Power Talk │ February 2021│Ready to Startup
POWER TALK FEBRUARY-MARCH 2021 Edition - READY TO STARTUP It’s time to start as pandemic paves way to a new day, a new year, a new life, a new relationships, a new career, new opportunities and so much more for so many of us. As the first edition of the new year 2021. POWER TALK focuses on sharing all that we need to make a perfect new beginning, plunging into the world of entrepreneurship. The stalwarts from the world of Start-up, Finance, Media and Coaching have penned down their years of experience on reams of paper for us to take a hiccup free flight into the territory of UNICORNS .. turning over a new leaf Dr. Abha Rishi is on the cover page .CEO for the Atal Incubation Centre at Birla Institute of Management Technology. She has her Honors in Entrepreneurship from Stanford University,holds a Chevening Rolls Royce Science and Innovation Leadership Programme-scholar from University of Oxford Enjoy the issue ! More power to you Founder & CEO- Archanna (https://www.linkedin.com/in/archannagaarg/) Power Talk with Archanna www.powertalkwitharchanna.com
POWER TALK FEBRUARY-MARCH 2021 Edition - READY TO STARTUP
It’s time to start as pandemic paves way to a new day, a new year, a new life, a new relationships, a new career, new opportunities and so much more for so many of us. As the first edition of the new year 2021. POWER TALK focuses on sharing all that we need to make a perfect new beginning, plunging into the world of entrepreneurship. The stalwarts from the world of Start-up, Finance, Media and Coaching have penned down their years of experience on reams of paper for us to take a hiccup free flight into the territory of UNICORNS .. turning over a new leaf
Dr. Abha Rishi is on the cover page .CEO for the Atal Incubation Centre at Birla Institute of Management Technology. She has her Honors in Entrepreneurship from Stanford University,holds a Chevening Rolls Royce Science and Innovation Leadership Programme-scholar from University of Oxford
Enjoy the issue !
More power to you
Founder & CEO- Archanna (https://www.linkedin.com/in/archannagaarg/)
Power Talk with Archanna
www.powertalkwitharchanna.com
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8 AWARD WINNING
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READY TO
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ATAL INNOVATION CENTRE
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LEGAL PLOT
BRAND EQUITY
FUNDING RULES
BOOTSTRAPPED
STARTUP TRENDS
BANKING START UP
STARTUP TO DO LIST
STURDY LAUNCH PAD
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EDUCATION
31
EDITORIAL
It’s time to start as pandemic paves way to
a new day, a new year, a new life, a new
relationships, a new career, new opportunities
and so much more for so many of us. As the first
edition of the new year 2021. POWER TALK
focuses on sharing all that we need to make a
perfect new beginning, plunging into the world
of entrepreneurship. The stalwarts from the
world of Start-up, Finance, Media and Coaching
have penned down their years of experience on
reams of paper for us to take a hiccup free flight
into the territory of UNICORNS .. turning over a
new leaf
In this edition we have also soft launched our
new publication, POWER KIDS .An e-magazine
that celebrates the beautiful relationship and
the umbilical chord that children and parents
share .The magazine is going to be an essence
of learnings and experiences of people who
have enjoyed the process of blooming into
lovely human beings. It comes with catalytic
deliberations from global experts to make the
journey for both parents and children a
beautiful one. POWER KIDS goes online on
15 th March. We seek your blessings and hope
you enjoy this adventure with us.
I would like to leave you with a beautiful poem
on New Beginnings by Julie Hébert.
Julie is an American writer, director of theatre,
film and television
The sun is shining,
On this amazing day,
Of new beginnings,
And farewells to say.
Our new road is paved,
With a new path in sight.
It's time to take it,
It feels quite right.
We will say farewell,
To all we've known.
The knowledge we will take with us
And no longer be attending class.
It's time to explore,
The world that awaits.
Allow yourself too,
Embrace your fate
-Julie Hebert
Thanks for all your love and support. Love us. Follow us
See you in the next edition of POWER TALK in April’21
Power Talk l Ready to StartUp
Corporate Humor
CONTENT
05
18
Dr. ABHA RISHI
16
BRAND EQUITY
Sr. VICE PRESIDENT
Times of India
Bengaluru, India
33
24
FORMER
MD & CEO
SBI Life Insurance
Mumbai, INDIA
Power Talk l Ready to StartUp
MAHAVIR PRATAP SHARMA
STURDY LAUNCHPAD
12
30
DELIGENT
DELHI, INDIA
SUCCESS STORY
26
Global Adjustments Foundation
Chennai, India
53
www.powertalkwitharchanna.com 9
50
40
44
36
Power Talk l Ready to StartUp
8
20000 STARTUPS
61+chapters
14 countries
MENTORING NETWORKING EDUCATION INCUBATION FUNDING
Mahavir Pratap Sharma
2013-PRESENT
CO-FOUNDER & CHAIR
RAJASTHAN ANGELS (RAIN)
2020-PRESENT
CHAIR
TiE INDIA ANGELS
FORMER CHAIR
TiE Global BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Q
The shareholders agreement is a very comprehensive document. It may take
months to come to a common ground of agreement between the founder and the
investor. What would you like to add in support of Early Startups.
The term sheet or the SHA are very important documents and the startups should understand each and
every clause of the agreement with great detail. The implications of the same at an early stage start-up for
future investments will be very high and hence it is imperative that the co-founders seek out to various
platforms/advisors/consultants that can help them sign on something that is right for their start-up. They
should also ask the right questions to the investors to better understand why the investor is insisting on a
certain clause. The proactive discussion between the two will not only help the start-up, not make a mistake
but also help the deal to go through. While understanding and questioning the clause is important, but
sometimes too much questioning or doubting will make the deal fall through. So a balance needs to be
struck between questioning to learn and improve the term sheet for the start-up and questioning with doubt
and fear of the intent of the investor. A quick background check by the start-up of the investor or their fund
Power Talk l Ready to StartUp
Not one but many options to
choose from. Weigh each one
carefully to suit your proposed
business model
Grants
Many state governments or corporates or non-profits
do give equity free grant to work with. This is the best
thing to get for a start-up to get off and do the
prototype and do a proof of concept(POC). The grants
are most of the times not loaded with deliverables
but at times have certain milestones, checks and
measures; which are required so that the same
cannot be misused. I would also include prize money
at business plan competitions or hackathons in this
category. This i.e. the grant or prize money is the
safest form of investment and works best at an idea
stage, to build a prototype and perhaps a POC too.
Friends or family
If a grant is not available or one doesn’t qualify, this
is the next best thing that should be done and it can
be taken for a very small equity or on interest or on
a discounted convertible shares. This also works
best to build a prototype or do a POC or to make
you angel ready.
Incubators or Accelerators
or network, and their process and policy is also
something that the start-up needs to do. A background
check and past experience of the other startups that
are invested in by an investor or the fund, will help you
go ahead with the deal and build confidence and trust.
While the investor does a DD on you, with your
customers and or suppliers, a start-up should also do
the same for the investor.
Q
What are the different types of
investments a start-up can avail. Which is
the safest and most effective for early stage
startups?
Certain incubator’s and accelerator’s in addition to
providing you space & mentoring, also give you an
investment at a fixed valuation or at a convertible
note on future investments that you might get. This
is the 3rd best option if the incubator or accelerator
is of repute. Being part of an incubation or
accelerator program and/or qualifying for the same
also makes a difference on the overall valuation of
the start-up. Hence it is very critical that you chose
the right one and go ahead with some money that
you might have to pay, as in the long run the same
will be compensated with a better valuation.
Angel Investment
This is an equity based investment that an angel
would do either individually or collectively through a
network or through a fund that they are part of. This
is where the right match of the start-up and investor
has to be made, due diligence done at both ends,
valuation and investment amount agreed upon and
www.powertalkwitharchanna.com 13
lastly term sheets and share holders agreement (SHA)
signed his of course is the next best option and works
post POC or post revenue stage. The matchmaking as I
have said is very important, as this investment at an
early stage is not only an investment, but needs a lot
of handholding, nurturing & mentoring. This investor
paves the way for future investments, the valuation
and equity that is agreed upon decides the course of
further action for the start-up. And as I have said that
earlier, “while we did not have a choice of siblings or
parents that we were born with, but we do have a
choice by way of choosing the right co-founders as
siblings and the first angel investors as the set of
parents.” So please take your time, but don’t just go
after the money or valuation but get an intelligent
investor, a strategic investor, an investor that will
complement and add value today and in the future
Crowd Funding
This is also done through online platforms and small
sum of monies invested by investors can be raised.
Not that prevalent in India, but exists in the US and
other countries. Sometimes this can work in college
communities or cooperatives, especially for impact
investments.
Debt funding
It normally works for startups that are in revenue and
growth stage and have ways and means to repay the
debt in a year or two. This again is very important
and critical at times, mostly works as a bridge
between series A and B or B and C. The legalities and
fine print of this is also very important and critical,
and having an intelligent investor on board earlier or
having a good consultant is needed.
Institutional or VC funding
Post one or two rounds of angel investment and
having revenues, growth and idea that is scalable,
the VC or Institutional funding kicks in at pre-series A
or Series A. At this point you are or you should be in
safe hands, have your own financial & legal
consultants and be able to deal with the negotiation
& execution as required. Pretty much similar to
Angel investing, except with a far more detailed
diligence and post investment compliances are or
maybe required.
Power Talk l Ready to StartUp
Q
Any case study you would like to
discuss here to help startups
understand where they go wrong
that delays the process of finding
the right investor
They go wrong at multiple levels; the timing of the
fund raise, size of the fund required, the valuation
that they seek or should get, not doing full due
diligence on the investor or their network, not
making the right pitch, agreeing or disagreeing by
not understanding the TS or SHA. And all of this
does delay the fund raiser for the startups. I have
had startups pitch to me on a daily basis, who don’t
understand the amount that they need or the
valuation that they are seeking. They have no idea
on cash flow, on burn, on funds needed to scale;
basically the how much, when & why of the money
needed. They might have great idea’s, great teams,
but lack the basic business acumen and experience.
