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  • Amith Kumar , CEO at aNumak & Company

    Great Companies: How did you get your idea or concept for the business? Amith Kumar: It all started when my dad passed away when I was 18 years old. Things were tough and I had to drop out of school to support my mother and younger brother. I had to start working early in my career. Working at a coffee shop, selling newspapers, and working at a gas station all at the same time gave me a lot of experience in a short period of time, which led me to secure a position as a consultant. I've worked with leading firms like HP, Cisco, Akamai, and GE, and one of the things that set me apart from my peers, I believe, was my ability to identify problems as a consultant. Things began to change for me when I met Mrs. Uma Anupkumar, our Chairman, and Neha Anush, our COO, both of whom aspired to operate their own business. All three of us agreed on one thing that there are a lot of companies out there that can solve business problems. However, the problem is that most companies are unaware that they have a problem, and we had the ability in spotting them. And it was then that we developed the idea for aNumak & Company as a Management Consulting Firm with one of the finest functional expertise, Objective Opinion, and On-Demand Brains. Great Companies: What are the various Services provided by aNumak & Company Amith Kumar: We are a Management Consulting Firm. aNumak & Company is a global management consulting firm that specializes in developing scalable business models for diverse industry verticals. We offer solutions to modern business problems through consulting, digital transformation, and innovative products. aNumak & Company transforms traditional business models into high-performing, dynamic, and innovative businesses by combining onsite and offshore support and employing unique strategies. We draw insights from core domain experts to provide the best possible solutions for accelerating growth. Great Companies: What makes aNumak & Company different from hundreds of other management Consulting firms? Amith Kumar: One of the main reasons that set us apart is that we are specialized in ‘Strategy.' Aside from that, we have a strong research team that is involved in cutting-edge technologies, as well as a team of consultants from South America, North America, and India who believe in the "One Firm" approach. We are also a Values-Driven company that values integrity, teamwork, diversity along with a future-minded perspective. “METRICS: Measure Everything That Results In Customer Satisfaction,” is our motto. Great Companies: What are the struggles and challenges you face? Amith Kumar: We are a bootstrapped corporation, thus cash flow is a bit of a challenge. The company needs to hire the finest sales and consulting team in order to be successful, and here is where we spend the majority of our time, money, and energy. Another challenge is open communication as all of our staff work remotely due to the pandemic situation. Meeting and communicating with the teams has thus been a challenge. Great Companies: How do you plan to grow in the future? What does 5 years down the line look like for aNumak & Company? Amith Kumar: Considering our fundamentals, value proposition, and plans are all strong, our growth approach is well defined. We intend to expand our consulting firm to the size of a 100-year-old company and do so in every country in the world. We plan to develop leaders in every department and vertical, each of whom will be in charge of their own team. We intend to generate $20 million in revenue in five years by concentrating our management consulting efforts on cutting-edge technologies like Blockchain, Edge Computing, AI, AR, NLP, Data Science and Analytics. Great Companies: If you had one piece of advice to someone just starting out, what would it be? Amith Kumar: Be committed to your vision and ALWAYS remember the Core Values. Patience, Perseverance and Consistency is the key!!!

