women between the ages of 15 and 44. The revolutionary change in Indian demographics will now help in reducing the cases of cervical cancer.
There are two main types of cervical cancer: squamous cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma. About 80% to 90% of cervical cancers are squamous cell carcinomas, while 10% to 20% are adenocarcinomas. About 4,000 people die every year from cervical cancer. This rate is declining because of screening and the HPV vaccine.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO) data, 41,91,000 women have died of cervical cancer in India since 2019. The National Immunization Program will introduce qHPV for girls aged 9 to 14 according to the health ministry’s plans. It could take up to six months for the rollout, according to the report.
ABOUT CERVICAL CANCER
The SII vaccine is likely to be available at a much cheaper rate. Currently, the country is completely dependent on foreign manufacturers for the HPV vaccine. The HPV vaccine protects against the types of HPV that most often cause cervical, vaginal, and vulvar cancers.
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Cervical cancer is a type of cancer that occurs in the cells of the cervix – the lower part of the uterus that connects to the vagina. Various strains of the human papillomavirus (HPV), a sexually transmitted infection, play a role in causing most cervical cancers.
As Leatherman Fashion Pvt. Ltd. completes its 50 years as a reliable manufacturing and export house to the European market, the team is heading forward to take its expertise to the Indian market and connect directly with the customer base as well.
A brand on a mission to accumulate quality with fashion globally Jiomart, Meesho" etc e-commerce platform
We are now available on Amazon, Flipkart, Myntra,
COMPANY PREFACE
Fashion flourishes in its heritage, Sassora pivots from being only a manufacturing house to a fashion brand for both the Indian and global markets.”
THE GROWTH TRAJECTORY
As Leatherman Fashion flourishes in its heritage, Sassora pivots from being only a manufacturing house to a fashion brand for both the Indian and global markets. Under the initiative of Make In India - Sell Globally, our aim is to capitalize on the unique opportunity to make fashion more meaningful and inviting for our customers at an equitable price without compromising on quality or style. As a globally registered company, we want to bring Sassora to North America, the UK, and EU nations as a trailblazer in fashionable leather goods,
The trend with a blend of quality is what the soul of fashion is. We all prefer quality and fashionable products over inexpensive but short lasting. Keeping that in mind, Business Connect is back with its exclusive edition of the month in which we have tried covering all the brands in the fashion industry which are not only setting high standards in the realm but also scaling the success meter at a great pace. One such brand is Sassora.
It’s better to have fewer things of quality than too much expendable junk.
Conceptualized in the year 2021 under the parent company, Leatherman Fashion Pvt. Ltd., Sassora is emerging as the fashion icon and a synonym of quality in the fashion industry. Giving a brief of the company and its offerings, the leader says, “To launch a new era of genuine leather products. Leatherman Fashion was founded in 1972 and since then it has been recognized as a first-class manufacturing and export house of fashionable leather goods. Leatherman’s clientele ranges from Samsonite and Piquadro to Ferrari, Pepe Jeans, and Tony Perotti. As Leatherman Fashion completes 50 years as a reliable manufacturing and export house to the European market, we want to take our expertise to the Indian market and connect directly with the customer base. As Leatherman
SUMIT JALAN | Director
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Our editorial team had an interesting and joyful virtual session with the leadership panel of the company. The executive team shared numerous less-known facts about the brand and its overall journey. We truly hope and desire that this fascinating read will add some extra value to the lives of our global readers and will surely encourage them to chase their dreams.
Gulshan Praveen | Business Connect
• The ultimate objective of microfinance is to enhance easy accessibility, cost-effective and sustainable financial services or microloans to the budding entrepreneurs, unemployed youths, low earning individuals, a financially poor section of the society, or micro or small enterprises, resulting in raising their incomes or establishment of a profitable business.
The Rebounding of Microfinance Institutions What Young Entrepreneurs need to Know
With the recent declaration of new ventures in different Start-up sectors, to set up the sustainable entrepreneurship ecosystem driven by government’s financial inclusion agenda, the microfinance in India, with substantial opportunities, is emerging strongly and making a comeback after facing the challenges of demonetization. Sustainable rural development can be attained by focussing on microfinance because of its supportive and self-employment role. The overall GLP (Gross loan portfolio) of microfinance is expected to increase at a CAGR of 28% in 2022.