They need to work with mentors, networks,
incubators etc. and understand all of this before
pitching. Once this is sorted, pitching, due diligence
and terms on the fund raise all fall into place.
Q
Every startups dreams about
mergers and acquisitions. How
does TIE help startups in the same.
Mergers & Acquisitions happen when the marriage
or adoption are a win-win for both the startups or
businesses. The business plan, in addition to what
one has for a fund raiser at that point, should also
say how the merger and acquisition would make
the two companies collectively grow multiple times
and create a company that the competition can’t
match or catchup to. TiE and its vast network,
will help startups to provide opportunity to
network and find the right companies to partner
and grow. Also the market outreach through TiE
and its network can help companies backward
or forward integration. Being part of the right
network or having the right
mentor/investor/consultant on mergers and
acquisitions is a must.
Q
What is considered to be a error
free, fool proof plan to safely
launch a start-up?
To identify a unique problem and have the right
team, that can solve that problem, is the starting
point for any start-up. Continue to strengthen the
core of the business and staying focused on that is
step two. Being focused, passionate, time-bound,
agile, nimble, bootstrapped mindset, firm yet
flexible, pivot if required, have the right mentors &
early stage investors, and the ability to survive
despite all odds, and much more, are amongst the
steps that one needs to continue to take. And as I
said earlier, “the co-founders are your siblings that
you chose, the first set of employees is the
extended family that you will have, be sure that all
of you compliment each other, strengthen the idea
execution and most importantly discuss, debate,
disagree, disrupt yet execute, execute, execute,
execute….”
Q
TiE Angels is one of the largest
angel groups helping portfolio
companies meet the challenges of
scaling into successful enterprises.
What is your vision for the
company ?
TiE’s mandate is to educate, mentor, incubate,
network and invest in startups and amongst all its
members of the ecosystem. It’s also mandated to
work at the bottom on the pyramid. So while we
D
D
D
D
BUT
EXECUTE
work with schools and colleges through our TYE and
TiE University program, through TiE India angels we
intend to invest at idea and early stage startups,
startups that have brilliant teams and idea’s that are
scalable with innovative solutions. The startups that
need the right mentoring, strategic investors, help with
market outreach, and hand holding until possible
institutional or fund investing. The various programs
and global business plan competitions that we do also
will culminate into a possible investment for the top
few. So while we mentor and give Gyan, we put our
money where are mouth is and actually impact the
entire chain and lifecycle of a start-up and the entire
ecosystem
From the investors point of view, we also want to
expand the investor base not just in India but from
outside of India. Many of our TiE members across the
globe are in to non-tech businesses and they need to
learn the tech domain, co-invest with fellow TIE
members and invest in the future of India through
scalable startups. The future of the world lies in tech
and tech enabled businesses, the governments are
enablers and we as successful entrepreneurs have to reinvest
in the economies of the world; and what better
way to do it than through a community of people that
you can trust, who follow a processes and have
compliances & governance in place.
If we can help many prospective startups raise money;
expand the investor base and give a great ROI to
everyone in the ecosystem, then we would have
achieved what we intend to achieve.
www.powertalkwitharchanna.com 15
Sundar Kondur
BRAND & STRATEGY ARCHITECT
Senior Vice President
Times of India
25 years
Brand Equity at its best
Novel ways to create
a personal brand image strategy for 2021
Say what you mean, do what you say and say it in a manner that’s never
been said before. Always use your unique secret sauce
One tip to make storytelling
captivating and effective
Truth well told. Make it real and relatable
The new world of sketch notes and how they
enhance communication
Sketch notes brings alive ideas, creativity and makes any communication into a
story.Complex data and analysis can be made simple by visual and sketch note storytelling
Your biggest achievement
Is yet to come
ABHA RISHI
A DREAM CATCHER
PASSIONATELY DRIVEN
BEYOND THE CALL OF DUTY
SUCCESS
POTION
Execution always trumps novelty of an idea. As an incubator that sees more 60 applications monthly, on an
average, and has incubated over 90 startups in the last 3 years, we can say this as a fact, that an idea is only
as good as a blank paper, until it is being worked upon in real time. The newness of an idea is not a
parameter of its potential success, the efforts being put in by the team to survive in the market ranks much
higher. Also, funding should be used as a tool by a venture for its expansion, and not for its existence! Also
don’t expect instant returns on your investment. It takes a minimum of 3-5 year for an idea to become a
successful venture.
Start-up to UNICORN
Context is very necessary when we talk about
scaling a venture. You cannot point towards any one
playbook or one treatment, because when you look
at the start-ups which have really achieved unicorn
status, you will understand that for every insight,
there is a flip side also. There are many unicorns
who succeeded because they had the first mover
advantage, and then there are the stories of those
who failed because they were ahead of the market!
So which adage do you follow? But having said
that, there are a few things which helps in building a
sustainable unicorn and here I will emphasize on
sustainability because it is important to not only
create but also maintain momentum.
If you look at it, there are just a few things that
most unicorns had in common
• The most important, a simple solution to an
existing problem, which is felt by many.
• A strong value proposition and distinct
positioning
• A clear roadmap for the future
• An easy to use User Interface and a good User
Experience
Power Talk l Ready to StartUp
Watch Out
This question is a tricky one, as it would be a very
difficult to point a single most important thing in a
start-up’s journey. What we need to understand, is
that every start-up has a unique journey, that
depends on things like the sector and industry the
idea is based in, to the background of the founders
and innumerable factors in between. The fact that
you do not get influenced by anybody else’s
journey and do not hesitate to take a new road
through an uncharted territory while on your
journey, would be the most important thing. Equal
importance must be given to the intent of the
journey and your fellow companions on it.
Financial and emotional support plays a major
role. Do build up on financial reserves also, as you
begin the start-up journey
Pitch Perfect
Know your audience before telling them a story! For
an entrepreneur who has worked on his/her idea,
day and night, it is at times difficult to choose what
to share and how to articulate it. The same idea has
to be presented, shared with different people in
different capacities, which for an entrepreneur is a
normal day at work. This at times, even
unknowingly, takes a templated form of a pitch,
which ignores the intent of the audience being
addressed. A pitch should be constructed keeping
in mind the listener, be it an investor, a jury in
competition, a potential customer, followed by
your story that connects to them.
Cross Border Ventures
India itself is a huge market with a lot of potential!
But having said that, there are certain ventures for
whom geographical boundaries are not barriers,
e.g, Zoom, Airmeets, etc. This is especially true of
tech based platform startups and startups catering
to niche markets. These niche markets could be
homogenous across different countries. The only
advice that I would give is to be respectful of the
host culture and be flexible.
BIMTECH – An Edge Up!
Atal Incubation Centre- BIMTECH has a vision to
nurture startups that not only create an economical,
but also a social impact on the ecosystem. We run
three programs which focus on the different stages
of start-up where they need support; Khoj for
ideation, Gurukul for early revenue and Udaan for
expansion. Each program is carefully customized
and tweaked regularly to keep up with the current
requirements of the startups. AIC-BIMTECH also
offers co-living facility to the incubated startups,
which provides them access to the residential
infrastructure akin to the students of BIMTECH.
Another differentiating factor would be the focus
on the partnerships created within the ecosystem.
AIC-BIMTECH not only brings aboard partners
from all spheres to provide support structure for the
incubated startups, but there are many international
partners in.
Case Study
An interesting case that we came across in 2018
was of Akash Singh, now an Ashoka Young
Changemaker and Founder of Energinee
Innovation. When we first interacted with him, he
was applying for our Khoj (ideation) Program, with a
self-power generating stick innovated by him for his
grandfather. He wanted to turn that idea into a
venture. It was his enthusiasm and drive that
showed promise, for which he was selected for the
program. Since he was just 19 years at that
Dr.Abha Rishi
CHAIRPERSON
BIMTECH
Centre of innovation
Entrepreneurship Development
particular point in time, it was gently but firmly
established, in the first month itself, that his existing
product was not marketable. It had a lot of design
flaws and low market potential, and he was asked
to pivot. This was followed by many interactions
with him, while he kept on seeking a different idea
that he was equally passionate for, more if not less.
Finally after quite a few interactions with our
mentors, he moved into the waste management
space. As a result, his company is now collecting
temple waste like incense stick ash, from temples
across Delhi NCR, to convert it into different
sculptures moulded with the help of under-trial
prison inmates
Work Culture at BIMTECH
OPEN . EXPERIMENTAL . FAMILIAL
The environment at AIC-BIMTECH, both for the
team and the incubated startups is very friendly
and open with a flat reporting structure. It
www.powertalkwitharchanna.com 21
increases the accessibility of everyone, making the
discussions and interactions more open and
productive. Another focus that the team has is to
keep experimenting place for creating a market
access network to broaden horizon. We also partner
with academic institutes to encourage budding
entrepreneurs and equip them with right tools and
mindset required for the tedious entrepreneurial
journey
with the existing processes of doing things, with the
intent of refining it further. This practice is also
imbibed by the incubated startups which helps them
to be fairly flexible and on their toes while sailing
their ships in rough weather.
AIC-BIMTECH strives to support the startups in every
possible way, and this can be achieved only after
building a certain level of trust between the
incubator and the start-up. It is only after the trust is
established that the startups can sincerely listen to
the advices and suggestions being made by the
incubator and act upon it. The same trust allows the
startups to also share critical and constructive
feedback for the incubator that helps improve their
functionality, enabling us to serve startups better.
Startup Trends 2021 onwards
Healthcare and EdTech are two industries that have
seen a huge surge due to the impact of COVID
pandemic. This surge is here to stay until the
ultimate product market fitment emerges between
the competition, after the dust settles. The startups
enabling the new “work from home” approach of
the corporates across globe are also a hot trend that
is going to be highly packed. The funding has seen a
shift towards more mature sectors in the
entrepreneurial ecosystem which have low
operational expenditures, but this trend is going to
be relative to the impact of COVID.
