Category: Leaders

Marketing is one of the most crucial aspects of a business. It not just develops brand awareness among consumers thus increasing sales but it also helps in promoting strong partner relationships with stakeholders, distributors and retailers.

One of the prime Indian brands that can boast of a marketing strategy par excellence is Kamdhenu Group. And if there is one man responsible for the strong marketing network and marketing force that has brought the Kamdhenu Group to its present standing in the Indian steel and infrastructure market, it is Mr. Sunil Kumar Agarwal. With a penchant for target marketing, the efficient pan-India presence of Kamdhenu is all thanks to Mr. Agarwal, who has employed his keen understanding of the market dynamics and charted the growth of the company within the Indian steel sector.

Mr.Agarwal is a whole-time director of Kamdhenu Limited and justifiably so, having a rich expertise in the production and commerce involving the steel industry of over 3 decades. He uses this extensive pool of knowledge to create strong marketing strategies amplifying the brand’s industry presence.

Mr. Agarwal did his graduation in Bachelors of Engineering (Chemistry) from Harcourt Butler Technological Institute (now Harcourt Butler Technical University), Kanpur. Thereafter, he took over the Indian steel industry, through his entrepreneurship skill, and afterward became a board member of companies like Kamdhenu Limited and its group companies.

BACKING KAMDHENU’S SUCCESS

Mr. Sunil Kumar Agarwal with his strong analytical and experimentation skills became a torchbearer of the magnanimous success Kamdhenu is blessed with today. One of his prime contributions to the business was leading the strategic expansion of the Kamdhenu brand through franchisee alliance with and against the competing companies in the regional steel market.

Firming up the franchisee models, he has guided the company through impending challenges and has capitalized on the opportunities on the way. His high adaptability to the changing domestic scenario and a keen understanding of the market trends has helped the company stand stronger.

He visualized and executed the company’s enormous growth by identifying the units involved in the manufacturing of TMT Bars, leading Kamdhenu to become the largest TMT manufacturers of India.

He led the way towards upgradation of the plants within units to make each of them viable for the manufacturing of internationalquality steel products.

Dedicated to innovations and latest technology, Mr. Agarwal believes in better processes for increased production based on improved parameters.

Mr. Agarwal has shepherded the growth of the company within the Indian steel market and has employed his keen understanding of the market dynamics towards mobilizing the performing steel products manufacturing units across the country into joining hands with the Kamdhenu Group. This has resulted in the Kamdhenu Group setting itself, and gaining an immensely competitive foothold in the steel sector.

MODELING THE STEEL MARKET

With a panache for marketing, Mr. Sunil Kumar Agarwal is the man who conceptualized and implemented the franchisee model towards the exponential growth of the Kamdhenu brand, which is a masterstroke in itself. He has thereafter overseen the Expansion Division of the company, thereby contributing significantly in identifying and targeting companies that manufacture TMT Bars, structural steel, binding wires and colorcoated sheets.

His vision and timely decisions along with relentless efforts led the company into gaining more than 75 franchise partners in this process and emerging as a major player in the Indian steel market.

Mr. Agarwal has guided the company by capitalizing on the opportunities on the way, through his skills of adapting to the changing domestic scenarios, and led the company through impending challenges with his understanding of the market trends, which have all cumulatively helped the company grow to new and far-reaching heights. His dedication towards the steel industry, as well as his pursuit towards innovation and new technologies, has resulted in up-gradation of the plants within the steel manufacturing units, which have made each of these units viable for manufacturing steel in the best way possible and maintain international steel standards and quality.

AN EPITOME OF MARKET STRATEGIZING

Being one of the oldest members of the Kamdhenu Group, his quest for innovating research and development in the steel industry has made Mr. Sunil Kumar Agarwal one of the most respectable names in the entire company, as well as the steel industry.

