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Great Companies: How did you get your idea or concept for the business? Sooraj AV: I have had a passion for electronics since my childhood. It started with lighting small LED bulbs using cells and later, when I was in 8th standard, I assembled a transistor radio. After completing 10th standard, I joined a Government Polytechnic College. Though I applied for electronics, I got a seat in computer hardware. This was the beginning of my learning journey in new technologies that I had never heard of before. I made a conscious decision to pursue a job not just for monetary gain, but to fulfil my passion for electronics. I worked with an IT hardware networking company for 13 years, starting as a service technician and working my way up to Area Manager. Eventually, I decided to start my own business focused on customized technologies instead of just selling pre-packaged solutions. Great Companies: What are the various services provided by Infosec Solutions? Sooraj AV: Infosec Solutions is a top-rated security system installer based in Kochi, Ernakulum, Kerala. We specialize in providing comprehensive security solutions that include CCTV cameras, intrusion alarms, video door phone systems, biometric attendance systems, access control systems, boom barriers, PA systems, computer networking, home automation, and gate automation. Our team of experts has been delivering high-quality security solutions since 2013, and we take pride in providing our clients with cutting-edge technology and exceptional customer service. Great Companies: What makes Infosec Solutions different from hundreds of other similar service providers? Sooraj AV: Infosec Solutions, Vyttila is focus on providing professional installations and excellent after-sales service. We only sell handpicked products from the best brands, using top-quality connectors and cables, ISI grade laying materials, stainless steel fittings, and so on. While others may use cheap, low-quality materials and brands to reduce costs and gain orders, we believe in providing our customers with the best possible products and services. Great Companies: What were the struggles and challenges you faced and how did you overcome them? Sooraj AV: The main challenge we are facing is the cost. When we use quality materials and provide top-quality service, the price may be higher than that of our competitors. Unfortunately, customers are often focused on finding the lowest price rather than prioritizing quality or reliability. Infosec Solutions, Vyttila is always focused providing on top quality products and services to its customers. Great Companies: How do you plan to grow in the future? What does 5 years down the line look like for Infosec Solutions? Sooraj AV: I wish to manufacture a few of my own products. I have a lot of ideas and plans. Need to find the fund for the same. Great Companies: If you had one piece of advice to someone just starting out, what would it be? Sooraj AV: Starting a business can be both exciting and challenging, remember that starting a business takes time, patience, and hard work, but with dedication and perseverance, you can build a successful and fulfilling enterprise.

Great Companies: How did you get your idea or concept for the business? Reshma Hajite: We wanted to start business to support our Excellence Dhyas Social Foundation. We founders 5 of us have been working in corporate and thought if we can start business. But we wanted business into non-perishable industry. Realised land is one asset even if it doesn’t get sold for a year still it would appreciate. So started with first small plot in Solapur. Most of our friend circle started with us and we realised there is huge demand in land market of security. Security of land title and boundary security. And there is no structured player in the market Great Companies: What are the various services provided by Excellence Shelters Pvt Ltd? Reshma Hajite: We are into: Land acquisition in Pune, Mumbai and Solapur for non-agriculture plots. We are also developing first liveable farmhouse gated community concept in Pune on Mulashi-Lonavla road. B2B Land acquisition for builder, hospitals, schools Land Education: webinar and seminars on land investment for NRIs, doctors, government officers. Great Companies: What makes Excellence Shelters Pvt Ltd different from hundreds of other similar service providers? Reshma Hajite: We are the only company in Plotted development where our ongoing NA projects are rated by CRISIL. Our USPs-Clear title plots-with immediate sale deed, Maintenance and security, Gated communities, appreciating land location identification. We provide first farmhouse liveable gated community in Pune where we provide solution from land acquisition to Maintenance of farmhouse. Great Companies: What were the struggles and challenges you faced and how did you overcome them? Reshma Hajite: Being first generation Entrepreneur fund raising, acquisition have been challenged. Most of the time we get cheated also but each mistake for form system and developed strong legal system, development. We are internationally in multiple countries US, Singapore, Hong Kong, Dubai, Australia, and UK. Handling NRI clients, their priorities, developing customer centric processes was solution we found. Great Companies: How do you plan to grow in the future? What does 5 years down the line look like for Excellence Shelters Pvt Ltd? Reshma Hajite: We will be going to be top company in India providing gated communities in Pune West. When people think of farmhouse they should remember us. With our farmhouse land education and farmhouse projects we want to help 1Lakh individual to fulfil their dream of owning farmhouse peacefully and create profitable assets. Great Companies: If you had one piece of advice to someone just starting out, what would it be? Reshma Hajite: Work on your passion and work around problem in the sector you are going to solve.