Entrepreneurship www.businessconnectindia.in | Vol. 5 | Special Edition September 2022 INDIA 44
• According to the Global MPI report 2018, India has made remarkable progress by drastically reducing its poverty rate from 55% to 28% in the last 10 years.
Salient points of microfinance
• Loans given are without security or guarantee
Microfinance includes microcredit or microloan, “micro” means “small in scale”, the provision of small loans to underprivileged clients who have innovative business ideas but are not in a financial situation to execute the Start-up venture.
Entrepreneurs can’t take off in the absence of necessary funding. To dream of solving problems with innovations is good, but the ground realities need to be taken into consideration in this successful entrepreneurship journey. To face the financial burden along with the cut-throat competition of the business world is the usual problem faced in Start-ups businesses. Usually, most people have no or limited access to public financial services.
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Recent upsurge seen in the Start-up microfinance industry has given a green signal towards sustainable growth, with the expectation to create a miraculous impact by the union of Machine learning and Artificial Intelligence, to be the key driver in the Next generation sustainable microfinance distribution model.
• To generate sustainable activities to enhance income
In recent years, the era changer step taken by Prime Minister Narendra Modi towards e-government with a tag line “we move with the dream of electronic digital India....”, with an aim to “Transform India into digitally empowered society and knowledge economy”, has come up with e-Shakti (Apps also available) or digitisation of SHGs (Self Help Groups), an initiative of Micro Credit and Innovations Department of NABARD, and Digital India, to integrate the government departments, the people of the country (including villagers and farmers) and to ensure effective governance. Altogether these steps have supported the concept of microfinance companies to raise funds, understanding the tremendous potential of the concept in eradicating poverty in developing nations.
• To lessen external business upsets
• Loans comprise small amount – micro-credits or microloans
• Creditors are from the low-income section
The long history of indigenous banking and money lending dates back to Vedic times, around 2000 to 1400 B.C. Currently, there are three models prevalent in Indian microfinance sector-(1) JLG (Joint Liability Group) (2) SHG (Self Help Group) (3) SHG Bank Linkage
• Loans are for Short duration
Microfinance offers financial and non-financial services to the budding entrepreneurs, (especially women) and men, including selfemployed who are not accessible to the traditional banking system. A microfinance bank (or microfinance institute) is the organization which offers such services, it can be a credit union, commercial bank, financial NGOs, or a credit cooperative.
What are microfinance banks?
However, the obvious question arises is How to resolve the financial part of Start-ups?” Monitoring the financial situation of clients and educating borrowers about better money management gives microfinance system an upper hand to the traditional loan offered by the banks. SIDBI (Small Industries Development Bank in India), HDFC Bank, Reliance, ICICI Bank, SBI Bank, etc. are the leading formal sector microfinance providers in India.
• Frequency of repayment is high
Microfinance services are programmed in order
• To raise the living conditions of entrepreneurs and their families
• To empower Budding Entrepreneurs and Women
• Loans are usually considered for income generation purpose
India is currently one of the most promising markets for microfinance in the world, by successfully running Microfinance institutions in lots, and having an outstanding market potential in the Microfinance Industry. An enormous number of the government and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are running several projects to uplift the life of the unbanked and underbanked section with a significantly high success rate.
What is microfinance?
Microfinance institutions or banks are playing a significant role in women empowerment in India. By offering financial services to the underprivileged women or men of the country, these institutions have opened the door for thousands of young women or men who are looking for their economic growth. Uneducated, poor and unemployed women or men usually face lots of issues to access loans from traditional lending organizations and this is where the microfinance banks have come to their rescue. They provide women or men access to finance services and offer them easy loans, savings accounts, insurance, and several others as per their eligibility and requirement. Maharastra and Bihar have the largest number of microfinance institutions operating under the JLG or SHG hybrid model.