It is the result of Mr. Agarwal’s continuous hard work, dedication and his ever search for new ideas to make Kamdhenu a major brand in the steel technology that today Kamdhenu is known not only for high-quality TMT bars and other products, but it has also engaged in producing innovative products under his guidance and encouragement.

He has the mark of a leader who doesn’t follow the beaten track, but carves out a new path for himself and makes people believe in forging new avenues under the confidence of his leadership. His splendid contribution to the steel industry and beyond is now a case study that many aspiring entrepreneurs and future trailblazers are following. Under his watch, the brand is growing to new heights every passing day gaining national and international prominence.

Born in Palwal district of Haryana, former teacher, and principal, Mr. J.C. Chaudhry has set a great precedent, worth imitating, with his contribution to the education sector of India with the much-reputed training institutes under the aegis of Aakash Educational Services Private Limited (AESPL), popularly known as Aakash Institutes. The nationwide AESPL educational centers provide comprehensive test preparatory services to students preparing for medical and engineering entrance exams, school/ board exams, KVPY, NTSE, Olympiads and other foundation level exams.

Started with a humble strength of 12 students in 1988, Aakash today serves around 2,50,000 aspirants through a panIndia network of 200+ centers. It has diversified into several distinct verticals namely, Aakash Medical, Aakash IIT-JEE, and Aakash Foundations to meet the targeted needs of the modern students. Its Classroom Learning Programs ensure personalized attention and aims at developing the conceptual knowledge of the students while the Distance Learning Programs (DLP) deliver the same content as delivered in classrooms in a cost-effective way and help students to study at their own pace and convenience.

Mr. Chaudhry’s constant innovation and dedication towards the young force of the country have helped the Institutes scale new levels of expertise and they are arguably the most popular choice among the students for exam preparations. It is only the result of his hard work that Aakash was recently backed by global investment management firm Blackstone, which now owns 37.5% of its stakes.

PASSING PEARLS OF WISDOM

Mr. J.C. Chaudhry was himself a very bright student. He completed his graduation with flying colors from Punjab University and secured a seat in the highly-reputed Birla Institute of Technology and Science in Pilani, Rajasthan, where he studied botany. Post completing his studies, the ambitious personality decided to share his pearls of knowledge with the younger generation and started teaching as a lecturer in Vaish College, Bhiwani. Then as a post-graduate teacher in private and government schools. He became the principal of a senior secondary school in Delhi Administration. He was appreciated and respected by all his students because of his warm and loving nature.

He never denied helping any student facing issues with the curriculum and guided them in the best way he could. However, he always felt that there is more to be done. In the year 1988, the foundation of Aakash Institute was laid with a strength of only 12 students, which has now grown to a student base of over 2,50,000 students with 200+ classroom centers.

The journey, obviously, was not smoothsailing to turn an ambitious project into a cult brand, but with his determination, unflinching willpower, and faith in his own skills, Mr. Chaudhry built an empire that none has been able to match or replicate till date.

EMBRACING MODERN OPPORTUNITIES

Mr. J.C. Chaudhry believes in moving ahead with times and constantly keeps on innovating the teaching modules and methodology. He is one of the biggest celebrators of digital technology and has seamlessly inculcated it in the teaching process at Aakash centers. The digital classes have made it easier to access the high-quality curriculum for those students as well who cannot travel to the centers. The distance-education programme of Aakash has made it possible for many bright students to rise against the odds of their financial and geographical limits and secure seats within the topmost medical and engineering colleges.

With the noble aim of providing qualitative mentoring, he has successfully made AESL a household name and is responsible for giving India more than one lakh doctors and fifty thousand engineers. He plays a pivotal role in empowering and engaging young minds across all centers of the institution and is known amongst the students as a great orator and motivator.