Impactful Contribution to Society
Archanna, where there is a will, there is always a
way! I am also the Treasurer for the BIMTECH
Foundation. The Institute runs a number of
voluntary outreach programmes to create a positive
influence in the community and the society at
large. I am personally involved in two projects,
Project Chiraiya [1] and Project Uthan [2] . Project
Power Talk l Ready to StartUp
Chiraiya is run in villages for adolescent girls Project
Uthan is for the inmates of 11 prisons across the
state. Both the projects are fuelled by more than
10,000 hours of voluntary work by the students,
faculty and staff, under the aegis of Dr Chaturvedi,
Director BIMTECH and Dr Rishi Tiwari. The biggest
and foremost benefit for the girls has been the
social acceptance and change in the mind-set of
the village community. The understanding that girls
can lead developmental change, be able to earn
accolades (from people like Sh. Venkaiah Naidu,
Vice President of India & other national level
dignitaries), be social and health agents and earn a
decent livelihood has led to a perceptible change in
the social hierarchy of women and girls in the
village.
In the prison project, the main impact is measured
in two areas, viz., the number of suicides being
reduced due to the inmates coming regularly to the
library and workshops and the number of people
who are going in for education certifications like
secondary, senior secondary, graduation etc. The
main idea is to educate and skill the men and
women prison inmates, so that recidivism is
reduced. Women, especially, have no recourse to a
dignified life of labour and have to either resort to
prostitution or revert back to crime to earn a
livelihood. By educating and skilling them through
various workshops conducted in the libraries, these
women can be brought back into the mainstream.
Both our projects help in the empowerment of the
underprivileged sections of society. Project Chiraiya
is completely dedicated to the up-liftment of rural
adolescent girls (who are at the most vulnerable
age due to social demands of marriage and
dropping out of schools). The Prison project gives
equal opportunities to female and male inmates to
access the libraries and attend workshops, but the
focus is on helping the women inmates in creating
microenterprise
Chiraiya [1
Uthan [2]
‘Chiraiya’ means a small female sparrow in Hindi
‘Uthan’ means regeneration or creating a new devp.
Arijit Basu
2021- PRESENT
SENIOR CONSULTANT
AZB PARTNERS
2018-2020
MANAGING DIRECTOR
STATE BANK OF INDIA
2014-2018
MANAGING DIRECTOR & CEO
SBI LIFE INSURANCE
India is home to the third largest number of startups
in the world, numbering close to 10,000. Innovation
is the common thread for all of them. The power
that they are demonstrating in making a change to
the lives of all Indians, not just in urban India but
even in remote parts of the country is remarkable.
Farmers are using drones and banking is being done
on phones in remote villages.
Startups commence with hope and promise and
many of them go ahead to fulfil their dreams. As
would be expected not all succeed. In a vibrant
economy, startups that harness the best ideas and
business models would be able to grow and perhaps
become Unicorns in future. The challenges that they
face in this journey are immense; not only do they
have to sell an idea which is new but also overcome
a mindset that is resistant to change. Funding is not
easy to come by and they have to tread a thin line
between investing for expansion and reining in
costs. While the Government has attempted to
make the journey easier by launching a Startup India
Banks look for a past
track record and a
proven business model
both of which the
startups would not be
able to meet
programme, it is not always easy for the companies
to reap its benefits. In a way it is like a roller coaster
ride for many of them
The financial system has a key role to play in
nurturing the startup ecosystem. Raising equity from
domestic and foreign investors is the starting
challenge. In case of debt, while initial venture debt
itself may be difficult to access, the problem is
compounded because banks look for a past track
record and a proven business model, both of which
startups would not be able to meet. How do the
best startups overcome this riddle?
Startups need to be guided and mentored as they
progress on their journey. The fact they have
developed a good business model is only a starting
point. They need to simultaneously focus on
ensuring efficient delivery, track and manage their
cash flows and liquidity, and look for newer
Power Talk l Ready to StartUp
RBI’s recent move to
include loans up to
Rs 50 crores as
Priority Sector loans
competing, wish to offer services to banks like
carrying out their digital e KYC, creating algorithms
for risk analysis and meet many other needs in an
increasingly tech-enabled environment.
opportunities domestically and even overseas. This
guidance is provided by the equity or venture funds
that have invested in them. Banks can also step in
and play a vital role. The ideal situation for both
banks and startups would be to develop a symbiotic
relationship where they prove beneficial to each
other
A closer examination of Startups that operate in the
financial technology or Fintech space may yield
some pointers. Out of the total 10,000 odd startups
in India, around 25% operate in this space. Many of
them have been changing the financial landscape of
the country Among fintech startups the maximum
number deal in the ‘payments’ space followed by
online lending, personal finance, insurance
technology and others. Many of them have become
Unicorns with valuations more than $ 1 billion. The
experience that banks have had with many of these
companies is interesting. Some of the startups are
competing with banks in areas that have traditionally
been their bastion like payments, remittances and
lending. In response banks have also invested in
technology in these areas to take on the challenge.
The best banks today have online digital lending
products that can appraise, sanction and disburse
loans in minutes. Digital applications of banks can
transfer money quickly. The path for all this has been
shown by startups and many of them continue to be
leaders in services that they provide. There are
some fintech startups, however, who instead of
Startups needs banks that are agile, responsive and
efficient. They not only need funds for capex and
working capital but also an efficient mechanism for
collection of their receivables and for efficient
liquidity management. They also need guidance on
how to manage their balance sheet. Banks would be
the best placed to take up this role. To achieve this,
however, banks would need to be responsive. Many
startups with their limited resources can get lost in
the maize of the complex organizational structure of
a large bank, either to market their service or when
looking for financial support and guidance. Good
banks have understood the need to become nimbler
and have schemes and services that are specifically
aimed at startups. They aim to become partners of
the startups right from the time they start their
journey. Many banks have specifically earmarked
funds for investing in startups that could be
strategically important for them. The risk in lending
to new entities deters banks from providing finance
to them. RBI’s recent move to include loans up to Rs
50 crores as Priority Sector loans aims at addressing
this problem by encouraging banks to support
startups and design appropriate risk systems for the
purpose.
The adoption of digital technology is set to grow at an
exponential rate in the days to come. Concepts like
open banking riding on the ‘India Stack’ are going to
get traction. Banks have no option but to partner with
the best startups to retain their competitive
advantage. Startups also need a reliable partner as
they come forth with new ideas and services. The
synergy between the two can play a transformative
role for the Indian economy. Millions of Indians will
benefit.
www.powertalkwitharchanna.com 25
#Champion Women
Dr.Ranjini Manian
Founder Chair
GLOBAL ADJUSTMENTS FOUNDATION
The Driving Factor
25 years ago I met an American diplomatic
wife who was living in Chennai. At the time Chennai
called Madras. I realised that they were going to be
lot of foreign direct investment coming into our
country and they would have to go to various
different places to get answers to living and working
in India. It was then that the idea of providing an
umbrella of services under one roof came to my
mind. This is what drove me and gave birth to my
company Global Adjustments. So really, the one
thought of not looking back and not giving up, even
when entrepreneurship was difficult was the idea
that what I was doing and what my old team was
doing along with me was actually building the
nation. We were helping attract foreign direct
investments to stay, to enjoy and to love our country
while making a lot of money for themselves. For this
idea, and the bigger picture that we helped our
nation to grow was a never looking back kind of
concept that really worked for me
Entrepreneurship Then & NOW
Entrepreneurship itself I don't think has changed in
the texture of what it stands for. In some ways,
between two decades ago it has become easier now.
For instance, finance is much more easily available. If
you have a good idea. then institution come forward
and are in fact queuing up to fund that Idea, which
has become the big impetus for the startups. So
that’s a plus but with every plus there is also a
challenge. Negative being the over leveraging and
funding through EMI. Learn from entrepreneurs who
were aggressive in growth but cautiously aggressive.
When there is a good idea, there is always money to
back it up but when there is good money we can't
throw good money over bad money. If the idea is not
working for the territory or geography, the
entrepreneur needs to think .I would like to give an
example from my own life. I started an academy of
learning called Global Academy under the Global
Adjustments services after we started relocating
foreigners to come to India. This was for Indians to
understand the world and for the world to
understand doing business with Indians. That was a
very successful tenure .We would work with people
Like Jeff Bezos himself. Before he invested his first
billion dollars into Amazon India, we would work
with his middle level managers in India .We would
work with Indian managers going to work for
Hyundai, Ford and Facebook. The entire concept
seemed quite scalable to us . With that in mind, we
started a digital platform called GLOBAL INDIAN.in A
portal where people could learn online and advance
their careers. The concept behind that portal was
create a platform that would help people
strengthen their Indian roots but fly on global
wings. So, the idea was to educate people how the
style of doing business changes with people coming
from different nationalists. The approach of doing
business with Korean may differ from that with a
German. Adapting to their way of thinking was
crucial for doing good business. Now, when the
same sessions were taken in the real time class
,things were different.
All ideas don’t work
We would have real life examples. we would have
people from those nationalities even coming in
and presenting and co-presenting along with me
and my trainers. We would talk about the actual
problems they were facing in business .May be in
mergers and acquisitions. Discussions would lead
to answers alongside. The solution would come
from themselves, when they heard about the
different values and forces that drive different
cultures.
Now, when we translated this to an online
platform everything changed. Although we had
made a very interactive portal. Had that been the
time of pandemic with no other choice, I think
people would have enjoyed that interface, just as
they do now with Zoom and all other platforms.
But because we were ahead of time that
particular project didn’t do well.