  • Abhishek, Founder at Digital Sky 360

    Great Companies: How did you get your idea or concept for the business? Abhishek: My passion for technology & Quest to learn more enlightened me to be a part of digital industry which is growing at a constant pace , I was working in an offline marketing industry for almost 5 Years when I realised there has to have more techniques which can enable us to market online and Increase your Reach Globally than after lots of Research and Learning I started Digital Sky 360 which is an Consulting firm and provides Digital marketing services . Great Companies: What are the various Services provided by Digital Sky 360 Abhishek: We’re an Interactive Communications & Digital marketing agency and we provide services like SEO , Social media marketing , Website design & development , Content Marketing & Strategic Consulting for major industries across the globe . Great Companies: What makes Digital Sky 360 different from hundreds of other Digital Marketing firms? Abhishek: Its very Important to define your Core Competency and especially when you’re part of a Creative Industry , We Strongly believe that Client should get good business when they are associated with us and our efforts should be beneficial to them, We work on our clients projects considering our own and that makes us different from rest of the other digital marketing companies Great Companies: What are the struggles and challenges you face? Abhishek: Well Client Servicing business is the toughest among all the industries as Clients have lots of expectations from their marketing agency and thus Challenges such as meeting clients benchmarks , deadlines , Coming up with “out of the box” designs all the time , understanding & explaining every little details over email and phone calls takes challenges higher & higher . Though we believe that Facing Challenges we make our belief & morale stronger, This Ethos of never giving up keeps us ON every day . Great Companies: How do you plan to grow in the future? What does 5 years down the line look like for Digital Sky 360? Abhishek: Excellent Question , We know that digital is the future and most of the industries will plan to use digital services in various forms and mediums , Also people have been adapting digital transformation , this makes a strong business plan , At the moment we provide digital services like SEO , Social Media marketing , Website design & development , strategic consulting and we have two locations One is in Ahmedabad & We started our operations in Adelaide Australia , Soon we’re starting our operations in Pune & Sydney . I see five years down the line plan is expansion across US , UK, Canada , Singapore Simultaneously we are developing Two of our own Indigenous Digital Products which we will be Launching soon . Great Companies: If you had one piece of advice to someone just starting out, what would it be? Abhishek: I will say Follow your Passion, If Technology & Marketing is your passion and you’re ready to go an extra mile for your clients as well as employees than just go for it . Website : https://digitalsky360.com/ Linkedin : https://www.linkedin.com/in/abhishek-trivedi-75a60b20/ Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/abhishek.skyinc Facebook - Digital Sky : https://www.facebook.com/digitalsky360

  • Baasava Hathiwala, Founder at Glowraze Media

    Great Companies : What are the services provided by Glowraze media? Baasava Hathiwala: Glowraze Media is a Digital marketing agency. usually we help local businesses, gain and help them make a online presence. the scope of the local business have affected a lot due the absense of the money flowing in the local market. but the importance of business in the local market needs to realise and there are still business who havent realised the importance of those business. so we give Content Creation for them which usually they find it difficult and we help them create that and help them create a brand online. Great Companies : What Makes Glowraze media different from hundereds of other Digital Marketing Firms? Baasava Hathiwala: The need of the learning content and making a online process is now more important than ever. so what we do is believe in spreading value. Glowraze media earlier was a the digital marketing service firm just like other content creating industry. most of the other firms are just concerned in taking their profit cut, but we are here in for creating value. if you go for it to see, most of the people are just there for getting and making their sales and even giving them a post and buying fake followers for them. But we believe in value. thats why the people wo have just been there following this process havent still understood the value will make them more value for those businesses in the longer run, so we created our youtube channel , where we helped people learn the basics whom we couldnt reach individually , we hope it creates and grows them individually. Great Companies : What are the struggles and Challenges you face? Baasava Hathiwala : The biggest challenge we face in the people who have very few people in the industry who have actually realised the potential of this , but the quality of the type of content which people need to create are very small, to find these kind of people who has a good taste , and also a smell of the art of creativity in them. The workforce are all in the beginner phase , we need to work with our limited team and the challenge is the keeping your motivation always on your passion when the rest of the world pays you less even after knowing what the importance is , but still people are now realising the value of digital assets which we create. Great Companies : How do you plan to grow in the future? what does 5 years down the line look like for Glowraze Media? Baasava Hathiwala : We believe in creating Digital Assets. the digital assets works as a passive flow of income , we seem to have a bright future since we made our presence on youtube we wish to soon see to reach mass people. mass people is the task which we need to achieve we achieve it by our daily planning, hardwork and the updating of our system and we grow in it. The main work is to always be persistent in believing that the people will know it with our videos and when we will soon be coming with our income potential , where the profits comes later , but the spreading of the message of the digital presence is a must which everyone must master, because in the next 5 years in the Indian market there will more startup as you , we will to go with the flow of the water waves and grow in it. Great Companies : If you had one piece of advice to someone just starting out , what would it be? Baasava Hathiwala : Believe in Passion , Grow your skills, Believe in self study. the goal is always to have goals and believe in future. Always have a look at the next step and that's the forte which you should be working to built your future and that's the reason for your growth.

  • Amit Nath, Founder - Mentor - Marketing & Sales Entrepreneur

    Great Companies: How did you get your idea or concept for the business? Amit Nath: Accidental help to some one where we closed a deal size of almost 2 cr Great Companies: What are the various Services provided by your company Amit Nath: Closing / Training / Creating Automagix sequences Great Companies: What makes you different from hundreds of other Business Mentors? Amit Nath: Unfortunately I am the only GST registered company in the nation to provide this service Great Companies: What are the struggles and challenges you face? Amit Nath: Time (Creating Clones) Great Companies: How do you plan to grow in the future? What does 5 years down the line look like for your company? Amit Nath: 5 year is too large | 1 year 2000 people team size with a total BUSINESS volume of 100+ CR Great Companies: If you had one piece of advice to someone just starting out, what would it be? Amit Nath: Stop wasting time - learn the art of communication to close a deal.