Great Companies: How did you get your idea or concept for the business? Anzel Botha: I had a Digital Marketing Agency from 2017-2020.LinkedIn was one of the services I offered. I fell in love with LinkedIn, community building, and learning from experts and clients. I decided to only focus on LinkedIn and started my company, The Purple Giraffes in 2021.. Great Companies: What are the various services provided by The Purple Giraffes? Anzel Botha: The Purple Giraffes offer the following services: 1. Brand Awareness: a. LinkedIn Profile Optimisation, b. Content Creation including graphics and documents 2. Connecting with your ideal clients. These are all done-for-you services to save you time and money doing it yourself. Great Companies: What makes The Purple Giraffes different from hundreds of other similar service providers? Anzel Botha: I only focus on LinkedIn. There are a lot of agencies that focus on all or several social media platforms. It is important to be an expert and specialist in one specific social media platform. Great Companies: What were the struggles and challenges you faced and how did you overcome them? Anzel Botha: I struggled with creating content. I never knew what to post. I started following other LinkedIn Experts and learnt through their content. I also struggled with not having enough time to do everything myself. To ensure my clients’ results are achieved and my own LinkedIn Brand Awareness, I realised that using experts in different fields will save time, and money and increase my work-life balance. Great Companies: How do you plan to grow in the future? What does 5 years down the line look like for The Purple Giraffes? Anzel Botha: Within the next 5 years I will be creating an online course on how to do these services I provide yourself. It will include weekly coaching with the community. I’ll be focusing on the do-it-for-you services to a selected group of clients. Great Companies: If you had one piece of advice to someone just starting out, what would it be? Anzel Botha: Just remember everyone starts at zero (0). Even Tony Robbins did! Don’t get caught up in large amounts of connections and followers, it is not about the number, It is about being connected and followed by the right people, who will engage with your content and be interested in your services.

Great Companies: How did you get your idea or concept for the business? Deepti Gupta: Networking is my passion so had an idea once to get all women together .I personally believe every women is a working women only few are there who are taking home salaries so hence the name of my community is INDIAN WORKING WOMEN. Great Companies: What are the various services provided by Indian working women? Deepti Gupta: Our platform includes inspirational stories, networking, meet-ups, picnics, travel experiences, expertise by doctors ,tarots ,astrologers, architects, authors and many more , live sessions, webinars, chats with experts for guidance and much more .Women are able to connect individually with each other also. They share problems to the community as no one is judgmental so an emotional bonding is there. Great Companies: What makes Indian working women different from hundreds of other similar service providers? Deepti Gupta: We have all under one roof, whether its travel, picnics, business personal & professional bonding both. Great Companies: What were the struggles and challenges you faced and how did you overcome them? Deepti Gupta: To find & search likeminded women was the first challenge and then to tie them in one knot is the major. We overcome that because of trust on each other. Great Companies: How do you plan to grow in the future? What does 5 years down the line look like for Indian working women? Deepti Gupta: Creating active participation in your online community helps your members feel like they are getting a valuable and exclusive experience. And it’ll keep them coming back to see what new discussions are happening among their peers. We all know that it costs more to attract new customers than to retain them — so it immediately pays off if your community members are engaged and constantly returning. 5 years from now IWW should move across the globe. Great Companies: If you had one piece of advice to someone just starting out, what would it be? Deepti Gupta: Be patient business cannot be standed overnight, first give then take.

Great Companies: How did you get your idea or concept for the business? Simran Kaur: When I started out my professional life, I did not think about the ceiling, the pay gap, or topics such as diversity and inclusion. I came into the workforce believing that the playing field was level. I became mindful of many of these topics as my career progressed. Like many other women of colour, I experienced being excluded or felt the “imaginary ceiling”, and had my own struggles when I became a working mother. These experiences made me realize that my journey had hurdles that as a young ambitious girl, I had never imagined I would encounter. Over time I realized I needed to find the right networks and build a support system around myself to overcome these challenges, get stronger and keep on rising. I started looking for a network of women leaders like myself, especially women of colour so that we could support each other, talk about such experiences and be stronger together. Strangely enough, when I searched, I couldn’t find such a space and ended up founding it. Great Companies: What are the various services provided by Power Women? Simran Kaur: Power Women is a Fellowship Holding impact startup that supports working women to navigate through challenges in their careers and makes it easier for them to reach their full potential. Our pioneering virtual model supports working women across phases, from pregnancy and motherhood to career transitions and accelerations to giving back, delivering better growth and well-being