TCR already has cafes in Australia, Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan, Abu Dhabi, Muscat, Riyadh & London. Considering their price range and menu selection, it’s universal, and We haven’t met a person on this earth who hates chocolates. Let’s know further from the Managing Director of The Chocolate Room - Mr.Vikas Panjabi
Making People Chocoholics India & Across! The Chocolate Room
First launched in Ahmedabad, the brand has a presence with 395 outlets across India with an extended presence in around 11 countries. The Chocolate Room (TCR) serves around 20 flavours of Italian hot chocolate, chocolate fondues, cakes, and unique hand-made chocolate desserts prepared with the finest Belgian chocolate.
THE CHOCOLATE ROOM HAS BEEN EXPANDING QUITE RAPIDLY. WE ARE INTERESTED IN KNOWING MORE ABOUT YOUR EXPANSION STRATEGY. AND WHAT ARE THE KEY FACTORS THAT THE TCR HAS BEEN THE MOST SUSTAINABLE CAFE BUSINESS?
Vikas Panjabi Managing Director
www.businessconnectindia.in | Vol. 5 | Special Edition September 2022 INDIA 46
ealizing the huge potential of chocolate desserts in India, Vikas Panjabi voyaged from Australia to India in 2007 to launch the first-ever chocolate cafe brand, The Chocolate Room. The brand is known for its Chocolate Café, Gift Hampers and Bakery.
CONSIDERING THE DEPTH OF YOUR EXPERIENCE IN THE F&B INDUSTRY TILL NOW, WE WOULD LIKE TO KNOW ABOUT YOUR JOURNEY. WHAT WERE YOUR KEY LEARNINGS, CHALLENGES, AND MAJOR LESSONS?
When we started, it was all about just desserts and beverages. But soon, we realized the Indian taste palette doesn’t like too many sweets and that we also need to serve savoury dishes. We got a few menu consultants on board, experimented with our menu, and slowly and steadily engineered the menu. Once we had our operations in place, we started focusing on growth. By 2008, we figured out franchising was the way to scale The Chocolate Room brand. Since franchising, we now have more than 395 stores across the country. And this number is steadily growing.
R
Our brand value is significant, It’s one of the rare café chain in India which has been able to flourish so well within such short span of time. What makes us sustainable is that we’ve different business models, Be it a kiosk at Airports, Malls or commercial complexes or be it a full-fledged Diner. We’ve a detailed business plan starting from Rs.15 lacs to 50 Lacs+, You can open your café from 100 sq.ft area to 800 sq.ft & above. As
We have unique Diwali edition gift hampers for our clients, and you can check them out at any nearby TCR
The Chocolate Room is unlike other cafes, Its All for Chocolates and Chocolate for All. People discuss their start-up ideas at TCR, and even couples propose to each other with hot chocolate. It is a place where all the age groups, from the age of 8 to 60 years, everyone goes to enjoy chocolate.
ThankCafe.
Yes, it has geared up like never before. Consumers don’t get that
you, Mr Vikas, for sharing interesting and delectable insights! We wish you all the best for your coming tenure.
We’ve always been a customer & franchisee-centric brand, providing three verticals in the single franchise fees. The more verticals, the more the revenue source for our franchise partners. Also, 70-80% of our repeat customers prefer to take away bakery products, cakes and chocolates for their household or gift their friends, family members, colleagues and relatives. It blends perfectly with our cafe and in-shop bakery and gift hampers so that it becomes their one-stop for outings & shopping.
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TELL US MORE ABOUT TCR’S CHOCOLATE GIFT HAMPERS.
fresh aroma of coffee at home. They seek quality time and a fine-dine culture. We’ve seen a miraculous shift from local tea/coffee hang-outs to premium cafes; the aspiration of India is towards a developed country. So it’s more towards the lifestyle than just an edible spot. If a cafe can give consistent taste and a good experience, it gets added to the customers’ favourite list. Moreover, post-covid, where remote work has shot up, has helped us for more repeated consumers.
dishes are made live in front of the customers, giving a unique experience and fresh taste of food. It helped us stand out from the rest of the cafes that would serve frozen food products. Our perishable inventory is almost changed daily. This factor has put us in a different league.