  • Jignesh Gohel, Founder at OLBUZ Private Limited

    Great Companies : How did you get your idea or concept for the business? Jignesh Gohel: My career in the digital marketing industry started in 2006 and it had been the most important coincidence of my life. Being a computer engineer with a first-class degree from Sardar Patel University, I also dreamed of a lucrative job as a software developer. During my first campus interview, I got placement in one UK-based online pharmacy as a trainee, and that I accepted this offer wholeheartedly just to start my professional career. This was the turning point for my professional career from wherever I learned regarding digital marketing. In 2013, I left my full-time job to start my very own Startup called OLBUZ; an IT agency specialized in digital marketing, mobile application & web development services. OLBUZ is now one of the leading digital marketing agency and a Google Ads partner for the last 6 years and managing medium to large enterprise accounts. I love working in the digital marketing industry which has grown tons in the last few years. It encourages me to stay learning and experimenting with advanced marketing techniques and this is often the foremost thrilling part of this industry. Great Companies : What are the various services provided by OLBUZ Private Limited Jignesh Gohel: As one of the best brand and service providers in the digital marketing world, we offer almost every kind of innovative service under the sun and provide exceptional solutions to end-users and organizations. Being in this industry for more than a decade we firmly believe that if you have the idea for doing business then we have thousands of innovative resources to spread the reach of your businesses. “We are very good at eCommerce Marketing and this is our key service but we are also offering various supportive solutions mentioned below: Here is the list of some of the services that we deliver. • Search Engine Optimization • Facebook Ads Management • Google Ads Management • Content Marketing Services • Conversion Optimization Services • Website Development Services • Mobile App Development (iOS and Android) Great Companies : What makes OLBUZ Private Limited different from hundreds of other Digital Marketing and App Development firms? Jignesh Gohel: I personally believe that the key asset any agency has is its people and work culture. Skills can be both built and bought, but what is very difficult to change after a particular scale is the culture of the organization which I believe is what makes us different from other agency. Secondly I have seen that almost every good agency sometimes compromise when it comes to work and often do false promises but we believe in making relations and not doing business which is another factor that sets us apart from others. Thirdly, many agencies do not invest in acquiring latest tools & technologies to upgrade their working efficiency, but we have constantly upgraded all our technology and other soft wares to provide world-class services. I think the above three combinations are very much required to achieve long-term objectives of any business and this is what we possess and try to maintain since our foundation. Great Companies : What are the struggles and challenges you face? Jignesh Gohel: Marketing is a huge industry, but full of challenges. Since we are in this industry with more than a decade of experience we have also gone through the same pain like Making the Most of a Smaller Budget: One of the biggest concern for any digital marketing agency for doing businesses is how to stand out against bigger competitors without a commensurate digital marketing budget. When it comes to organic search marketing, there is no secret formula for rank your website in Google neither there is anyone that will tell you how long it takes to get to the first pages. It is always challenging to explain this fact to client but we are very transparent and always explain the challenges with our clients. Therefore, we believe Patience is one the most important characteristics that you need to focus if you want to succeed. And Keep updating your website with good quality original content. Great Companies : How do you plan to grow in the future? What does 5 years down the line look like for OLBUZ Private Limited? Jignesh Gohel: Digital marketing is one of the fastest growing area for doing online business, and it will continue to dominate the world market in the coming years, hence ‘A few of the goals I’ve set for myself over the next few years, I am positive, determined towards achieving it. I want to see OLBUZ as one of the leading global player in digital marketing by implementing all the latest automation technologies in our process. Further, we look towards proper utilization of AI and ML which will help us to improve the quality and efficiency of our digital marketing process in order to become the trendsetter in this industry. Great Companies : If you had one piece of advice to someone just starting out Jignesh Gohel: Command on communication is the key to achieve success in this world of digital marketing. If you want to be successful then. Never run behind rankings but focus on generating relevant traffic to your website and you'll see the difference in your success. Additionally you should be able to connect with your target audiences by spreading right information at right time.