outcomes, and transforming lives. We provide a supportive and safe space to address unique work-life challenges. We look at careers holistically and help women prioritize their health, their well-being, and all that affects their personal and professional growth. We have had important conversations with global experts from purpose and leadership to investing and getting board positions and even dealing with anxiety and elderly care. This helps women leaders accelerate growth, build cognitive flexibility and intellectual curiosity, rethink, discover their blind spots, and become truly effective leaders. Great Companies: What makes Power Women different from hundreds of other similar service providers? Simran Kaur: Women leaders are over-mentored, over-trained, and under-sponsored. At Power Women, we believe that women don't need fixing, instead, we provide them with the required support to help them thrive. Our pioneering virtual model supports working women across phases, from pregnancy and motherhood to career transitions and accelerations to giving back, delivering better growth and well-being outcomes, and transforming lives. Our vision and mission are aligned with UN SDGs of gender equality, improved well-being, and reduced Inequality. We are a Global 2% Founder Institute Select Portfolio Company. We have worked with women leaders from UN, Novartis, HSBC, IQVIA, Target, TCS, Deloitte, Citibank, etc. and alumni from Stanford, Imperial College, London Business School, INSEAD based in the US, UK, Middle East, and APAC. To accelerate our impact in balancing the world for the better, we have collaborated with various organizations over the years, ranging from large corporations to not-for-profits. It is with the help of these organizations and the unwavering support of our members that we have touched more than a quarter million lives. Great Companies: What were the struggles and challenges you faced and how did you overcome them? Simran Kaur I have built Power Women from the ground up by working very hands-on from day one, whether it’s building our website, running social media campaigns, or launching and hosting a podcast. I feel my technical and marketing skills and my own professional networks have helped in building and growing the collective, positioning our brand, attracting the right members, and developing meaningful partnerships. There are so many challenges when you start a company. Hiring and retaining talent, shoestring budgets, getting the right product-market fit…However, I feel the biggest challenge for female founders remains raising investment. Great Companies: How do you plan to grow in the future? What does 5 years down the line look like for Power Women? Simran Kaur We have been growing organically with members within the community recommending other leaders who they feel share the same values. Over the years, we see the community growing with more stellar women leaders joining us to bring about a change. We want to not only bring these women leaders into the C-Suites and Boardrooms and make them have multi-billion dollar exits but we also want to inspire the next generation of women. Our vision is to further build a B2B SaaS solution that focuses on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in organizations. We want to help build balanced workplaces by providing DEI advisory, recruitment and certifications. We know that gender parity is distant. But we CANNOT wait. I believe if we can go to Mars, we can build a gender-balanced world. Great Companies: If you had one piece of advice to someone just starting out, what would it be? Simran Kaur: I grew up thinking I was a superhero and then somewhere along the way, I lost this belief. I am happy I believe in myself again! My advice to young women is never ever stop believing in yourself. Every girl, every woman should believe she is a superhero!

Name: Dr. Maria Frangieh Business Name: Socialprise Location: Dubai, United Arab Emirates Establishment (Year): 2005 Category/ Industry: Advertising & Marketing Profession/ Specialty: Marketing, Communication, Business, Growth Website: https://socialprise.me/about/ Social Media: Linkedin Company Detail: An award-winning marketing, communication, business development, and training firm is Socialprise. Since its inception in 2005, Socialprise has served clients from all over the world in a variety of industries. Socialprise was created by the esteemed Dr. Maria Frangieh. It helped clients strengthen their brands and enter new markets by specializing in digital transformation, business growth, e-commerce, and digital marketing and advertising. Unique Selling Proposition or Competitive Advantage: A comprehensive company strategy, a skilled team, first-rate service, and constantly updated offers. positive results all year long and expanding business. social effects of the company on women in particular. Customers of Socialprise can take advantage of free services to expand their enterprises internationally. Socialprise gives women agency and supports them in starting new enterprises. Challenges Faced During the Journey: She faced many challenges in her educational and personal life. Her home was far away from the business center and it took her too long to reach there. So, working remotely was a good solution. She hails from Lebanon where “work from home” was an unusual thing. So, she decided to start her own work to avoid these challenges. She believes that being flexible is the most important thing to fight challenges. She learned in her journey that nothing comes immediately, you have to be patient. Advice for Women Entrepreneurs: You need to love what you do. If you do what you love, you will not be super stressed about it. You can be anxious sometimes, but you will enjoy your journey, which is the most important thing. You will be surprised at how much you can accomplish in this way. Your team is very important to you.