I had already invested a very big amount of
money in digitizing the portal and money spent
ion marketing this venture was huge .I quickly
realized that the concept wasn’t going to fly. So,
www.powertalkwitharchanna.com 27
instead of continuing that and risking more money
on it, we brought it to a close and increased the
spent on the in person led communication
programmes .If an idea doesn’t work, its okay to
accept your mistake and move on .If you have both
time and money then use it wisely instead of
shifting gears trying to make things work when the
situation seem to have laid breaks on it.
DNA of your organization
Another difference in the entrepreneurship then
and now is that ,if you look at an entrepreneur’s
mind set she is a little arrogant, she is a little proud
of being able to do everything herself. We find
ourselves very equipped to do everybody's jobs
ourselves but shouldn’t do it all the time .So my real
advice to startups is to bring people who are
smarter than you and surround yourself with them
.Partner with people who have complementary
skills and let them show the way .Don’t hire people
who are smarter than you and also tell them what
to do. We entrepreneur fall into that trap. We.
should now let others to lead the way so long as we
have a few checks and balances and regular reviews
going on numbers and quality
particular product or service that you are creating as a
startups has to be constantly disseminated not just to
your leadership but even to the levels below them.
I used to know a very high level managing director of
a huge Bank that would have monthly review open
platform for an hour .In fact, Indra Nooyi used to
have Indra Hour and anyone could ask her questions
in that one hour . So create that for yourself inside
your organisation and allowing people to ask
questions. For sensitive things that the founder is
smart enough to park that issue and say that let me
answer that you're offline ,but INTERACT
Being available as the
visionary founder is
going to be the most
important thing for
entrepreneurship and
startups today
People come to work for an entrepreneur at least in
many of these services industry because of their
personality. It is your personality and it is your
vision that can drive your startups. If you bring a
paid CEO or COO and you decide to never review
him, then it wont work. If you feel he is going to
take the whole business forward and everything will
turn out to be fine then then you are dreaming. He
will have his personality and his altered vison to put
into this business. If it was the perfect then he
would have been an entrepreneur and not you
So my advice here to all the startups is that today
we are in a no touch world. You have to make sure
that there are enough touch points for people to
see you, feel you and have your words run through
them become the DNA of the organisation. Today,
no water cooler conversations are not going to be
possible because of the virtual world. So, you have
to find and devise ways and means by which your
town hall meetings or your regular interactions with
people bringing across your speciality in the
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Overcoming challenges
Right Decisions at the right time
Under the umbrella of Global adjustments which
was primarily relocations company, I had added
Global Adjustments Academy, a Reality Division
and a Publishing Division.
Let me tell you 2 stories from them that will
hopefully give you the window of understanding
of an entrepreneur challenge and how she
overcomes them
we had a flagship product in the publication
division which was called At A Glance. A magazine
which gave a view at a glance of the city where
the expats were coming to live in India. It had
everything that would given any expat a clear
sketch note on the culture and everything relevant
for their stay in India .It was very well accepted by
people as the magazine has all the answers to the
expected queries any expat. We were always
complimented for the design element , the content
, the interviews it carried of the influential people
.But the truth is that was a time for us to REBRAND
the magazine and that’s where as an entrepreneur
I think it is very important that we always have a
kind of openness to learn from others and to do
what I call IMMOVATION and not innovation.
innovation is the first idea that you get but
IMMOVATION is improving on someone else’s
idea.
I had a client Sachi & Sachi who was amazing at
design, the world leading design company in
London. They had moved here to live and work in
India. So, I was able to enlist to just come and help
brainstorm how I could renew my free publication
by a few notches. The result was amazing because
I did not allow the complacency of entrepreneur to
creep in. I had this presence of mind to make of
this opportunity. Help of someone that was
already in India and understood the ground level
realty of India but also had a global mind-set.
Between Richard and me we were able to come up
with completely new format of AT A GLANCE and
my team started the same magazine in a new
avatar called CULTURAMA .A magazine that still
lives on even after 25 years
Don't be complacent,
seek support of experts
and have the presence of
mind to change when
needed
CULTURAMA seems to be the right name for
magazine. It has both expat and Indian voices in it
and explains the nuances of life in India not just on
a daily basis but the that is driven by the value
systems and the beliefs that we hold dear.
For eg., why do Indian managers not disagree with
your boss. Everybody seems to be the YES MAN in
front of the boss but actually fail to deliver .This
question was answered in Culturama. We
explained that Indian keep hierarchy at a very high
pedestal. We rarely disagree with the boss or the
founder especially in a public forum with the
founder of the main Boss .So, allow platforms
where you have one to one conversations, smaller
team conversations and have an open discussion
with the leader of that particular single business
unit. Have the comfort to disagree and suggest
ways to accomplish the task in hand .The magazine
would come with solutions like these. The
magazine became the talk of the town because of
the practical solutions it had to offer. Culturama
found its place at British council, coffee spaces of
top multinational corporations. We started having
a distribution of Culturama and remains free
magazine for the years to have a better bridging of
cultures. The outcome of it was always to have
business impact. That was a time when I realise
that you can have the same medicine in an
improved bottle and it did get accepted by many
more people That was a story that happened in my
life as an entrepreneur and might take away from
this Life lesson is don't be complacent seek
support of experts and have the presence of mind
to change when needed.
www.powertalkwitharchanna.com 29
SONAL AGARWAL BALI
2019-PRESENT
FOUNDER
DILIGENT CONSULTING
There are various methods of valuation, like venture capital method, Berkus method, Scorecard valuation
method, discounted cash flow method etc. But at an early stage, it becomes difficult to arrive at a perfect
valuation. A well-articulated & realistic Business Plan or financial projections helps the startup arrive at a
valuation. It is important for the founder to understand the concept of PRE-MONEY and POST MONEY
VALUATION Concept to avoid any unnecessary dilution. PRE-MONEY refers to the valuation of the company
before it receives the investment such as external funding or financing. The post money valuation of the
startup refers to its value immediately after receiving the capital from the round of funding. This determines
the equity share that investors are entitled to. Sometimes in a startup since there is no historical data
available of the startup, it is advisable to do a peer-to –peer comparison of a company of similar
background, offering equivalent products or services and take a peep into their valuation at different stages.
Accordingly, their own valuation can be arrived at.There’s a Scorecard Method of valuing an early stage
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startup. It is the most preferred method used by
angel investors. It uses the comparison of the
startup with the perception of the other startups
suing factors such as Robust Business Idea,
Management Team, Market Size,
Product/Technology, Funding needs & Scalability etc.
It is highly subjective but the main emphasis
(20%-30% of weightage) goes to the startup team of
Founders. The next can be how unique and
disruptive is the business idea. “In building a
business, the quality of the team is paramount to
success. A great team will fix early product flaws,
but the reverse is not true.”
The early stage valuations are difficult to make and
are hence generally “Guesstimates”. A startup
doesn’t have any historical data to show and
talks only on the basis of EXCEL SHEET NUMBERS. Since
there is no validation of numbers, the best method is to
build a business plan which is broken into plausible
steps or milestones and it is easier to be able to gauge
the kind of funds the startup would require for fulfilling
each milestone. The Fund requirement should be
broken into Working Capital, Manpower, Marketing
Branding & Customer Acquisition, Technology or
Product, Capex etc. The investors would be happy to
fund the entire cost of pick the cost that they want to
invest into as per their mandates / investment thesis.
A Good Pitch which showcases the product or the
startup with right numbers and valuation makes a lot of
impression. It should define the need of the founder to
negotiate as to how much fund is required and what is
the equity that the startup is agreeing to share with the
investor.
Even with the best approach, 90% of the startups in
India fail to raise the funds. This is because of more
than one reason .The metrics show that PRE-REVENUE
stage startup don’t get funding easily as compared to
the POST–REVENUE stage startups . To combat this it is
best to bootstrap the venture till it reaches the revenue
stage and the model is proven with a paying customer
by its side. So it’s better to bootstrap and also explore
all other funding possibilities, generate revenue,
stabilize business model and then approach the
investors for funding needs. With history of constant
revenue generation, the business model is explained
better. Surviving the pre-revenue model is enough proof
that the startup is on its way to attract customer who
are willing to pay for their business idea.
Another reason why the startups fail to get the
attention of the investor is because of over
declaration of the value of their startup. The founder
must make a very well calculated and fair estimate of
the value of company.The size of the opportunity also
is a big deciding factor for the investors. The
scalability of the business is an important factor. A
business that is very niche means restricted revenue
which may sometimes not interest the investor, that
is the reason that B2C startups gets better attention
from investors. It is important for the founder to show
a very clear path of Return on Investment (ROI). It is
important to share how the investment will
accelerate the revenue, increase margins, reduce the
resources used to generate revenue and keep scaling.
Remember it important to secure funds from
investors to scale business, build robust technology
and not to fund the expenses of the startup.
www.powertalkwitharchanna.com 31
The current pandemic we are experiencing was disruptive for most businesses. It was specifically harsh on
start-ups or small businesses delivering them a body blow that was big enough to shake them up. Brutal for
these young start-ups since they have limited cash reserves for managing steep slumps such as this. In
India, life in the pandemic was even more demanding as the Country experienced the toughest lockdown,
compared to anywhere else in the world.
The Indian Government did announce an economic
package to help businesses to remain standing and
to revive the economy. For the young start-ups and
SMEs the government announced loan products,
right shifting of interest / return of capital,
statutory dues, filing of returns, amongst many
other relaxations. Government Departments like
BIRAC, announced grants for start-ups focussed on
innovation to fight the COVID challenge. And to be
fair, Industry responded to the Hon Prime Minister
Modi’s clarion call to fight the Pandemic. The
Indian Venture Capital Funds, Corporates and
Foundations all announced grants for young startups
innovating for the COVID 19 Pandemic. It was a
fight fought together and now we are seeing India
starting to emerge out of the COVID tunnel faster than
any other country. Interestingly, it is India which is
now helping deliver the world the much needed
vaccine. The Serum Institute has become the largest
vaccine manufacturer in the world. It stands today as
an icon for Indian entrepreneurship, its resilience, its
risk taking ability and for going global.