  • Manish Jain, Founder at Cintamani SkillGuru

    Great Companies: How did you get your idea or concept for the business? Manish Jain: Initially when I was working and recruiting young blood, I found they were lacking the skills for recruitment. Thus I decided why not train people so that they could be an asset to the organization. I also saw the need for effective training sessions and wanted to use my expertise and work experience and this was when I decided to work for myself Great Companies: What are the various Services provided by Cintamani SkillGuru Manish Jain: Customized Soft Skills, which we also call Life Skills and Wellness training for everyone be it an individual or institution Great Companies: What makes Cintamani SkillGuru different from hundreds of other Training firms? Manish Jain: We focus on human touch, our USP is teach back sessions (for certifications) this imbibes a sense of learning in participants. We use Blooms Taxonomy for our trainings. We also make sure everyone enjoys the training and have take home learnings too. Great Companies: What are the struggles and challenges you face? Manish Jain: Struggles and challenges that we face are:- 1. The young blood who doesn’t take the soft skills seriously. We believe the hard skills will get you Job, but soft skills will allow you to keep the job. 2. The current change due to Pandemic also made us change the training platform from Offline to Online, this is where the human touch is lost but trust us all these challenges gives us an experience to work harder. Great Companies: How do you plan to grow in the future? What does 5 years down the line look like for Cintamani SkillGuru? Manish Jain: We want to have our presence across the Globe and want to train 1 million people by the end of 2023 Great Companies: If you had one piece of advice to someone just starting out, what would it be? Manish Jain: Never loose focus and always believe in hardwork if you work on your passion, it will definitely bring you success

  • Anant Patil, Founder at Agri Mahiti

    Great Companies: How did you get your idea or concept for the business? Anant Patil: I will start with famous lines from Bhagvad Geeta,...... "annad bhavanti bhutani parjanyad anna-sambhavah yajnad bhavati parjanyo yajnah karma-samudbhavah" That means, “All living bodies subsist of food grains, which are produced by rains. Rains are produced by performance of yajna [sacrifice], and yajna is born of prescribed duties.” Shri Krishna in Bhagvad Geeta, has shown the necessity and importance of food for the entire life cycle on earth. As a software engineer, born and brought up from the agricultural background from the village called Akkimaradi, north Karnataka. one fine day,I was planning to grow something new in my agricultural land, so I started searching on google but I didn't find any proper information like when to start, how to start,what is the investment,what is the yield and market prices, so I was really exhausted. At that time I got an idea and decided to create a new website called "AgriMahiti". From childhood, I always wanted to do something in agriculture because I have learnt that agriculture is the backbone of Indian economy. As a software engineer I choose this way to educate, train and support young farmers directly or indirectly. So I have started this website called AgriMahiti Great Companies: What are the various Services provided by Agri Mahiti Anant Patil: In this website,you can find “How To Grow" fruits, vegetables, spices,flowers etc. “AgriTourism" along with consultant information. "Innovation" information about innovation done in different agricultural sectors like equipment, irrigation, IT and mobile apps etc. "Agribusiness" provides the info about fish farming, crab farming, poultry farming, dairy farming etc along with complete details about government subsidies. "Organic Farming'' information about Compost, Green manures,panchagavya, dasakavya etc along with consultants information. World wide Success stories and video galleries are also available. Great Companies: What makes Agri Mahiti different from hundreds of other Agriculture and Farming service providers? Anant Patil: Agrimahiti provides end to end information from sowing to marketing agri products when compared to other websites. This website will help the young generation to start farming on their own and this website is completely free of cost. From more than 10 countries, around 1.8 lakh people are using this website. Great Companies: What are the struggles and challenges you face? Anant Patil: Agrimahiti doesn't seem to be a simple website, we had a very hard time to collect the information from various websites and it took around 1 year to build the entire website. We struggled day and night, connected with nearby villages and contacted many farmers as well as agricultural universities. Great Companies: How do you plan to grow in the future? What does 5 years down the line look like for Agri Mahiti? Anant Patil: The revenue model and the whole structure behind the business is still shaping up but the thought process is pretty much in the right direction. “We want to become a marketplace for buyers, sellers and consultants in the agriculture space. We, ourselves will also look into getting into the agri consultancy, agri tourism, agri business. We are also planning to release a mobile app shortly that helps to reach more farmers. Great Companies: If you had one piece of advice to someone just starting out, what would it be? Anant Patil: "Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow. The important thing is not to stop questioning. Keep on sowing your seed, you will never know which will grow - perhaps it all will" and Always dream “To Do Something” Not “To Be Something".