Mr. Chaudhry takes immense pride in the fact that he is spending his life doing the noble deed of imparting education and creating a zealous force of doctors and engineers for the future. For him nothing can beat the satisfaction he gets when a student returns to meet him as a successful professional. This feeling of gratitude is all the wealth he has earned. He has been recognized by a number of agencies for his outstanding contribution to the sector and is a recipient of several awards, including ‘Dr. Radhakrishnan President Award’, given by Freedom Fighter Welfare Society in 2002 and ‘Hall of Fame 2014’ award presented by Inc. India in recognition of entrepreneurial zeal, growth, and excellence.

THE UNKNOWN SIDE

Not many people know this about the honored educationalist, but he also has a keen interest in numerology. He has been following this form of Occult science as a hobby & has been an amateur practitioner for more than the past three decades. He admits to studying thousands of cases as his hobby and providing solutions. Apart from all this, he is also a firm believer in the power of God and is deeply religious and is also the Managing Trustee & Founder of MaaVaishno Devi Dham, at Vrindavan. He has also been honing his skills as a writer & has also published a few books. Some of his books ‘ABC of VaastuShastra’ & ‘Advanced Numerology’ are highly popular among the masses, in these books he shares his unparalleled knowledge of Vaastu and Numerology.

Mr. Dilip Surana had sealed his choice of career at a very young age as he observed his father, Mr. C.M. Khurana, the founder of Micro Labs, transforming a small ambitious start-up into a full-fledged successful business. He literally grew up in Micro Labs, witnessing every significant achievement his father made. Spending his school and college breaks in the company, he learnt a great deal from his father who was toiling hard day in and out to establish the business.

He drew great inspiration from his gritty and hardworking father. He admits that his father is his role model as despite being a first-generation entrepreneur he made Micro Labs a force to be reckoned with. He remains in awe of his father’s ability to pick up the chemistry of a drug. According to him, there was no holiday for his father as he lived and breathed business. These are the same qualities that he has inherited. Even as a young boy, Mr. Dilip Surana’s only aim was to carry his father’s baton after growing up.

COMING GOOD ON GENE POOL

When Mr. Dilip Surana took over the operations of Micro Labs, after completing his bachelor’s in commerce from Bangalore, at the age of 21 in 1983, the firm was just 10-years-old and was in a growing phase. His father’s efforts were being recognized heavily within the pharmaceutical industry, which was an emerging sector back then and had very few players competing. The company was overloaded with orders and they had to open two new manufacturing facilities in Hosur, Tamil Nadu. Mr. Dilip Surana closely monitored the process along with his father and dedicated his whole time and energy to keep the business running in a highly synchronized manner.

At the same time, Mr. Dilip Surana was planning to take a break from business after a few years to pursue an MBA degree. However, Micro Labs grew at such a frenetic rate that his will to study further never materialized. Mr. Surana admits that he still regrets not going for his business administration degree and often wonders if he could have done more for the company had he had attained the qualification.

A few years later, his younger brother, Mr. Anand Surana also joined the business. In the mid-1990s, the brothers took the crucial call of branching out in specializations like diabetology, cardiology, and neurology.

He then prompted the company to shift focus on research and development as well and today, it is one of the most celebrated pharmaceutical companies across the globe. With 14 advanced research and manufacturing facilities designed to meet the current global standards of GMP and safety standards for personnel, his company employs more than 9,000 people while aggressively investing to increase capacity and boost exports.

INSPIRATIONAL PHILOSOPHIES

Mr. Dilip Surana runs his business with a two-pronged strategy of being proactive and reactive. Mr. Surana is also very concerned about creating strong brand values.

His future vision is to strengthen the international presence of Micro Labs and is working hard to achieve that goal. He is giving special attention to exports and the quality of the products they are creating. There is no compromising for him when it comes to ethical and sustainable business and he sends the same energy to all his employees and teammates. He is highly respected amongst his circle for this dedicated nature and continuous pursuit of excellence.