Great Companies: How did you get your idea or concept for the business? Harish Parmar: My business idea was inspired by my extensive experience in marketing and financial services in the UK, which spans over 40 years. During my 30-year visits to India, I noticed that there was a gap in the Indian market for debt management services. After offering debt management in India for five years, I observed that the way banks recover debt in India required a different approach, leading the business to adapt their services to better serve their customers. The company now offers not only debt management but also counselling, legal services, and financial literacy courses to help individuals deal with debt. This unique approach was developed based on the needs of the Indian public, and it sets the business apart from the debt management services we provided in the UK. Great Companies: What are the various services provided by SingleDebt? Harish Parmar: SingleDebt provides financial and legal services to individuals and MSME businesses struggling with debt. The services include debt management services, Personal Debt Programme (PDP), and restructuring of business loans. The PDP is designed specifically for the Indian debt market to assist people who are struggling with unsecured debts like credit cards and personal loans. The services provided under PDP include a free initial consultation with insolvency advocates and financial advisors, assistance with legal services associated with debts, proposing a PDP to creditors based on the client’s financial circumstances, dealing with calls, correspondence, and legal notices from creditors, counselling for emotional crisis situations, mental illness issues and suicidal ideation, and supervising the PDP by the insolvency advocates. Great Companies: What makes SingleDebt different from hundreds of other similar service providers? Harish Parmar: SingleDebt stands out from other similar service providers in several ways. Firstly, SingleDebt is the first and only debt management company in India, unlike other providers that are actually settlement companies. Additionally, SingleDebt has a remarkable 35-year track record of consumer debt management and running a debt management company in the UK, which provides them with the necessary expertise to offer top-notch debt management services in India. · Secondly, SingleDebt offers a non-lending solution to individuals and MSME businesses struggling with debt, which is different from other providers who offer loans to pay off debts. Instead, SingleDebt offers a debt management plan that enables clients to pay off their debts in a manageable manner. Thirdly, SingleDebt has created a Personal Debt Programme (PDP) that caters specifically to the Indian market. This program is designed to assist people struggling with unsecured debts and who may not be well-informed about their financial rights. Fourthly, SingleDebt provides a comprehensive range of services to clients, including legal services, financial counselling, and assistance with restructuring business loans. This ensures that clients receive a holistic solution to their debt problems. Finally, SingleDebt has a team of experienced and qualified professionals, including legal advocates, barristers in law, insolvency lawyers, financial advisors, creditor’s liaison personnel, and certified accountants. This ensures that clients receive high-quality services and support throughout their debt management journey. Overall, SingleDebt's experience, non-lending solution, PDP, comprehensive services, and professional personnel make it stand out from other settlement providers in India, setting it apart as a leading debt management company in the country. Great Companies: What were the struggles and challenges you faced and how did you overcome them? Harish Parmar: Introducing a new concept like debt management in India came with its own set of struggles and challenges. We had to bring in trainers from the UK to train our new staff in India and have bespoke software developed. We also had to adapt approach to suit the Indian debt market and convince the banks of the benefits of our services. In addition, educating the public about the concept of debt management was also a challenge that required extensive marketing and PR efforts. Over time, however, our efforts paid off, as evidenced by the positive testimonials and Google reviews from satisfied customers. Nevertheless, as the financial market constantly evolves with new players and loan products, there will still be new challenges to overcome. Despite this, we remain committed to our service and continue to believe in the positive impact it has on our customers. Great Companies: How do you plan to grow in the future? What does 5 years down the line look like for SingleDebt? Harish Parmar: There are several ways we can grow in the future. These include expanding our services to offer a wider range of debt solutions, partnering with other businesses to reach new customer segments, investing in marketing and advertising to increase brand awareness. Ultimately, the strategies that we choose will depend on the opportunities available in the debt management industry. Over the next five years, the debt market in India may continue to evolve, presenting new challenges and opportunities for SingleDebt. For example, changes in the regulatory environment, shifts in consumer behaviour. We continue to adapt our services to meet the changing needs of our customers and provide high-quality service, we could potentially expand our customer base and grow our business. In addition, as financial literacy continues to increase in India, more individuals may become aware of the benefits of debt management and seek out SingleDebt’s services. Furthermore, as the Indian economy continues to grow, there may be a greater need for debt management services, which could create more opportunities for SingleDebt to expand their business. Great Companies: If you had one piece of advice to someone just starting out, what would it be? Harish Parmar: To start a successful business, it's important to focus on solving a problem or addressing a need. This involves identifying a problem that people have and finding a way to solve it in a better, faster, or cheaper way than existing solutions. This could be anything from developing a new product or service, improving a process, or enhancing the customer experience. After identifying the problem and solution, conducting thorough research is crucial. Understanding the target market, competitors, and industry landscape is essential in refining the offering and ensuring it meets the needs of potential customers. Gathering feedback from potential customers can help fine-tune the offering and ensure it resonates with the market. Starting a business requires taking risks and persistence. There will inevitably be challenges and setbacks along the way, but staying passionate and committed to the vision can lead to success. It’s important to stay focused on goals, remain flexible, and continue learning and growing. With hard work, dedication, and a strong focus, a successful business can be within reach. Best of luck! WebSite: http://www.singledebt.in Social Media: Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn | Twitter | Pinterest | YouTube