India is the world’s third-largest start-up ecosystem
and it surely is the fastest growing. Companies have
grown exponentially not despite, but because of the
Pandemic. Quickly adapting to leverage upon the
changing consumer behaviour, swivelling to cater to
their needs. These companies underlined the fact that
focus on the market and the customer ensure that
they grow.
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DigVijay Singh
2017-Jan 2021
COO
INDIA ANGELS NETWORK
Lockdown & social distancing pushed several
businesses to shift from the conventional methods
to entirely digitally-driven operations, thereby
creating better avenues for market forces.
Leveraging new-age technologies such as Artificial
Intelligence, Internet of Things, Data Analytics, Big
Data, Robotics etc. They quickly identified the shift
and leveraged upon the customer demand for digital
which accelerated their growth path.
India is surely in the
eyes of the world
Large diverse markets, technology innovation,
disruptive propositions and extremely high-quality
talent are a few factors contributing in the start-up
growth story. India has seen innovation and fastgrowing
companies across several sectors .Indian
Unicorns have emerged from sectors such as
Education, Beauty, Delivery, Retail, Fintech,
Ecommerce, Mobility, Salon and Spa Management
The new trend that is sure to
emerge is the hybrid model of
PHYGITAL : a combination of
physical and digital
Software, Healthcare, Trucking Services, Groceries,
Insurance, Food-tech, Analytics, Mobile Ads etc.
Both enterprise and consumer focus with different
business models : B2B, B2C and B2B2C have
delivered high growth companies
The trend that emerged during the Pandemic was to
“go online” and “anything tech” was slated to grow.
With social distancing, it became a need but as we
are coming out of the pandemic, going digital is the
norm. The world has changed forever : online is
here to stay. The technology infrastructure is the
fourth utility we will all need alongside water,
electricity and clean air.
However, interestingly there are already glimpses of
the trend changing again. With the cloud of the virus
lifting, the human mind is keen to get back to the
offline space : in person interactions and offline
models will start to pick up.
www.powertalkwitharchanna.com 33
Companies soon realised, during the hardest
months of April – June 2020, that ‘Cash is King’. It
became imperative that companies right shifted
their expenses and left shifted their collections /
advances. Hence, the focus on capital efficiency,
gross margins, are all key investor trends.
Companies with strong revenue projections AND an
eye on profitability or, at least an intent to be
profitable, did attract stronger interest.
The pandemic did not halt
the investing business
It just slowed it down. As young companies took a
deep breath, gathered their wits and re architected
their models, investors sat down to research and
keenly follow the emerging trends. It became
apparent that customers had not gone away but
their behaviour had changed, customer acquisition
was still required, but now companies would need
to do it from their laptops, and delivery will need to
have a mix of offline and online!
Investor sentiment did not
dissipate during the
pandemic
It paused and then picked up and how! The Edutech
sector is evidence of this! And investors continued
to invest though the number of investments
reduced. The changed customer behaviour focused
on the “basics” food, logistics, education,
healthcare, clean energy all enabled by technology
– garnered investments. Sectors which have seen
innovation and going forward we will see more of
are manufacturing, textile, agriculture. Innovation is
already starting to happen and new business
models enabled by technology are starting to
emerge.
Strong Founding teams is not the only key. The
pandemic did reflect that only those with resilience,
imagination and an instinctive DNA could survive
the body blow of 2020. It’s even more critical now
that founders not only building quickly, but are also
able to leverage upon the new opportunities by
taking quick decisions. It is not enough to have
focus on current customers or look at organic
growth, but to be alert for new customer bases and
ready to adapt. For instance, with social distancing,
digitisation has become mainstay. And people from
rural markets are now compelled to go online.
These are completely new virgin markets! They have
to get on the online highway but need products /
tools to do so. And companies which can cater to
these customers as well, will surely witness an
accelerated growth
co-create
Imagine
be effective
innovate
adapt
History has shown us that in the worst of times,
some of the best companies have emerged :
General Motors, General Electric, Disney, IBM, HP,
Traders Joe, Microsoft, Uber, Instagram, Whatsapp
and many others. When we look back, the
Pandemic and global recession of 2020 will also
mark the year of some great and successful
companies that left a massive impact on the
landscape of how businesses are run in future.
Clearly, innovation will thrive, start-ups will
burgeon, investors will invest and soon valuable
companies and investor returns will take shape.
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SUSTAINABLE
GROWTH
After completion of a taxing year, we have finally arrived into 2021. Are you still alive, is your business still
running? That means you have good news in the future. If you can survive the pandemic, you would be able to
sustain yourself in the future as well. However, did you do anything different? Did you try new techniques? Did
you pivot or change your business model?
Often we entrepreneurs are asked a few common questions. What is the real problem which we are solving?
And how are we planning to make money? However, mostly the long term innovative approach has kept
investors hooked onto disruptive business ideas without thinking much about sustainability or its profitability
in the short term. The story of valuations is like a cobweb, once you start building it, it keeps getting bigger
and bigger with more complications, and often we forget that one vacuum cleaner can wipe it off in a few
seconds. I think 2020 was that vacuum for all of us. Will the cobweb theory still work?
As we get into the final phase of pandemic it is clear that the businesses won't be the same, we might be
selling the same thing but differently and managing things is also different. In India, the governance and
Power Talk l Ready to StartUp
Yatin k.Thakur
2016-PRESENT
MANAGING DIRECTOR
GLOBAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP
NETWORK INDIA
2016-PRESENT
2016-PRESENT
GLOBAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP
NETWORK INDIA
compliance structure adds to the streamlining
process. It is becoming more and more evident that
we are one of the fastest growing digital economies in
the world. Everything is trackable, which surely may
not be the preferred choice for most but it does add
to transparency and provides a better structure to
scale and provide access to capital.
As an entrepreneur I have seen many cycles, right
from the 2008 Global Recession to another peak in
2013 followed by a slump in 2014 and another peak
in 2018. Usually the life cycle of an economy used to
be 10 years before it was refreshed, however over the
years we have seen the life cycle reduce to about 4
years. Why is that so? Have you ever thought
about why you change your smartphone every
second year? Maybe there is some correlation
between the two.
The communication methods are completely
changing and the distances surely do not exist any
more as this is the new normal. What does that
mean for us as entrepreneurs?
2014 onwards we started seeing a sudden surge in
mobile apps, right from traditional social apps and
messaging, there was a gradual shift to
entertainment, utilities and financial transactions .
Today from your mobility of movement to your daily
needs, your health and wellness tracking, billing,
accounting and entertainment are all through an app
www.powertalkwitharchanna.com 37
From morning coffee to evening entertainment,
everything was happening on this small screen, and
hence the screen sizes kept expanding. Ever
wondered why Android phones have so large
screens? This might be the answer. Surprisingly
laptops are also making their screens look like a
smartphone. Consumption of content has
led to many new business opportunities .
Earlier creation of content was considered cool,
however today getting traction is the key. We have
seen apps and new business models emerge, but one
of the biggest concerns for any and every company
including a unicorn is traction and engagement. Some
manage to do it early, while others ride on the wave.
Have you been on “ClubHouse”? That's the perfect
example of an early venture with amazing traction.
Today every unicorn is trying to figure out their
traction and sustainability model as pandemic has
taught us one thing very clearing “NOTHING IS
PERMANENT ''.
While we have seen some of the new industries take
up the lead, majorly EdTech, FinTech, HealthTech and
of course Entertainment. If I am getting upskilled, I
have the potential to make money more efficiently,
once I make the money, I need to manage it well and
while doing all of it I need to stay sane.
Often I am questioned about future trends and the
new trend setters. While shared economies was the
flavour of the second decade, I think third decade
would be the age of digitisation. With remote
workforce and globalisation, digitisation compliments
this new age economy. Block Chain, AI, ML are the
foundational pillars of this new age economy. Let me
explain in a simplistic manner. Earlier you would walk
into a Chaayos store, it would ask your phone number
and then take your order. I am sure most of you
experienced that. Over the time, they built a new app
in partnership with True Caller, which detects your
face and checks you in automatically. Fast forward to
third quarter of 2020, Chaayos has its own app, you
simply login to place and order whether for a dine in
or take away. It lets you order, accumulate all points
and then quickly make the payment through various
payment options which are saved on your account ,
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.
based on the cards which you would have used at any
of the Chaayos store in the past. That’s data storage
with Machine Learning. I am sure in the future, I wont
have to repeat my orders on Chaayos as it would also
know what do I usually order. Also, all tea’s are
automatically made using Chaayos’ proprietary
technology which automatically prepares the tea at a
preset temperature for a preset time. No wonder an
IITian is leading this company
If you are thinking of starting something, it is time for
you to think about your daily routine and all the
problems which you face throughout the day. If you
can pin down possible solutions, it would give you a
definite starting point. Next step is to validate your
solution. That’s when you have got to start talking.
Build an outreach, connect with as many people as
possible, share your ideas and take feedback.
Eventually ask these people whether they would like
to pay for this solution, and if so then how much?
Bingo you have
your business model ready. That’s the time for you to
commercially launch and move towards the next
level of your entrepreneurial journey.
Today every VC backed company is also thinking
about its profitability as capital is precious and
everyone wants to bet on a sustainable venture.
The companies until 2020 may not be there in the
next 3 years, but the ones adapting to new
technologies and trends with a solid business model
will be taking the lead. But remember it all starts
with a problem, and your more simplistic solution
can be the next unicorn
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The world is more than ever in an Incredible phase
when it comes to the need of Innovation and the
talented, highly motivated Start-up founders are
putting in enormous effort to take their companies to
higher levels of growth. Seize the day and NOW is your
time.
In this highly competitive global market , we also see
failures, Black Swan unpredictable events laying the
finest companies low . The harsh fact of high failure
rates, not able to sustain the Progress, tough
Customer acquisition and high marketing costs are
factors to be well aware of for Founders.