  • Vijay Savanur, Founder at Vijay Savanur Productions

    Great Companies: How did you get your idea or concept for the business? Vijay Savanur: It actually started in 2008 where I was the Head of Operations in running one of the biggest production companies of Kannada Cinema.During pre-production, responsibilities included supervising the assembly of the shooting company, recruitment of key personnel and services,and production organization for how to shoot the script and transform it into a movie. I had to plan the start of dates for everyone and everything,and monitor the budget in the lead up to the picture. Film production generally follows a rigorous schedule. HOD that is myself had to facilitate casting, location scouting, set building and decorating, offices and stages, wardrobe, props, stunts, physical and visual effects,camera, lighting, rigging, transportation, cast, crew and union relations, travel, cast and crew accommodation, contracting of legal permissions and agreements, safety and risk management, prep and shooting schedule. In short, I had to oversee the joint planning, negotiations, implementation and accounting for production. In short I was A Line Producer who was a type of film producer who is the key manager during daily operations of a feature film, advertisement film, television film, or an episode of a TV program. who also manage the budget of a motion picture and day-to-day physical aspects of the film production. And A line producer usually works on one film at a time. So Started the IDEA of Line Production Company called Vijay Savanur Productions. And So the began One at a Time, During 2014 with M/s Raajkamal Films International, Chennai (Film: Utthama Villian), followed by M/s Sai Kannada Circle, Bangalore (Film: Siliconn City), Oct 2018 - Eccholine International - Asia Express and the mighty Film: Sye Raa Narasimha Reddy of M/s Konidela Production Company, Hyderabad - in 2019. We are a 7 years grown up company now with a few crores turnover business with more than 20 + multi-talented young full time funtunal Union Registered Managers. Great Companies: What are the various Services provided by Vijay Savanur Productions Vijay Savanur: We provide facilitate casting, location scouting, set building and decorating, offices and stages, wardrobe, props, stunts, physical and visual effects, camera, lighting, rigging, transportation, cast, crew and union relations, travel, cast and crew accommodation, contracting of legal permissions and agreements, safety and risk management, prep and shooting schedule. Great Companies: What makes Vijay Savanur Productions different from hundreds of other media productions firms ? Vijay Savanur: In depth knowledge of project management principles and procedures (Pre Production, Production, Post Production, Licensing, Censor Certification etc.) Understanding the Client Requirements in the stage of Scripting and conversion to shot with joint planning with the direction and production TEAM. With a VAST hands on Experience to handle every Situation on Project Site with the expertise of our multi-talented team. Finally providing a cost effective solution to the client. Great Companies: What are the struggles and challenges you face? Vijay Savanur: Struggles and Challenges we face are only COMPETITION. We beat the Competition by our Professionalism and SERVICE. All our clients are normally repeated customers and ones they are CATERED, they are never too far away from us. Great Companies: How do you plan to grow in the future? What does 5 years down the line look like for Vijay Savanur Productions? Vijay Savanur: We had to Expand to Northern Horizons by the last year and due to the pandemic we have been delayed. We see ourselves all around in Bollywood, Tollywood and Kollywood later during the coming years. Great Companies: If you had one piece of advice to someone just starting out, what would it be? Vijay Savanur: The old saying “Rome wasn’t built in a day” applies here. Just because someone you know started a Business and started making money, doesn’t mean you’re going to immediately start making money. It takes time to let people know who you are, so stay focused on achieving your short-term goals.

