Q1) Tell us a little bit about yourself. Your background, education, and family.
My family comes from a small part of Gujarat, India. My father, while a simple man, taught me one thing well- that integrity and hard work are one’s greatest assets, and ought to be treasured accordingly.
While at school, this lesson was further instilled in me by my class teacher, who made certain to reward hard work- and to chastise a lack thereof, no matter the results still reaped.
That ‘tactic’ left a profound impression on me, and was instrumental, along with my father’s teachings, in shaping my path as a businessman later.
Q2) What was the process for you to find out what you wanted to do?
At 19, I realised that I had to help support my family financially- so, I stepped into the world of business.
It was also always something I felt drawn towards: the idea of working hard to create something, that would not only repay me; but would make life easier for my customers, was something I found fascinating.
At the same time, I was aware of the hard work, grit, and perserverance it would take me, as a small-town youth, to be able to do something really worthwhile- yet that was always my ambition; and still is today: to simplify life for my customers, and to build my career with honesty and integrity.
Q3) What does being a successful entrepreneur entail?
To be a successful entrepreneur, to me, means to have faith in one’s idea, whilst being willing to listen and improve one’s faults. It means to work hard every day, while staying true to one’s ethics- and, of course, it means to be grateful.
Whether it is for the opportunities recieved, or for the trust placed in you by your customers, gratitude is as important an entrepreneural trait as hard work, dedication, humility, perserverance, and integrity.
Q4) Could you share some of the challenges you faced when starting your business in the technology sector?
As someone with no initial background in technology, the beginning was a blur of unfamiliar words, jargon, and lexicon. Too, industry and customer expectations appeared different at first, which added to the novelty of the experience.
However, as is sometimes said, the ‘core’ of business does not change- at the end, customers all want to have a simple, efficient, and workable solution to their problems; while also keeping in mind value for money.
With this in mind, and with some effort put into learning the new vocabulary and concepts that were to become the mainstay of communication in my new field, I found that I could now understand and adapt here.
Q5) What is the most rewarding part of your job?
Customer satisfaction.
To see a job well done, is to find that a customer was satisfied not only with the product they bought, or the service that accompanied it; but that they themselves believed that the experience could not possibly have gone better.
That, to me, is the pinnacle of a good experience- and is one that we aim and attempt to create and replicate, every single day.
Q6) What is your greatest success so far?
I have been grateful and fortunate enough to count many experiences as successes- from blockchains, to app and game development. However, one thing that really stands out for me is schooling.
Via two online schools- ‘Tiger Indian School’ and ‘Regent Indian School’, we are attempting to bring high-quality, yet affordable education to children around the world- not just in India.
To share in further detail, at Tiger Indian School, our fees start at 1500 Rs. per month, for a well-taught CBSE course, with up to 4 hours of live classes every day.
Such a thing is unprecedented, and we are hopeful that it will help those children to access schooling, who want a private school, but at reasonable fees and convenient hours & locations.
Q7) What does it take to be a successful entrepreneur?
Grit & perserverance- there will be times you will stumble, or even re-think your path. Especially when leading a team, your role in a ‘failure’ is more than anyone else’s, for you must lead by example- and help the team to regroup and re-try again; until you do succeed.
It is at times like this, that fortitude and ‘staying power’ will see you through- until your idea comes to fruition, and becomes the success you had envisioned.
Q8) Where do you see yourself in the next five years?
We hope, in the next five years, to grow our companies into the world’s top start-ups; whether that be Kaishen Infomatics, Amaterasu Technologies, or Shiv Technologies.
Q9) What is some advice you would give to a young entrepreneur?
Believe in yourself, but be open to listen to others- constructive criticism helps you grow. Unconstructive opinions are not there for you to be swayed by.
Work hard, always take your team with you, and remember- never compromise your integrity or your humility.
Q10) Who is your biggest inspiration?
One of the greatest inspirations for me is my family- they inspire me to work harder, to aim higher, and to never give up.
Their unconditional support, and their confidence in my work, help spur me onwards, even on the most difficult days. They remind me always to be humble, and to remember my beginnings.
Q11) How can your fans reach out to you?
You may write to me via the official site of Kaishen Infomatics: getintouch@kaishen.in.