Great Companies: How did you get your idea or concept for the business? Jitendra Dhaka: Coming from a farmer family from a small town in Rajasthan, I became acutely aware of the significant knowledge gaps in financial planning and investment techniques early in my life. While pursuing my engineering studies, I had the opportunity to spend a considerable amount of time working on multiple projects in rural areas of India. I observed that people were content with traditional savings accounts due to their lack of awareness about other investment options. While we contemplated investment options that generated interest income. However, I faced a challenge of shifting their mind-set towards embracing new investment strategies. I also noticed that the low industrial penetration in these areas contributed to the lack of adequate financial knowledge. To bridge this gap, I decided to pursue a career in finance and secured a position as a digital marketer in the fintech industry. My goal was to raise awareness about the various financial products available, which have tremendous benefits. Thus, I began connecting with people, with the vision of creating awareness and educating them about the variety of investment options available to them. Great Companies: What are the various services provided by BankSathi? Jitendra Dhaka: So BankSathi caters to two types of audience, 1) Financial/ Banking advisors and 2) Customers. Banksathi advisors are crucial to this environment’s marketing and distribution of numerous financial products. Specialized training is provided to our advisors so they can interact with consumers and provide accurate information. We welcome totally digital process advisors to join us through our smartphone application. We have proudly introduced Strong Technology Platform for Super Advisors / Publishers that has Product Recommendation Algorithm. Since we constantly deepening relationship with FIs and introducing new products, we have witnessed a 3.5X growth in Training Content engagement among advisors. Because of this, we are confirming an adviser’s KYC (Know Your Customer) details, such as their Aadhar card, PAN card, location, and address, as well as their bank account. Also, the advisor’s registration on the platform was successful. We first provide them with guidance on those items and inspirational sales and business-growth tactics. So, there are some things that we provide in both a live session and their recorded video training. As a result, we hold six to seven live training sessions per day for the advisers. After the training, they are capable of making any product recommendations. Like advisor seeks to promote their products. Before displaying the things that are appropriate for the client based on their information, we first collect the customer’s information from their adviser. The adviser’s main duty is to show the consumer the proper products, and all that is required is for the advisor to submit the relevant data so that our algorithm or engine can show the right products. The advisor can then share those qualifying items with the consumer, who can then discover every detail about them, including their features, benefits, and other specifics. As a result, there is one thing we are doing with technology purely as a model of support. We even give the consumer a thorough video about the aforementioned product. As a result, we are exchanging information with the customer after confirming that they are taking all the necessary procedures to buy the particular goods. Great Companies: What makes BankSathi different from hundreds of other similar service providers? Jitendra Dhaka: There are few distinctive features of BankSathi - 1. Telugu, Bengali, and Marathi are the newest languages to be introduced to BankSath’s platform. This move was made to assist and raise awareness for locals in order to bolster growth in a lesser-known financial arena. 2. Before being able to offer items to customers, their advisers are required to get sufficient training on the various financial products and the market that they are focusing on. 3. Because 80% percent of BankSathi’s customers come from Tier 3 and beyond cities, the majority of the company’s financial advisors come from Tier 3 and beyond cities as well. This allows for the establishment of a mutual trust prior to the establishment of a business connection. Great Companies: What were the struggles and challenges you faced and how did you overcome them? Jitendra Dhaka: The main or possibly the hardest problem we first faced was educating our advisers. It was difficult to create the content and deliver the right messaging because it also involved mind-set shifting, and we had to constantly update our training courses. As far as training goes, we are really aggressive. Building awareness before ability is our main objective while training the advisers. Second, when we first approached the customers, they showed no interest at all and were actually very unwilling to discuss their money with us. We came to the conclusion that they will never become interested since they have never been explained the value of investing, how banks operate, or what the benefits of investing are. In order to demonstrate them and pique their curiosity, we produced video and audio content in local languages. Gradually, we began to receive interest and expand our clientele. We currently have more than 50,000 subscribers to our YouTube channel, and we offer information through audio and images as well as original content. To properly answer questions like “What is a credit card?”, and “How do you use a credit card?” , These films are intended. Because our clients demand that we create a video that emphasises the core components of the financial solutions we provide. Their understanding of the fundamentals is aided by video content, and our advisors then take it a step further by explaining the investments and raising their awareness. Great Companies: How do you plan to grow in the future? What does 