Writing my speech for the BNI (Business Network International) Biz Mania ’23 brought back a flood of memories. My learnings from setting up our manufacturing unit Aakar Foundry Pvt Ltd are evergreen. The main takeaway was that when starting a  company, you must have a contingency plan in place. When creating a strategy for your new venture, it’s best to keep your short-term capital away from your long-term goals.

However, it was this initial business experience that molded my current ethos: Business development and growth has to be built into our DNA.

It was then that I realized that visualizing the future, not with the limitations of today, but with the possibilities of tomorrow is the greatest source of our mental strength. Thinking big is the first step to breaking out of our bubble of self-imposed limits. Playing small is never the answer, just an excuse to be left behind the curve.

 I too have been guilty of being complacent in my thinking. It was only when I spoke to an industry veteran that I realized that Vishwakarma Institute Of Technology was still nowhere near its full potential. That’s where the Growth Mindset comes into play. With the aim to contribute further and utilize the immense scope and opportunity of this country and to further create a larger positive impact on our society, we were able to upscale the batch strength of Vishwakarma Institutes from 500 to 6000.

Keeping the Growth Mindset in mind, it can become easy to become ruthless and unrelenting. That’s where the age-old question of operating from a place of ego or ethics comes into play. In this context, the growth DNA also refers to growing and nurturing relationships. The key in any transaction is to ensure that the other party leaves the table happy as well, which automatically paves the way for your success.

 None of this is possible without having an able team under me that I can delegate to. A team that is independent, and completely capable of making sound decisions. Training and empowering people on each level is key. This automatically ensures managerial and legal compliance.

Keeping tabs on everything a business demands is key to running a large operation. For me personally, being thoroughly involved with what the business demands. While most businesses are run with an employee mindset, the train of thought needs to be adapted to more of an entrepreneurial school of thought.