  • Rahul Kumar, Founder at Treeoz EcoVenture Pvt Ltd

    Great Companies: How did you get your idea or concept for the business? Rahul Kumar: After completion of my Business Management degree, we have started EcoVenture with the mission to improve the AQI level of the most polluted city, "Patna" by introducing following services like Landscaping, Soil less Vertical Gardening and Terrace Gardening. But after providing these services for few years we have analysed the one more crucial problem i.e. this is an unorganized industry. So we have done some changes in the business model and now we are attempting to unite this fragmented industry and envision a green future by creating a platform that allows people to access the range of different gardening services, expert consulting, transparent pricing, and smooth execution . Great Companies: What are the various Services provided by Treeoz EcoVenture Pvt Ltd Rahul Kumar : EcoVenture is your brand if you're planning a space and want to put in plants in the most efficient and sustainable way possible. We are a tech platform which offer different range of green services such as landscaping, interior landscaping, vertical garden, terrace garden, balcony garden, kitchen garden and other gardening services. Great Companies: What makes Treeoz EcoVenture Pvt Ltd different from other AgriTech Firms? Rahul Kumar : On the platform one can find transparency in pricing for different range of services. After sales service on completion of the project. Expert Consulting and tech enabled operations. Different range of gardening services on single platform. Great Companies: What are the struggles and challenges you face? Rahul Kumar: Convincing the great minds to work together in the initial days.Gaining trust of the banks to fund the business in the initial days. Great Companies: How do you plan to grow in the future? What does 5 years down the line look like for Treeoz EcoVenture Pvt Ltd? Rahul Kumar: We are in the process to raise funds from the investors. 5 years down the line we want to revolutionize this gardening industry by making it an organized one. EcoVenture would have presence in several cities of India and we would be in the list of unicorn. ​ Our Vision : Better Air, Better food, Better health for human race. Great Companies: If you had one piece of advice to someone just starting out, what would it be? Rahul Kumar: “ There is a dialogue in movie called Sultan “ Tumhe tab tak koi nhi hara Sakta, Jab tak tum khud se na haar jaao “. So keep going and never give up because entreprenurship is a marathon, not a sprint.

  • Dr Swapna F Udayakumar, Founder at St Michaels Centre for Advanced Dentistry

    Great Companies: How did you get your idea or concept for the business? Dr Swapna F Udayakumar: The major vacuum of affordable dentistry in India. The challenges of the Health care sector in particular of low ratio of trained medical/paramedical personnel, lack of infrastructure, huge patient load and lack of focus by the government on Health care policies pertaining to general oral health. Great Companies: What are the various Services provided by St Michaels Centre for Advanced Dentistry Dr Swapna F Udayakumar: St Michaels Centre for Advanced Dentistry is equipped to manage all specializations in dentistry. Our expertise lies in Endodontics and conservative dentistry, Prosthodontic rehabilitation, Orthodontics and craniofacial orthopedics Pediatric and Special needs Dentistry Implants & Oral and maxillofacial Surgery Lasers Cosmetic Dentistry Great Companies: What makes St Michaels Centre for Advanced Dentistry different from hundreds of other Dental Clinics? Dr Swapna F Udayakumar: Based on our reviews, we have observed the below mentioned factors that have made patients to refer us to others Our holistic approach - we address not just the oral/dental issues but the person as a whole. This ensures better treatment outcomes. Strategic treatment planning - care is taken in a comprehensive and intricate treatment planning. In most cases a simulation is also provided to ensure appropriate communication on the outcome of the treatment plan. This ensure the expectations are set right for both the parties. Flexible and patient friendly payment options. Emphasis to accommodate segments from lower income groups by our Support a Smile (SAS) program . we also facilitate learning and development for practicing fellow dentists and freshers by means of our in house training vertical. Great Companies: What are the struggles and challenges you face? Dr Swapna F Udayakumar: The lack of structure by the authorities to regulate the Dental practice industry, from pricing management to quality control on treatment provided by clinicians & quackery to name a few. It becomes difficult to ensure true pricing for the quality and expertise delivered. The biggest challenge is Dentistry is, that it is either partially or not covered by Health Insurance companies. Great Companies: How do you plan to grow in the future? What does 5 years down the line look like for St Michaels Centre for Advanced Dentistry? Dr Swapna F Udayakumar: St Michaels Centre for Advanced Dentistry envisions to grow into a Regional Centre with dedicated departments for each specializations we offer. We intend to focus on Oral Cancer care( Prevention and Rehabilitation ). Great Companies: If you had one piece of advice to someone just starting out, what would it be? Dr Swapna F Udayakumar: There are plenty of hurdles that the industry is encountering at the moment. we have to hold on till the dust settles. Believe in your self, look at the big picture. Build a community of like minded people, that will ensure that though there may be challenges, you have a support structure in place.