There will be factors way beyond your control. Do not
feel let down and stifle your ability to be creative,
Innovate and find ways to survive and Thrive!! There
is support, Strategies and frameworks to Pivot, Find
new customer segments and unleash the full
potential you and your teams have.
So what needs to be done?
What are the critical factors to always be tracking
to stay strong in these challenging times ?
A few thoughts and guidelines from the hundreds of
conversations, Workshops and Research work that I
have been personally involved with. Will look at
diverse aspects like Marketing, Personal Branding,
Digital Tools, Networking, Skill Building,
Communities and Ecosystem
Government policies and opportunities. This is not
just for large enterprises, even Start-up founders
must study about government grants and
onboarding as a vendor. Apply for the various
Programs. Few of them are listed below
KSUM( Kerala), THUB(Telangana),Karnataka Startup
Cell( KITS,KTECH,NAIN etc).These two states are
just some of the very active states
Great resources
Invest India, DIPP programs
https://startup.karnataka.gov.in/
https://dipp.gov.in/japan-plus/flagshipprogrammes-goi-digital-india
Vijetha Shastry
2019-PRESENT
EXCEUTIVE DIRECTOR
TiE BANGALORE
2017-2019
LEAD INNOVATION
NASSCOMM
CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE
There are many active associations in your state
and city, CII ,FICCI, TiE, NASSCOM, ASSOCHAM,
Toastmasters, Dev circles etc
Seasoned founders are learners and readers. Be a
good mentor to younger founders , and remember
the digital natives are amazing growth tools
Be honest and strive to cut down unnecessary
costs, you need a good Runway to stay around for
longer terms and achieve your dreams, vision!
Invest in Free or Paid CRM, billing marketing, note
taking ,blogging tools like Hubspot ,Zoho,
Mailchimp, Freshworks, Medium, Asana, Notion
The playbooks are out there in the Open. Do your
research, apply the vital principles. Some samples
for addon reading :
https://www.birac.nic.in/big.php
When and why to Pivot
Think about how you can get into new customer
segments, be profitable and take advantage of
schemes, Address the changing needs of
consumers, which means a lot of on the ground
research, customer conversations, adopting new
technologies. Remember the biggest companies
changed course and fought many tough battles .
See the examples of Amazon, Reliance, Tata
Group on how they brought new
products/services in very crowded markets and
tough business environments
Sales
An important skill even if founders have not done
this too often in their previous assignments. I Will
stress that you have to build your ability, know
your competition and customers very well. Show
your sales team how to do it. Please don't leave
it to others. Clients want to get the backup from
the senior leaders, Founders to build trust in your
product or your service. Build that Relationship
and Goodwill.
Investor Talks, Embassy Conversation on
Global Expansion
The Ecosystem is always providing knowledge
sessions and Platforms like Power Talk with
Archanna ,Yourstory, TiE, GoI are always bringing
the info to you , stay tuned through Newsletters,
Email and Digital Media.
Referral Marketing
The Gig economy has many freelancers,
agencies who can get you customers for a
success fee; So you do not have to have a huge
infrastructure marketing team that sums upto
be huge upfront costs that shoot up your budget
manifold
Tools like the Business Model Canvas, Lean Startup
(Al Reis), Flywheel Marketing should be
used. These tools are not just concepts. They
are frameworks for growth and a dashboard to
monitor your organisation. Engage and Delight
customers and they will keep buying from you.
Customer retention is the key
Marketing Collaterals & Digital Assets
Invest on working with top notch folks both external
and internal on having your website, mailers, social
media channels like LinkedIn showcase page,
Facebook page, Twitter, Instagram/ and Youtube
channel. Each of these social media handles should
look good, stay updated. You must have your
customer testimonials highlighted along with
product updates, your team and ,industry news.
Obviously costs matter, so look at barter tools,
upgrading skills for team and yourself. Get interns
and value resources by asking other founders for
recommendations.
Build your personal brand as a Thought Leader who
is keen on adding Value, Knowledge and Ecosystem
Building. This entails Hard work , putting aside
committed hours and selfless giving, Pay it Forward
activities. All this is indeed very much worth it!!
How to do this though when there is so much
pressure on time, driving sales. Customer
interactions is a very valid point and so look at few
start points like blogging, being a volunteer with
Organisations like TiE, Headstart Network
Foundation etc.. Podcasting is a great ide.
Contributing simple Articles on LinkedIn. Do it on a
regular basis on subjects where you are expert, have
insights is much appreciated and valuable.
Digital Tools for Remote sales & Networking
Whether you are Providing SaaS services, product
company, Hardware/IoT, it is important to stay on top
of your game .Its advisable to use tools like Webinars,
Skype, ZOOM, G Meet, Slack etc to monitor, connect,
seamlessly support your teams and clients. Be part of
Groups( Digital, Hybrid, Mentor Circles) to know about
your Industry.
Publish well curated, researched videos, white papers
that will be of vital use to your customers and their
teams; they will love the value and help .This gives a
gentle nudge to build trust , retain and get referrals.
Attend workshops and industry seminars regularly.
Work on the digital networking without being too
pushy and self agenda promotion .These meetings
Power Talk l Ready to StartUp
Will set the stage for you This sends out a clear
message that you are building rapport and quality
connects. Its an added advantage if you can set up
roundtables, industry meetups .This turns in your
favour to et you the limelight and is definitely the
icing on the cake.
Research reports, industry statistics , consumer
trends are available for reading for free; educate
yourself constantly however busy you are. This helps
you understand the nerve of the market, better your
reasoning ,makes your farsighted, see
opportunities, help you collaborate with the right
people .In short, it keeps you abreast with your
hidden ecosystem.
Where are the opportunitiestoday?
A small snapshot.
AgriTech Innovation on reducing consumption
of Water, Energy resources. The world is talking
about sustainability .These are the shoes we nee t
fill in .Go for it .This is the future
The call for Vocal for Local is not a fad
Consumers want healthy, Local foods Take
advantage of this long term behaviour change.
Pandemic has put everyone on their toes. People
have realised that health is the real wealth .They
are looking for organic , local chemical free food
tat helps them with better immunity and nutrition
that to the list by all means and is here to stay with
no compromise what so ever
FinTech
Even the smallest of business operations has seen
growth during the pandemic and has given them
stability like never before . The answer is e-
commerce, digital platforms, Neo banking, Lending,
Payments will continue to grow leaps and bounds.
New businesses, newer roadblocks and newer
solutions and that’s where Fintech will resolve it for
the business owner so that their customers get a
smooth ride.
Health , MedTech, Nutrition and Mental wellness.
Customised services will be the focus .Developing
newer ,user friendly, innovative and unique Apps will
remain the focus to rope in more ad more customers
services.
Products and services related to Yoga and Fitness will
take a big time plunge. People will look forward to
novel ways to staying fit
Self reliance in Defence tech and manufacturing means
greater participation of the private sector in weapon
manufacturing in support of the Indian government
Biotech and Pharma is going to see an all time boom
because of the vaccines. R & D are focus areas for the
government too and is here to stay . Private labelling
for generic medicines will be on the rise
The use of electrical vehicles is going to rise .This only
means that there is gong to be a sudden requirement
od charging stations, battery swapping
Education for the masses has become the need of the
hour . Industries are focusing on the deliverables to
make it happen .Crossing the digital divide is on
everybody’s mind .This will give birth to many new
businesses that will truly have the potential to turn into
UNICORNS provided they focus on key essential areas.
This in turns shall create many job opportunities for
many within the ecosystem. This will also become the
reason for vocational skills to take its share of pie
Media content market has risen up multi folds ever
since the pandemic. However the fun has just begun. A
major shift in people preference has been observed
during pandemic. Over the top content is on top of its
game. The ever green market of video, digital content,
animation, movie, television and music production is
already creating waves and will continue to create
more and more jobs which means its time to take this
shot
Artificial intelligence based applications across
Industries is coming up in a big way in vocational
training ad education ,human resources, medical and
lot more
Stay Resilient and trust your own worth!
www.powertalkwitharchanna.com 43
Reputation
AT STAKE
Your reputation is what
serves as an anchor when
you choose to soar and as
a life jacket, if things go
south. Invest wisely
Ruby Thapar
2019- PRESENT
PRINCIPAL
RUBY THAPAR CONSULTING
The start-up world for me is a game changer, not
only for their ideas; but also for the sheer landscape
it provides to play, with no barriers of domain and
age. Their vision, gumption, imagination and grit is
to be envied. Having said that, Start-ups can at times
be inward looking, like the metaphorical hammer for
whom every problem is a nail. An idea, funding and
an online presence is not enough. Would You
Embark on a Sailing Trip Without a Life Jacket?
Power Talk l Ready to StartUp
Business is all
about relationships.
How well you build
them, determines
how well they build
your business
- Brad Sugars
Reputation is not built by what we tell our
consumers, but by what our stakeholders tell
each other. In that sense, it is intangible and is a
function of the actions and behaviour of the
company within and without.
As the new age mediums of communication
become our normal, one must take cognizance of
the fact, that stories no longer have a definitive
shelf life; or are restricted by geographies or
limited to only qualified journalists or publishers.
Stories can be told by anyone, re-emerge multiple
times and be tagged and associated directly or
indirectly to any number of themes. The digital
medium has vested powers in the hands of many
stakeholders beyond the customer, who drive
perception and thus our reputation.
Reputation management will increasingly have a
direct correlation to business, which must be
startegistically capitalised. Additionally
anticipating and planning for risks and crisis must
be integral to any reputation strategy.
Let’s use 3 philosophical questions which come
up more often than not, to set the context to this
conversation on reputation management.
The 1 st question asked is:
How did you come up with this idea?
I like this question. It is an opportunity to tell your
story with things material to you and own your
reputation. There are so many pegs around which
the story of any start-up can be written. Decide on
the ‘Hero’ of your enterprise – is it you, the
product, the company, all of it or something else.