We also have a referral program that gives complimentary vouchers and loyalty points to references and regular customers.
Oh! It’s going to be crazy this season, and we’ve already started getting orders from major corporates for gifting their employees and clients. Our Gift Hampers are composed of Dry Fruit Chocolates, Chocolate Cosmetics, Cookies, Belgium Chocolates, Dry Bar Cakes, MultiFlavour Brownies, and much more. Our hampers start from Rs.299 onwards and go upto Rs.15000. So the consumer can customize their hampers based on their employee categories. Many of our gift hampers have beautiful and elegant multi-level trays that can later be used on their dining table, drawing room, or office tables. So it looks very graceful while you gift the chocolate hampers to someone, and because of its post-utility, the receiver can keep and use it instead of throwing it out.
we’ve extended verticals based on the space so every inch on the floor can be utilized and the franchise partner can earn better returns on his investment. We’ve also been successfully running our cafes in bigger corporate houses on lease model. Our Handholding support is also an important factor so that any person who isn’t from the food & service industry can also start his own café without any anxiety.
Most of our franchise owners have at least 4 to 5 stores nationwide. We have also succeeded in developing a solid master franchise network in India. We have seen this model doing great in the United States and Australia.
Besides, The Chocolate Room has always been a live kitchen experience, unlike other cafes that serve frozen products. All the desserts and savoury
HOW DO YOU FEEL THE CAFÉ CULTURE HAS PICKED UP RECENTLY IN INDIA?
TCR HAS THREE VERTICALS (CAFE, BAKERY AND GIFT HAMPERS), AND HOW DOES IT BLEND WITH THE DELIVERABLES AND THE BRAND POSITIONING FOR YOU?
In 1955 Berkshire Fine Spinning Associates merged with Hathaway Manufacturing Company, which Horatio Hathaway had established in 1888 in New Bedford, Massachusetts. Following the merger, Berkshire Hathaway had 15 facilities with over 12,000 employees, a revenue of over $120 million, and its headquarters were in New Bedford. However, seven of those locations had closed by the decade’s end, with significant layoffs taking place. In 1962, Warren Buffett started investing in Berkshire Hathaway stock after noticing a pattern in the price movement of the company’s stock whenever it closed a mill. Eventually, Buffett admitted that the company’s financial situation was not going to get better and that the textile industry was in Seaburydecline.Stanton,
Berkshire Hathaway Net Worth:
Berkshire Hathaway Net Worth
Valley Falls on Rhode Island is the place where Oliver Chace founded the Company with the same name-Valley Falls in 1839. Valley Falls delt in textile manufacturing. This is where Berkshire Hathaway’s history begins. Chace had previously been employed by Samuel Slater, who established the first prosperous textile mill in America. Chace established his first textile factory in 1806. The Adams, Massachusetts-based Berkshire Cotton Manufacturing Company and the Valley Falls Company merged in 1929. This merger was named Berkshire Fine Spinning Associates.
Over 99% of his wealth will be given away, as promised. He has already donated over $48 billion, primarily to the Gates Foundation and the foundations of his children. He and Bill Gates started the Giving Pledge in 2010, whereby billionaires agreed to donate at least half of their wealth to charitable causes.
www.businessconnectindia.in | Vol. 5 | Special Edition September 2022 INDIA
the owner of the Hathway made an oral tender offer in 1964 to buyback Buffett’s stock in the company for $11 and a half per share. Buffett accepted the offer. A few weeks later, Warren Buffett received the written tender offer, but it was for just $11 and 3/ 8. Later, Buffett acknowledged that the lower, undercutting offer had upset him. Buffett purchased more shares in order to take over the business and fired Stanton rather than selling at the slightly lower price. Buffett became the majority owner of a failing textile company as a result of this.
Initial History
As per Forbes, Warren Edward Buffet, the CEO of Berkshire Hathaway projects a net worth of $ 99.4 billion as of September,2022 making him the seventh-wealthiest person in the world. Buffett is also a business tycoon, philanthropist, and investor from the United States. He is one of the most successful investors too.