  • Shishir V Mandya, CoFounder at Shivprabha Charitable Trust

    Great Companies: How did you get your idea or concept for starting an NGO? It was actually started by Amol Sainwar in Chandrapur, as we wanted to give back to Society especially in Education. It was later made into a Trust in 2008 to ensure we reached a greater mass of People especially the uneducated Rural Poor. Both of us had seen Poverty and low Finance to get educated. I had started a similar organization way back in 1975 , in Mumbai, when the Poor students were unable to buy books nor pay their fees for Higher Education and was part of 4/5 NGO's including the Childrens Orthopadeic Hospital. Shivprabha Charitable Trust endeavor is rooted in the volunteering spirit and the inherent belief of our founders that there are people who care for those in need, the real task at hand is to bring these like-minded people together so true change can be achieved. Our team of believers, have day jobs, and devote our spare time to work on Shivprabha’s vision for a better India. of all the Charitable contributions - 100% , that we receive go to the intended recipient. Great Companies: What are the various activities done by Shivprabha Charitable Trust Over the past 13 years, our causes including EDUCATION, VILLAGE ADOPTION, RURAL DEVELOPMENT, WOMEN EMPOWERMENT, MEDICAL AID AND MEDITATION have positively impacted thousands of lives. Mission Bringing equity through education and empowerment in our society. We have worked in the following States • Uttarakhand • Assam • Uttar Pradesh • West Bengal • Odisha • Maharashtra • Karnataka • Tamil Nadu Education Scholarships : We support academically gifted but economically underprivileged students, particularly from rural communities, in their quest for an education. We also offer talented young athletes sponsorships to aid their development as well as give them an opportunity to participate in events both in India and overseas that they otherwise might be financially constrained to attend. RURAL DEVELOPMENT : We identify villages with developmental and social challenges at the community level. We work to find out their immediate and long term needs. After which, work is done with the community and all villagers are encouraged to do their part by participating in shramdaan so that there is a shared sense of accomplishment. We have adopted 4 Villages in The Yawatmal District WOMEN EMPOWERMENT : Most adult women in rural India haven’t had access to opportunities in life that are otherwise basic and necessary for all. Even so, their fighting spirit lives on and to complement this fire, we at Shivprabha Charitable trust provide funds to them to start a business. Most of these women are widows, specifically those of farmer suicides. MEDICAL AID AND SANITATION : Rural communities in India do not have access to proper health care services or medical insurance. Whenever we come in contact with a person in need, our volunteers research their background to ascertain their needs. After this, we see to it that they are provided with whatever it is they need that is in our power. Many Indians, both rural and urban, lack access to basic sanitation facilities. It is our goal to make India open defecation free. We identify and work with the communities that have a lack of proper sanitation infrastructure and ensure long term upkeep of the toilets. Great Companies: What makes Shivprabha Charitable Trust different from hundreds of other NGOs? We have formed a Farmers club, where we Microfinance and advise 90+ farmers..whether it poor harvest, heavy debt for family needs or their farm... Farmers have it tough as the suicide rate is among the highest in their fraternity. Stress often leads to vice filled escapism. We conduct wellness programs rooted in Yoga and inner development.We have started a Research and Training Centre for the Farmers. We have acquired 3.5 Acres of land at Digras Yawatmal.. Shivprabha Farmers’ club helps them with micro loans and educates them with the latest technological know-how. We try to find out solutions for difficulties faced by farmers and train them on how to deal with the same. Great Companies: What are the struggles and challenges you face? Finance has always been a major Problem as we need to raise finance for every campaign that we take up.We do not have any Govt. Funding and depend on our Members. We normally run 45/50 campaigns in a year and have disbursed or helped upto 45 Lakhs every Year Great Companies: How do you plan to grow in the future? What does 5 years down the line look like for Shivprabha Charitable Trust? Growth is not so difficult but reaching the 40 districts especially in the Backward areas , Evaluating and funding the genuine cases is walking a Tight rope. We are trying to develop the second level of Management and increase our ground/Grassroots members who are collectively around 2500 now… Great Companies: If you had one piece of advice to someone just starting out, what would it be? Don’t get into it unless you have Compassion and Empathy. The Struggle is long but very Satisfying. Finance is always going to be short if you remain Ethical.. Website : https://www.shivprabha.org/

  • Capt Unni Krishnan, Founder at Primus Public School and Abacus Education Services