Craft . the narrative you want everyone to carry
The 2 nd big question asked is:
Who are your stakeholders or audience?
Take a strategic, structured and timely approach to
map, know and communicate with your
stakeholders. I like to group stakeholders as ABC:
Allies Actively engaged with you
Bystanders Believe in you with a But
Critics Hold views contradictory to yours
Having said that, also remember that the stakeholder
universe is agile today. We may not always be able to
map our stakeholders to the tee. Reviewing your
stakeholder base at regular intervals will keep you on
your game in including and engaging with them .The
above two questions is what most start-ups get
www.powertalkwitharchanna.com 45
asked and the 3 rd question is what they ask
themselves.
When should I start investing in reputation
management?
Whether your offering is in the online space or in
the brick or mortar category, it is a good idea to
integrate reputation management as one of the
building blocks of your business from day zero. We
tend to miss this key piece simply because we have
not given it enough thought. So look at starting
early.
Knowing Your Pillars of Reputation Management
Helps in Creating Competitive Advantage!
For each of these pillars, draw out a strategy and
action plan and you will find seamless synergy with
your larger business strategy. These pillars
eventually speak to the ethos of your enterprise.
Refer to ‘FIND’ as you start to create your
reputation management tool box. Under each of
the pillars, I have shared some indicative measures.
This is not by any means an exhaustive list.
Foster Trust
• You are the first and most important ambassador of
your start-up. In a new enterprise everyone bets on
the founder
• Tell stories. Not just of the product, but the vision,
people, products, company, challenges,
opportunities, magic, coincidences, failures, wins,
solutions, issues
• Be consistent and proactive with your presence,
engagement and communication
Invest in Relationships
• Strive for win-win solutions to create long term
equity
• Align and include people around the shared
purpose
• Identify and navigate to the value your bring
Nurture Networks – the obvious
and not so obvious
• Look for opportunities to represent the cause your
solution is serving
• Engage with thought leaders and on their platforms
Meaningful
relationships and
meaningful work are
mutually reinforcing,
especially when
supported by radical
truth and radical
transparency
-Ray Dalio
• Be visible as a thought leader
Deliver Customer Value
• Ensure constancy of experience
• Cherish your referrals – they are lending their
credibility to you
• Make your customers feel safe and protected
Have a strategy to combat key board warriors. Not all
battles are to be fought, but how you approach and
handle them will be watched
Depending on the life cycle or round of funding your
start-up is in, keep upgrading your reputation
management tool box. You will discover some
approaches to be sacrosanct, while others serving a
short term or a specific purpose.
Building an intangible asset like reputation, requires
listening, empathy and care. It requires being
authentic about who you are as a company, not once
but consistently over and over again and for the long
term.
I believe, your reputation is what serves as an
anchor when you choose to soar and as a life jacket,
if things go south. Invest wisely.
Power Talk l Ready to StartUp
Power Talk with Archanna
https://www.youtube.com/powertalkwitharchanna
,
World over, the legal sector has seen the slowest adoption
of tech-based solutions. Even within the sector, India is a
couple of years behind some other nations. 2020 saw the
introduction of virtual courts for the first time in the
country. Though the process was catalysed by Covid-19, it
has kick-started a very important conversation - ‘how can
the legal industry benefit from the very many pros that
emerging tech offer?’ We might be late to the party, but
given the importance of the legal sector, the overburdened
judiciary and the immense potential that the Indian
demographic offers ,we will be booming with legal tech
products .So its time for entrepreneurs to start thinking as
this is going to be one among trending business going
forward
Dreaming a business that can turn an idea into a billion
dollar worth entity is always very easy. The real pain in the
neck starts when startups plan to learn on the way .
Legalities can trap your success and clip your wings.
However a good understanding can give wings to your
ideas, thoughts and allow you to spread young wings as
much as you would like given you have all other aspects of
business execution in place.
This is where LAWYERED comes in. We have a huge
platform with more than 20,000 lawyers registered
with us and board the band wagon following a very
stringent process in line .
Till now ,we have catered to 50,000+ Startups. Our
research team constantly works on bringing together
every documents that can easy of the life of a startups.
With over 100+ agreements, we have a rich gallery of
agreements, MOU’s, reference sheets and templates
,in short a one stop shop all for startups. This comes
with a consultation to support them ,hand hold them
to understand what exactly would they require to get
the engine running. This comes to them at NO COST.
“Legal Toolkit for Startups & Businesses”
Negligence can definitely get startups into trouble and
these troubles can easily be avoided. These are
processes that are a part of any business launch and
come with few legal bindings which must be adhered
to. However should not be taken lightly For e.g., it is
important to understand the business the startup gets
into and incorporate a company to stat with. Speaking
in Indian context, the company could either be limited
liability partnership in India(LLP) or be incorporated
Himanshu Gupta
2018-PRESENT
FOUNDER & CEO
LAWYERED
STARTUP MENTOR
as a private limited company or registered as a
partnership firm .It will be termed as a start-up
if Its turnover for any of the financial years since
incorporation or registration has not exceeded
Rs 100 crore .Its important to understand
taxation and accounting laws .Startups need to
keep in mind the business licenses they need to
apply for and definitely remember to renew
them time and again. They must be well aware
of the compliances they need to meet for the
business they wish to run.
Startups are very quick in creating their logo’s,
completely unaware of the protection of their
intellectual property rights or if they are
stepping on someone else's foot. Create a fool
proof entity by formalizing business structure
and formalising founders agreement. It is also
important to understand the liabilities startups
move around with on their shoulders and how
they can stay stress free if they follow systems
and understand the law of the land.
There are many implications that comes with a
poorly executed idea. Legal hassles are one of
them. CONSULT A LAWYER .READ .READ. READ
www.powertalkwitharchanna.com 49
Amod Anand
2018-PRESENT
Co-Founder
Loom Solar Pvt Ltd
Faridabad, India
2014-2017
Sr. Manager
Home Shop 18
Noida, India
The startup SOLAR LOOM was launched by Amod Anand and Amol Anand in 2018. The duo was more
than busy in their corporate life Before. Amol handled operations at Luminous India. Amod started his
career with Reliance as a business analyst. While at Bharti Airtel Ltd as a senior manager, Amod was still
thinking about venturing on his own. With 3 years at Home Shop 18 as a senior manager, he was sure he
wanted more .The entrepreneurial spirit in the Anand brothers kept surfacing until they both decided to
finally start working on it alongside their corporate jobs. The duo investigated several industries and ended
up joining the solar power industry. It was the idea of becoming financial independent, while working in
corporate jobs. .They were thinking like a true entrepreneur. Minimum investment and maximum returns.
After much research they mutually zeroed down their option to Solar energy. As a start up company, the
only that really worried them was SURVIVAL. Stories floating in the market about start-up failure gave
them sleepless nights. Their focus on profitability and 100% prepaid transactions was their starting point
It was difficult to find how to start and from where to start, which product to sell and how to earn
profit. Once we were sure of the business we wanted to create a fortune in ,We were a bit relieved .
We knew it was solar energy and LOOM SOLAR was born !
Power Talk l Ready to StartUp
THUMB RULE
Identifying strengths and weakness
Strength: Understanding of Digital Marketing, How to build website, How to transport products,
How to Identify supplier for procurement of products.
Weakness: Capital for investment was very low, small office / warehouse, no brand, no
customer and no credibility in the market to get the product on credit.
All we had were savings and fire in the bely to make it big. We invested our hard earned money on creating
a website with all our focus was on digital marketing. In the process, we learnt about everything customer
acquisition and strategies to leverage our business. It took us some time as we handle everything. All
operations under one roof- our home .It took us time to recruit people as they were not keen on joining us
because us the limited space available at our home grown office. This did not affect the energy and passion
that drew us towards our goal constantly .We were determined aa a duo and didn’t have time to think
about those who didn’t want to join us in this journey
To begin with, we started as distributors for companies that were into solar energy like Luminous India. We
created a market for ourselves. Gaining the trust of the customer as been the key focus for us from the very
beginning .As my brother Anmol had experience in this industry we grew faster than we expected. In
October 2018 we launched Monocrystalline panels .This was a big boom for us . We started seeing stability
in our business . This as a stepping stone , we launched AC Module in DEC 2019. This came with a
partnership with EnPhase . Now our focus grew into making Loom Solar a popular business among
customers by constantly working on quality, timely deliveries and ofcourse manufacturing premium quality
solar panels with no compromise on quality whatso ever .
www.powertalkwitharchanna.com 51
ONE STEP AT A TIME
Anmol and myself along with 10 more people
That’s what Loom solar was all about .A company
that was multitasking all the time but was full of
passion to make it big Now we are a team of 100
people . Our goal is to expand it gradually.
Earlier Loom Solar had tie-ups with solar brands
with good infrastructure and a network of sales
personnel in each state or territory. We aligned
their sales employees and distribution channel to
Loom Solar for a commission of 15 percent. Now
the Loom Solar has approx. 1500 resellers present
in across 700 cities who are aligned to sell and
distribute. Loom Solar guarantees a three-day
delivery period across the country and also
provides end-to-end solutions.
At the time of market research we discovered that
there were many rural areas in India with little
access to electricity (especially in Uttar
Pradesh).There was a need for more. When we set
out to understand the inside story of the industry,
we found that three major problems that slowed
down the acceptance of solar power: There was
inadequate knowledge and understanding of the
product . People were not very well versed with the
benefits of using solar energy .We also found that
there weren’t many suppliers who would reach out
in the interiors and also promise good after sales
service. Another undeniable fact came to surface .
Poor quality of products being manufactured
because of use of obsolete technology
Power Talk l Ready to StartUp
With in a year of its inception
the organization installed
3,500 kW solar panels. A
reduction of 99,000 tonnes of
carbon dioxide emissions,
which is equal to planting
1,58,000 trees
This lowers emissions and electricity reliance on the
national grid. Bootstrapped Loom Solar hosts only
luxury brands in the solar industry, but plans to
bring more brands on board in the future, including
Luminous, Microtek, Okaya, and Schneider Electric.