5 years down the line look like for BankSathi? Jitendra Dhaka:BankSathi is constantly working to increase people’s understanding of the significance of having a basic understanding of personal finance, as well as the variety of financial products that are available to them and the extent to which they will use these products in the future. In addition, BankSathi is working to increase people’s understanding of the variety of financial products that are available to them. When it comes to making any kind of purchase involving a financial product, the Banskathi platform will be the one that is both the most efficient and reliable option accessible to choose from. Over the whole of the process, clients will receive help from its tech-enabled advisors, beginning with the search for the ideal product and continuing through the phases of product selection and purchase, respectively. We want to make it possible for people in the “Real Bharat” to have access to a variety of financial products, and we also want to generate 10 million micro-entrepreneurs in the future years. Our goals are to make these things possible. Great Companies: If you had one piece of advice to someone just starting out, what would it be? Jitendra Dhaka: I believe every one of us has the unique ability to create something brilliant, as an entrepreneur, my two cents would be focus on solving a genuine problem is probably the one piece of advice while you are just getting started. In other words, finding a real need or pain point in the market and solving it are more important than just having a fantastic idea for a business. This tip is crucial because it enables founders to avoid creating something that no one needs or wants. Many start-ups fail because they develop a product or service that, while it may appear intriguing or novel, does not genuinely solve a problem for their intended market. Founders should do extensive study to comprehend their target market, their pain areas, and the current remedies in order to identify a true problem. Customer interviews, surveys, data analysis from industry reports, and other methods can all be used in this research. After a problem has been discovered, founders should concentrate on developing a straightforward, practical solution that is user-friendly and offers genuine value to their clients. Until they identify the best answer, this may entail prototyping, testing, and iterating. A supportive team and network of mentors and advisers who can offer guidance and aid in navigating the difficulties of beginning and expanding a firm are also recommended by the founder. In conclusion, the most crucial advice for someone who is just beginning their entrepreneurial journey is to concentrate on fixing a real need rather than merely coming up with something fascinating or new. They can boost their chances of success and provide a good or service that genuinely changes the world by doing this. Website: http://www.banksathi.com Social Media : Facebook | Instagram | YouTube | LinkedIn | Twitter

Great Companies: How did you get your idea or concept for the business? Manan Dixit: A few years ago, at a family gathering, my friends and I discussed the impact of payment delays on our respective enterprises. Coming from a small town in Madhya Pradesh where cash reigned supreme and the digital payment ecosystem was tainted with scepticism, I realised that this problem of late payments was endemic to lower-tier cities in India, and the primary cause was that people didn’t know how to use digital payments because they didn’t trust them. This gave birth to the concept of launching a business that teaches people how to use digital payments. I believed that because the majority of payment processors were located in urban areas, they could only serve the populations in those cities and could not cater to the special requirements of those living outside of those cities. This led to a dearth of confidence. We were also considering potential solutions to these issues at the time demonetization occurred, resulting in a greater emphasis on digital payment methods. Consequently, we established Fidypay, a financial technology service designed for use in rural and semi-rural areas of India, with the intention of contributing to the resolutions for all enterprises. Great Companies: What are the various services provided by FidyPay? Manan Dixit: As a fintech platform, we offer a variety of financial products and services that are designed to be easy to pay for and use, with secure and hassle-free fund transfers, and simple accessibility. People can choose from a range of options including API banking, BBPS, UPI/BQR, payment links, UPI auto-pay, eNACH, insurance, and point-of-sale (PoS) solutions. With our assistance, business entities can easily link their existing bank accounts to FidyPay’s platform and make payments. They can access the dashboard to track and view all their bank statements in one place, without having to log in to each account separately. This saves from having to remember several login credentials. Additionally, they can make single or bulk direct payments to employees or vendors quickly and easily. If anyone need to make minute-by-minute bulk disbursements, the integrated system allows them to make direct pay-outs from their account to employees or other vendors without having to add beneficiaries or go through a waiting period. They can make instantaneous payments for all wage and compliance obligations, and even accomplish large distributions using a straightforward process. They can also set up payout links for immediate reimbursements, which are simple to implement. We also offer APIs for Omni Channel, which allow us to open, keep tabs on, and manage customer accounts using Virtual Account Application Programming Interfaces (APIs). They can collect payments more quickly thanks to the integrated collection products. We also offer Account Verification API to check that accounts are validated before beginning the processing of payments. After that, they can make instant refunds or bulk payments by using our pay-out APIs, which are very convenient. Great Companies: What makes FidyPay different from hundreds of other similar service providers? Manan Dixit: FidyPay stands out from other service providers that offer services that are comparable in a number of ways. To begin, we offer customers access to a wide range of user-friendly and uncomplicated financial products and services that may be utilised without any effort. Second, it makes it easy and safe to move money between accounts by offering many payment methods. These include API banking, BBPS, UPI/BQR, payment links, UPI