Berkshire Hathaway Inc, headed by famous investment icon Warrant Buffet, is an American multinational conglomerate holding company. The company has its main office in Omaha, Nebraska, USA. The Forbes Global 2000 ranking and formula place Berkshire Hathaway as the eighth-largest public company in the world, the tenth-largest conglomerate by revenue, and the largest financial services company in the world. Along with owning all of GEICO, Duracell, Dairy Queen, BNSF Railway, Lubrizol, Fruit of the Loom, Helzberg Diamonds, Long & Foster, Shaw Industries, Pampered Chef, Forest River, and NetJets, the company also holds a 38.6% stake in Pilot Flying J and significant minority stakes in the following public companies: Kraft Heinz Company (26.7%), American Express (18.8%), Bank of America (11.9%), The Coca-cola company (9.32%) and Apple (5.57%)
Warren Buffet’s Net Worth:
The market capitalization of Berkshire Hathaway rose to over $730 billion on March 16, 2022, when its Class A shares closed above a record price of $500,000.
Initially, Buffett continued to run Berkshire’s core textile business, but by 1967, he had begun to diversify into other investments and the insurance sector. Berkshire’s acquisition of National Indemnity Company marked its entry into the insurance industry. The core of Berkshire’s insurance operations today (and a significant source of funding for Berkshire Hathaway’s other investments) is the Government Employees Insurance Company (GEICO), which Berkshire purchased an equity stake in the late 1970s. The final textile operations—the heart of Hathaway—were shut down in 1985.
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Thinkinno Technologies Pvt. Ltd. S 24, Second floor, Sej Plaza, Near Asspee Auditorium, Marve Road, Malad West, Mumbai 400 064, Maharashtra, India Email: info@thinkinno.com | www.thinkinno.com | Phone USA: +1 331 333 6829 | India: +91 932 268 9919
The challenges of operating a business are all too well known to entrepreneurs. Most entrepreneurs struggle with the issue of beginning anything from scratch, and often without much advice. This, coupled with scarce funds and resources, leads to restless nights and extreme stress. It is no secret that being an entrepreneur may be difficult, but it is also extremely rewarding. The game requires players to overcome obstacles. Only a forward-thinking approach and an optimistic outlook can enable you to navigate challenging times in business. As the CEO of a digital marketing firm, Mr. Shiva Bhavani had to deal with a lot of these difficulties, and it was his ability to overcome them that helped Wing Communications become the prosperous business that it is today. Even though the digital market space is congested with players, Wing Communications is still creating its space by providing an umbrella of services to clients irrespective of national boundaries.
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www.businessconnectindia.in | Vol. 5 | Special Edition September 2022 INDIA 52 ONE OF THE underentrepreneurYOUNGEST3030
Consumer expectations for brands have increased, and people demand more from brands. To provide the clients with the greatest growth solutions, Wing invents and develops at the intersections, aiming to be creative and transcending mediocrity. Wing Communications is more than just a marketing or creative organization. They offer clients more than just PR or digital marketing solutions –they also give them fresh perspectives, unmatched skills, and game-changing business outcomes.
Kriti Anand | Business Connect
I have always been a passionate and free-spirited person. With a zeal for adventure and new ideas flooding my mind, I knew I had to do something different. I believe that being an entrepreneur is a constant rollercoaster ride full of new adventures every day, and if you love what you do, it’s even more fun. - Mr. Shiva Bhavani, CEO and Founder
WING COMMUNICATIONS
Entrepreneurial spirit has been defined as a mindset and way of thinking that actively seeks out change rather than waiting to adjust to it. It’s a way of thinking that values innovation, service, and constant progress. It is a strategy for dealing with problems that makes you feel driven, in control, and empowered. One of the youngest entrepreneurs in the country, Mr. Shiva Bhavani, established the Digital Marketing Agency, Wings Communications, as a sublime example of this spirit.