For such brands, it offers solar arrays, screens,
inverters, and chargers online.
The company has never sold the products on credit,
and is not even planning to do that in future. In
order to sustain we should always sell product with
profit. Currently valuation of the company is Rs
120 crore
GOLDEN ADVICE
My advice to the budding entrepreneur is: Do
business with trust and focus on profitability. In
the early stage of the business, you have to build
trust with customer, supplier, employee and
shareholders. Once trust is built, business starts
growing and rest of the things can be managed.
The next more important thing after that brilliant
idea is to look for a great team.
You need a few people who can work like you, who can
understand your idea and work on the project day and
night just like you do. Once idea is validated with
sample customer size then marketing becomes
important things to grow the business.
helping our team get certifications during
pandemic. Most of our employees from sales and
marketing department are solar certified by
Udemy . Now we are back to work
.
Also, people believe that funding is the last thing to be
considered. In my view, every founder must start
business as bootstrap and later on once its validated
take help of funding to grow your business multi fold. It
gives confidence to business idea and product
Business size may be small to begin with but it grows
with time provided you don’t loose your focus on
quality and customer retention. Solar industry of India
is growing by 3 times every year. Our organization
growth is growing by 2 times in every aspects. Target
to establish your business with in 3 years of its
inception. It will start seeing growth with time and
demand of the market
EXPERIENCE SPEAKS
FEW TIPS
• We bootstrapped our company , and also advice
others to follow the same, it's your hard-earned
money. So we spend it wisely compare to the
investors money
• How to reach to the customers? – Digital Medium
• Why will our customer trust on us? –
Cutting Edge Technology Products & Simplify
Service Process
• Who will execute all process? – Strong Team
• Who will fund to our business? – Customer
Funded
• Pandemic and black swan events shouldn’t
dampen your spirits
For us pandemic was difficult too but we managed
to grow our company as Power backup Industry also
grew due to high demand in residential sector. Most
of the people started working from home so they
needed more electricity with power backup, and it
helped to grow our business .We concentrated on
Awards and recognition:
• A huge customer base
• A very good team
• A private limited company with 2 Director .
My brother Anmol Anand and myself
• Received fastest growing SMB of the year
by Amazon Sambhav Year 2020
• DIPP Certified Startup India
• Golden Bridge Awards 201
• Featured in various publications like
POWER TALK ,SAUR ENERGY, EQ
INTERNATIONAL, ENERGETICA, PV
MAGAZINE, YOURSTORY, BUSINESS
STANDARD,
ELETIMES,
DEVDISCOURSE, ELECTRONICS
BAZAAR
www.powertalkwitharchanna.com 53
Shan M Elangovan
2018- PRESENT
MANAGING DIRECTOR
CEAE
United Kingdom
2011- PRESENT
Managing Director
VEE CEE Ltd
United Kingdom
Born in a family of entrepreneurs, I took my own path towards self build! Working for other business was
essential steps towards bigger goals in life, one is to gain experience and the other is to ensure the ends
meet. Sustainability is always been with me, as I believe in that lifestyle and it has got on to me more and
more over a period of time. Working for others and for myself, I had a large exposure in to sustainable
trends globally. CEAE is a passion to make anything we do 100% sustainable & Circular. Sustainability
always doesn’t need to be at an extra cost. I don’t believe in that. It’s lack of information on what
sustainable solutions are available out there. When you speak about additional cost, it’s also about the
tiniest percentage of margins what you are willing to forego, if there is any. There are several ways to
accomplish circularity in your business without additional cost. It’s the mindset which is all important!
Q
A
start-up founder at the start of pandemic 2020,what inspired you to plunge
into the risky waters of sustainability ?
Having worked with international clothing brands all my life, Sustainability & Circularity has always
been my passion. I have worked within R&D functions on several circular developments including
fabrics, accessories, packaging and several sustainable production process initiatives with these
global brands. But there was always a lot of limitations, when it comes to sustainability initiatives, as
Power Talk l Ready to StartUp
Yes we are a
pandemic Launch
I was involved in the tiniest
aspects of the project and it
has been a huge learning curve
there are so many other factors involved in
accepting a change. My passion was always to
create a brand that will solely build on
sustainability and circularity in mind.
Q
After the launch consistency is
very important .What kept you
on your toes from day one ?
Finance and the ability to meet demand when you
explode, and how you actually manage your
cashflow. Again, it was not just 1 thing, it was
several different things, to make it all work together
flawlessly starting from product design,
development, testing, performance, packaging,
branding, user experience online, the box opening
experience and to be prepared with any objections,
questions and customer queries. Every single thing
mattered to me. Once you have nailed a product
then presenting them to wider audience,
distributers, wholesalers in different geographical
locations were challenging at the same time
rewarding, when see acceptance on what you have
believed in all this while
Q
A pandemic launch,
implementation must have been
a rocky ride.
More than the problems, it’s all the different steps
involved and executing them within the time frame.
It was at the peak of lockdowns and the ability to
develop a design and go to market.
Logistics and continuity of continuity of work force
was a greater challenge. When we launched our
100% Organic cotton masks, I wanted it to tick all the
boxes of a circular/sustainable product and at the
same time to perform better than any other product
out there. We had to do a lot of performance testing
and choice of material played a significant role.
Testing took time and we had to plan production,
volumes and availability of stock in different markets
and sales channels are all set and ready when the
product hits the market. I was involved in the tiniest
aspects of the project and it has been a huge
learning curve in a such a short time span from
initial conceptualisation to market. We in fact
submitted patent/trademark for the innovation.
I am now proud that our product is available with
more than 3000 retailers and look forward to the
launch of all future product line. We aspire to be a
truly circular lifestyle brand reassuring with
accreditations and transparency to all our customers
www.powertalkwitharchanna.com 55
Q
The innovation window of
startups needs funds .Your
advise to budding entrepreneurs
Yes absolutely! Backed up with sufficient funds to
start up and sustain for a period of time. Creating the
visibility for the brand through your online sales
channels and distribution network. Gaining the
acceptance of the product and the trust. Sell, Sustain
and build the brand and reinvest all earnings back
into products and markets .We have done the initial
We have created a channel- retail and wholesale in
a short span of time and we need to optimise on
the opportunity. Now is the time to continue giving
great products to these distributors, wholesalers
and retailers and they know the brand and the
quality of the products they can expect. It’s a range
of products that we need to launch, just not one at
a time. It’s about creating an offering to someone’s
lifestyles, so funding is super important at this stage
or else we will be slow in the game, loose
momentum that we have already built. We can still
be successful but will be slow and conventional.
Funding changes the whole scenario!
I am proud that our
product is available with
3000 retailers in a such
a short time span from
initial conceptualisation
to market
it’s been over 7 months that we launched. Now we
are preparing for brand deck/future aspirations so
we can present it to possible venture capitalists, I
think that’s the key!
Self-funding is relevant for a start-up and to sustain
for a while. To takes any business to next level,
funding is the key, like the stage we are in now. We
have huge aspirations, working on our first ever
clothing range which is 100% Organic, 100% chemical
free, dyes from herbs barks of trees and leaves etc..,
100% water reused/circular,100% biodegradable/
recyclable and with almost 0% carbon emission. We
want to reduce our carbon emission during
production process rather than emit and offset! We
want to accredit & communicate all we do to end
consumers.
CEAE- Circular Economy Accredited & Ethical
Power Talk l Ready to StartUp
Q
What is the next most important
thing after that brilliant idea ?
Its marketing and the sales channels. Precisely the
digital marketing partner! I believe the reach to
wholesale and distribution comes thru your online
presence. The success online hugely depends on the
digital marketing and choosing the right ecommerce
partners. We have invested a lot on this front and
have seen a lot of results, which will help us shape
and succeed in all our future product launches.
For online retail, digital marketing is expensive but
inevitable. You need to look at least 20-25% of the
retail price of a product towards the cost of digital
marketing/ e-commerce partnerships. Most often
this cost is overlooked by start-ups. Unfortunately
Great idea/ product wont sell by itself. There are so
many other entities within the retail chain for
example, fulfilment, digital marketing, e-commerce
partner, manufacturing, logistics, agents all have
their share of the cake. So it vital to consider every
single cost elements before finalising retail prices
and wholesale prices.
Q
What was your perfect
sustainability business plan ?
With CEAE I always knew what we were going to offer.
But the Pandemic, infact gave me a kick start. There
was a problem in hand to solve and you have the
expertise to leverage. Face masks! We kept the ethos
intact about what we want to do and came up with a
great product, comfort, performance and
sustainability are three key elements we focused on.
Huge challenges, starting from prototyping to final
product as things weren’t normal in terms of
workforce nor the logistics. The production was
interrupted several times. When I started this project
when pandemic hit, I was based out of USA, product
development/ production based out of India and I was
setting up retail, distribution/ fulfilment in UK . It was
super challenging!
I kept at it and we managed to launch a global website,
tie up with fulfilment companies, signup with partners
in UAE, Canada, South Africa, USA and UK. All our
distributers came thru our online presence .We have
about 4 large distributors/ wholesalers in the UK/
Europe, who in turn have over 3000 retailers buy from
them. The list is Growing!
Our Focus- 3 key elements
comfort, performance
and sustainability
Future of any business in today’s world, whether its
product or services that you offer, they need to be
sustainable. What difference are making to
anyone’s sustainable lifestyle? Who much is it
contributing to global sustainability goals? Carbon
emission, are you controlling? Plastics- are you
reducing the usage? Are your products circular?
Biodegradable/ recyclable? Will it contribute to
the over growing pollution in our ocean? It’s about
going back in time and fixing things for a better
tomorrow and for generations to come.
www.powertalkwitharchanna.com 57
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