    Great Companies: How did you get your idea or concept for the business? Capt Unni Krishnan: In the year 1995 after completion of my tenure of Short Service of 5 years with the Army, I started my second innings with a marketing and advertising agency. During the course of work, I was involved in conducting a survey report for a school project and found it very interesting. That was the time the country was witnessing the reverse brain drain of Indians wanting to return. Bangalore being a preferred destination, along with a few friends and investors , we decided to set up an International school offering the international syllabus form IBO. On a campus spread over 40 acres, we set up Indus International school in the year 2003. I was one of the Managing Trustees who was involved in the designing, planning, execution and daily operations of the project. For the first three years of the school, I personally managed the day to day operations of the school. As most international schools, Indus was also quite expensive and catered to the affluent class. I had found that the international education was a good option and felt it should be available to the other segments of the society also. That was the genesis of the Project Primus Public School. In the year 2006, I resigned from Indus and started the plans for setting up Primus. Great Companies: What are the various Services provided by Primus Public School and Abacus Education Services Capt Unni Krishnan: With the clear vision of providing affordable international education, the first step was to name the school ‘ Primus' which means first and call it a public school unlike the rest of the new schools coming up with the name international. Primus Public School was designed and planned as a school that would offer International syllabus ( IGCSE from Cambridge University), international teaching practices but with affordable fees. Primus commenced operations in June 2007. The fees at Primus was at one tenth the cost of the International school and it offered the same standard of education if not better. The campus was much smaller but all necessary essential facilities were provided that facilitated good quality education, what we left out were the frills. The focus was on good quality education which was achieved with the help of a well selected faculty who were imparted necessary training and motivation. The school had all necessary teaching aids and technology initiatives that would help the teachers and students. The measure of success of Primus was purely its word of mouth publicity . Our parents and students were our best ambassadors and teachers loved the work culture resulting in additional staff also being easily available. The success of Primus is dedicated to the staff, students and parents. Primus has created a niche for itself and is among the top schools in Bangalore. Having successfully conceived and managed Primus as its founder Managing Trustee for 12 years, I decided to step back from day to day operations and resigned from Primus Trust. As of now, I am operating Abacus Education services which I started in the year 2009. Abacus is a one stop consulting company that offers consultancy services for setting up and managing schools. In addition to offering consulting setting up services for a few school projects, in the year 2016, Abacus commenced Aspire International School at Nagpur on behalf of Sarla Education Trust and is managing its day to day functioning. Great Companies: What makes Primus Public School and Abacus Education Services different from hundreds of other education institutes? Capt Unni Krishnan: Through the last 20 odd years, I have focused on education from a student perspective where the aim is not on infrastructure and facilities but on the quality of delivery of education and this is achieved by setting well defined operating procedures that are constantly updated and most importantly a transparent policy of rules for teachers, students and parents. A well designed and structured system takes away any ambiguity that may exist and helps in smooth operations. Roles of all personnel are clearly defined and provides clarity to all. With regard Abacus, the biggest advantage is that it offers turnkey services in setting up a school from scratch and also helps in hand holding and smooth transition of ownership in case of take-over of schools. Great Companies: What are the struggles and challenges you face? Capt Unni Krishnan: Education is considered a holy cow and the Govt regulations on not allowing non charitable institutions to set up schools is a major limitation. While the aim of the Government policy is to ensure there is no profiteering, unfortunately the aim is not achieved. I feel it is taking away transparency in operations and also limiting corporates and well-meaning individuals from getting into this field. With clear and unambiguous guidelines and transparent books of accounting, operations of schools would not only be easier but also will bring more interested parties to this field. Rather than the Government trying to control fees, healthy competition will bring down the fee and ensure better quality of schools. Parents are quite aware of their expectations and when there are adequate number of schools, they will make the choice of school according to what they want and if they do not get what is promised, they will shift to a different school. The Government must ensure total transparency on the fees that schools charge and insist only bank transactions for payment of fees. No additional fees must be charged by schools and increment of percentage of fees year on year must be indicated at the time of admission. With better regulations, we will have better school operators and in turn much higher quality of schools. As we all know, as a country, we have the a young population and there is a larger number of schools required. Great Companies: How do you plan to grow in the future? What does 5 years down the line look like for Primus Public School and Abacus Education Services? Capt Unni Krishnan: While Primus will continue to grow with more students and produce better results, Abacus would like to expand into more geographical areas and offer more services. With the pandemic opening up newer avenues, Abacus would like to look at widening its capabilities and prepare for blended learning. Teacher training and vocational training are areas that would be in the focus. Great Companies: If you had one piece of advice to someone just starting out, what would it be? Capt Unni Krishnan: The field of education is exciting and more importantly intellectually challenging. The interactions are always with young minds and there is so much to learn from them. The opportunities are immense and if one is willing, even existing practices can be represented from a different perspective. Webiste : https://primusschool.edu.in/ “Education in the 21st century has a new definition of excellence – it is not a skill but an attitude”

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