Exemplifying The Entrepreneurial Spirit
COMPANY OVERVIEW
They bring the top people, ideas, and resources from anywhere in or outside of their network to bear on any client challenges. In our unpredictable, uncertain environment, being able to recognise the minor changes that have a big influence (both positive and negative) on business is an essential ability. Those who succeed place informed bets, keep an open mind and have the insight and energy to take advantage of opportunities.
Shiva Bhavani | CEO and Founder
A good leader, in Mr. Shiva’s opinion, is always on the hunt for fresh concepts, and in today’s rapidly evolving environment, it is essential to offer clients unconventional solutions. He sees himself as a charismatic leader who is open to learning new things, who not only has inclusive ideas but also executes them. And according to him, he learned these entrepreneurial traits from his biggest source of motivation, Steve Jobs. On Shiva’s list of noteworthy entrepreneurs, Jobs stood out due to his laser-like focus.
THE ENTREPRENEURIAL JOURNEY
Wing Communications’ mission is to create digital marketing strategies that offer unparalleled ROI through top-tier goods and services. World-class digital experiences are made possible by the company’s youthful, innovative marketing innovators and tech entrepreneurs combining their various viewpoints and expertise.
PARTING WORDS
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Wing Communications has amassed more than 50+ domestic and foreign clients in just one year. The business has had the good fortune to be highlighted in respected publications like Indian Television and Social Samosa with the help of a dynamic team.
Throughout my journey, one thing I learned is that you should never stop challenging yourself and always be ready to take risks. As an entrepreneur, you need to believe in yourself, believe that you can succeed, and you’ll find ways through different obstacles. Surround yourself with people who are already the way you aspire to be.
He believes that in the industry the only constant thing is change. Over time, the way people see and perceive digital marketing and advertising has undoubtedly changed. And, being an entrepreneur and a leader it is my duty to stay on top of all these changes. We all know that change is bound to happen, what matters is how we handle it. As the CEO of a digital marketing agency, I like following a variety of marketing reports to stay on top of trends. Trends will inevitably change industries every day, regardless of whether you are ready for them or not. Keeping up with changing times and evolving your company along with them can keep you competitive, states the CEO.
Mr. Shiva Bhavani says, Being a leader and an entrepreneur, I am always on the lookout for opportunities and new ways to assist our clients in the best possible way. And for me, more opportunities mean a growing network. Fresh and informative content is one of the main elements that pull in new visitors and potential customers. We at Wing Communications, by using fresh trends and content, stay at the forefront of the field which ultimately increases our visibility. Additionally, it makes clients turn their eyes toward our services.
Wing Communications serves a number of sectors, including fashion and lifestyle, art and culture, education, e-commerce, IT and telecommunications, corporate and travel, and hospitality. From research and discovery through implementation and iteration, they work side-by-side with clients to identify the specific talent and tools they need.
GOING FORWARD
Mr. Shiva Bhavani believes that the best workplace cultures are those in which both the team and the individual are valued. According to him, it is important to make sure that the team members are aware that they are respected and heard. Working together as a team is valued and emphasized at Wing Communications. The founder makes sure that everyone on the team is heard and that their input is taken into account.
I aim to create an innovative space and provide the clients with creative ideas that will help them to enjoy steady growth. Going forward, I aspire for Wing Communications to provide clients with technologically advanced services and keep them ahead of the competition, he shared. His innovative ideas and efforts have earned him the “Trailblazer - PRCA 40 Under 40 Award 2022,” at 2nd Edition of INDIAN television PR & Communications Aces Summit & Awards. Furthermore, he is one of the youngest entrepreneur to be listed in the “30 under 30.”
In the face of enormous changes in business, branding, and marketing, Wing Communication’s goal is to be a change agent. They strive to end the tyranny of the status quo for their customers and their employees in order to spur development and innovation. The organization wants to give customers insights and ideas that help their brands and businesses grow.
Additionally, in recent years, consulting has evolved into a rightand left-brain activity. Through emotion, experimentation, and creativity, the team develops the futures of clients in a way that goes beyond plain analytics.
They combine profound strategy with creativity to find the concrete solutions their clients require. Delivering positive, measurable results for brands and enterprises is Wing Communications’ sole focus.
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