auto-pay, eNACH, insurance, and point-of-sale (PoS) solutions. FidyPay enables consumers to link their existing bank accounts to the platform, which eliminates the need for them to keep track of several sets of login credentials. This makes the platform more convenient for customers. In addition to these features, FidyPay provides minute-by-minute bulk payments, Opportunities for customisation, and APIs for Omni Channel. In comparison to its rivals in the financial technology sector, FidyPay stands out thanks to its extensive catalogue of products and services, user-friendly design, and varied selection of safe payment methods. Great Companies: What were the struggles and challenges you faced and how did you overcome them? Manan Dixit: When we first began developing FidyPay, it was challenging for us to explain to people the use of digital payment and the benefits it brings. This difficulty originally caused some friction, particularly in Tier-2 and below cities. However, as time went on and more people utilised the platform that FidyPay had developed, they gradually developed a sense of trust in it. Since we were always there in the backend to assist our customers with any questions or concerns that they might have, this instilled a sense of self-assurance in them, which encouraged them to continue utilising it more and more. Despite the fact that it is focused on Tier-2 and below financial institutions and is difficult to penetrate due to a lack of technological know-how and financial literacy, the stickiness of the product is remarkable. If the customer has an understanding of the problem that the platform solves for them, they are more loyal to you and stay with you for a longer period of time. As an example, we still have users who have been a part of our community for more than four years. Great Companies: How do you plan to grow in the future? What does 5 years down the line look like for FidyPay? Manan Dixit: For the next five years, FidyPay may have the objective of increasing the size of its client base by increasing the number of cutting-edge and customised financial products and services it provides, as well as by expanding into new geographical areas or markets. To improve the safety and functionality of its platform, FidyPay may also prioritise fortifying its technological infrastructure by making investments in cutting-edge technologies such as block chain, artificial intelligence, and machine learning. This would allow the company to take advantage of these developments. In addition, in order to take use of the knowledge and resources offered by other financial technology businesses and traditional financial institutions, FidyPay may look into the possibility of forming partnerships and working together with these entities. To achieve its expansion goals, FidyPay is expected to centre its growth strategy on customer-centricity, innovation, and collaboration. The company's primary objectives will be to remain one step ahead of the competition and to offer excellent value to its clientele. Great Companies: If you had one piece of advice to someone just starting out, what would it be? Manan Dixit: One essential piece of guidance for someone who is just getting started would be to centre their efforts on resolving a genuine issue or satisfying a real demand in the market. It is essential to have an in-depth awareness of both your target audience and the pain points that they experience, and then to develop a product or service that addresses those pain points in a way that is both original and efficient. In addition to this, it is essential to have a can-do attitude, be flexible, and be open to gaining knowledge from one's errors and setbacks. Being an entrepreneur may be a difficult and unpredictable path; therefore, it is essential to maintain your dedication to your objectives while also remaining open to new ideas and comments from others. During the course of the journey, it can be quite helpful to cultivate a robust network consisting of mentors, advisors, and peers in order to obtain new perspectives and get support. Website : http://www.fidypay.com Social Media : Facebook | Twitter | LinkedIn

Chatbots have become increasingly popular in recent years, and for good reason. They offer businesses an opportunity to automate customer service and streamline their operations. One chatbot that is gaining popularity is ChatGPT. In this article, we will explore how to integrate ChatGPT into your small business strategy. 1. Identify Your Business Objectives Before you start integrating ChatGPT into your small business strategy, it is essential to identify your business objectives. Ask yourself what you want to achieve with ChatGPT. Do you want to improve customer service, increase sales, or reduce costs? Once you have identified your business objectives, you can tailor ChatGPT to meet your specific needs. 2. Choose the Right Platform ChatGPT can be integrated into multiple platforms, including Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, and Slack. Choose the platform that is most relevant to your business and your customers. For example, if your customers are active on Facebook, integrate ChatGPT into Facebook Messenger. 3. Create a ChatGPT Account Once you have identified your business objectives and the platform you want to use, create a ChatGPT account. ChatGPT is easy to set up, and you can customize it to match your brand's style and voice. 4. Train ChatGPT Training ChatGPT is essential to ensure it can provide the best possible customer service. You can train ChatGPT to answer frequently asked questions, provide product recommendations, and even process orders. The more you train ChatGPT, the more efficient it becomes. 5. Promote ChatGPT to Your Customers Once you have integrated ChatGPT into your small business strategy, it is essential to promote it to your customers. Make sure your customers know that they can use ChatGPT to get answers to their questions, receive recommendations, and even place orders. You can promote ChatGPT on your website, social media pages, and even in your email signature. 6. Monitor and Optimize ChatGPT Finally, it is essential to monitor and optimize ChatGPT regularly. Analyze the data to see how ChatGPT is performing and make changes to improve its performance. For example, if customers are struggling to use ChatGPT, consider simplifying the user interface. Integrating ChatGPT into your small business strategy can help you improve customer service, increase sales, and reduce costs. By following these six steps, you can successfully integrate ChatGPT into your small business strategy and reap the benefits of automation.

SAMPLE PREVIEW Name – Vandana Teji Business Name – The Unicorn People Location – Mumbai, India Establishment (Year) – 2018 Profession / Speciality – HR Consulting COMPANY DETAIL The Unicorn People is a new-age HR consulting firm, founded in 2018 by Ms Vandana Teji with the vision to harness the potential of tier 2/3 cities and bridge the dearth of talent for micro, small & medium enterprises in India. They are committed to providing end-to-end HR services to their clients. They are passionate about delivering innovative and customized solutions to their stakeholders and contributing to their journey of growth. They also help build safe, harassment-free workplaces. We primarily cater to two (2) customer segments: 1. Indian MSMEs – these include Traditional, family-run businesses or innovative start-ups. We provide services to organizations with ten (10) to two hundred (200) employees who are setting up, scaling up, or maintaining their businesses. 2. International Businesses – International organizations looking to set up their operations in India To summarize, they provide services to any organization looking to become an employer of choice and develop a strong talent pipeline. They also cater to large Indian organizations to provide independent, project-based services in recruitment, training or engagement. UNIQUE SELLING PROPOSITION / COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE The Unicorn People provides strategic & futuristic people solutions that enable business owners to build a sustainable business model. They enable MSMEs to not just set up their HR processes but also manage them end-to-end. Their experts recommend and implement practices that are in line with industry norms and are adapted to the organization’s requirements within the appropriate legal frameworks. They provide a convenient one-stop solution to business owners for all their HR requirements, namely policy and organization design, recruitment, training, employee engagement, talent management, payroll, and compliance management. Their team includes seasoned professionals with over 10 years of industry experience across various fields to provide affordable services to all clients. They believe in the value of small businesses and feel that they should have access to the same high-quality services that larger businesses can afford. As a result, they make sure that their expertise is priced in such a way that anyone can afford services as and when required. It is this desire to be accessible to businesses of all sizes that drive the strategies they use to keep prices affordable and economical. CHALLENGES FACED DURING THE JOURNEY At the onset of our operations, we faced 4 major challenges: 1. Investment of Personal Savings – It was a leap of faith for Ms. Vandana to leave her well-paying corporate job and invest her savings to start her own venture. Coupled with the risk of a new business model being tested in Indian markets implied an uncertain future. 2. Lack of awareness – As explained earlier, their customer segment needs to be made aware of the importance and need of their services. 3. Financial Instability – Small to Medium-sized organizations usually work with limited funds and hence, non-payment of invoices was a major concern as most payments are done after the completion of services. 4. Market Barrier – Organizations usually prefer larger, international consulting firms with well-established brand names to provide specialised services like HR. Till March 2020, they used to engage with most of the clients through frequent office visits, training programs, engagement activities, etc. However, with the first lockdown in April 2020, they had to re-strategize and innovate business operations and plans. They explored affordable technological solutions for their business sustenance. They started working on digital media presence through social media platforms and experimented with various virtual communication platforms such as Google Meet, Zoom, MS-Teams, Slack, Cisco Webex, etc. Within the first month of lockdown, they adapted all training and engagement programs for the virtual model. It was challenging at the beginning for clients to adapt and accept this mode as fast internet connectivity is still a privilege limited to a handful of people. Keeping in mind the ease of user access, bandwidth requirements, and cost-effectiveness, they chose to use Zoom & Slack for day-to-day business operations. Additionally, they equipped their team to use any other platform according to client preferences. They reached out to a larger audience through Facebook Live, Instagram Live & YouTube live sessions to spread the word about their virtual services. ADVICE FOR WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS No one is born a seasoned entrepreneur. One piece of advice Vandana has for all the upcoming entrepreneurs and women entrepreneurs is to believe in yourself and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. More often than not, people have reservations when it comes to women doing something for themselves. Due to the traditional roles and domestic obligations that society assigns women with, it can be challenging in the beginning. Please remember to not let that hold you back. You might hit a lot of roadblocks on your journey to success, but they should only push you harder towards your goal. Find your tribe, join women networking/entrepreneur platforms. Surround yourself with like-minded people who empower and encourage you.

SAMPLE PREVIEW Name: Minal Bhavesh Kothari Business Name: Billenium Divas Private Limited Location: Mumbai, India Establishment (Year): 2018 Profession/ Specialty: Strategy and Operations Company Detail: Billennium Divas is a fund to empower women who are changing the world around them by scaling newer heights of success through vocation and entrepreneurship. These are the divas who are writing the prescription for a better future with their sheer grit and determination to alter the course of history. Founded by Ms. Minal Kothari & Mr. Bhavesh Kothari, Billennium Divas was launched by Shilpa Shetty Kundra, Vishakha Singh & Shweta Shalini ji at the ”Road to Global Entrepreneurship Summit (GES) India 2017, on the 17th November 2017, Mumbai. Billennium Divas is a mission for the women entrepreneurs who define and reign the future with their steadfast drive to change the status quo. Unique Selling Proposition / Competitive Advantage: One of the main USPs of the Divas is their global community/ mentoring. Challenges faced during the Journey: The main challenge faced by the Divas is to fulfil the need of a dedicated platform for nurturing and encouraging more women entrepreneurs. Advice for Women Entrepreneurs: The only advice that Minal would like to give to anyone is to 'Just go for it'. She also says that 'You are the womanpower'.