According to him, the four pillars of any successful business are; quality, ethics, customer satisfaction, and people, the last being the most important. He reckons that his team is indispensable to his company’s survival and growth and therefore he treats them as the firm’s primary capital. The hierarchy in the company is only structural and not cultural and everyone is given a fair opportunity to share ideas. Mr. Surana is always eager to listen to the young voices in his teams and act on their suggestions.

SAMARITAN OF GOODWILL

Despite the immense success that he has got for the brand and himself, Mr. Dilip Surana remains a humble soul. A man of few words, he is never heard boasting about his journey. He likes to keep a low profile and even after several decades of running a business, spends most of his time studying literature that can help him hone his skills better.

His strong personality can appear dominating to some as it carries a sheer reflection of perseverance and confidence but his down-to-earth nature can make anyone instantly comfortable. He is very approachable and loves to discuss business with young aspirants.

His remarkable efforts in making Micro Labs one of the most prominent firms in the pharmaceutical space gets him a great deal of attention. He has been a regular participant in various national and international seminars. He also has, to his credibility, a number of awards and honours, including ‘Asia’s Most Admired Business Leader presented by White Page International’, ‘Dynamic Entrepreneur of the year 2010’, and has also been honoured as the ‘Great Son of Karnataka’ by Governor of Karnataka his Excellency HR Bhardwaj in 2011.

He is also a great philanthropist and always puts his best forward to give back to society. Through the GDA Foundation, which was founded by his father, Mr. Dilip Surana has been contributing greatly to the overall wellbeing of the citizens. The foundation runs and supports hospitals, schools, and research centres. It also provides free medical help to the needy and scholarships to deserving students.

Having pioneered the perfect shade of pink, AS Motiwala stands as the market maestro of rose gold in India. AS Motiwala’s intricate art and aesthetics have been appreciated across the globe. Situated in the heart of Mumbai’s suburbs, in the vibrant ambience of Hill Road in Bandra west, the AS Motiwala’s flagship store boasts of the brand’s finest jewellery.

Spanning over two storeys, the exquisite store is 6000 square feet of radiant glory. Creating jewellery pieces which are not just unique and eccentric but also elegant, AS Motiwala ensures every piece enhances the beauty of women on any occasion. Sparkle with poise as you don the statement pieces that outshine the sun!

Quality is of the foremost significance at AS Motiwala, with their jewellery being as good as brand new even decades down the line, making it a family heirloom for generations to come.

Innovation and technique ensures that AS Motiwala jewellery is light yet opulent with the focus being of design and diamonds. Whether you are looking for heritage statement jewellery or detachable bespoke pieces that you can continue to don post wedding, A S Motiwala ensures every woman gets what she has been dreaming of, without compromising on function and utility.

GARNERING AWARDS & RECOGNITION

Needless to say, Ashraf Motiwala’s artistic judgment amalgamated with superb knowledge of gems makes the brand a legendary alchemist of gemstones helping him win several National and International awards in a short span. Under the leadership of Mr Ashraf Motiwala, the company has a tie up with Taj Group of Hotels, and is available at the Taj Khazana outlets pan India.

He has received Young Turk of The Year 2019 at Retail Jewellers Guild Awards. He has earned ‘Excellence in Old World Charm’ from GJTCI and received Mumbai City Icon – Excellence in Diamond Jewellery Award from Radio City in 2019.

He received Best Diamond Earrings – Design Award- JJS at IJ AWARDS, Diamond of Asia International Award for Quality Excellence from Economic Growth Society Of India and Iconic Brand of the Year 2018 from Suba Group in 2018. In 2017, he won Best Diamond Jewellery – 2017 Award at Retail Jeweller India Awards.

He received International Quality Award from Brands Impact, Bharat Gaurav Puraskar from Global Achievers Foundation and Indian Achievers Awards under Gems & Jewellery category in the year 2016. At the National Gems and Jewellery Summit & Awards 2016, he received Best Diamond Jewellery, Best Diamond Vivaha Jewellery and Young Achiever of the Year Award. He also won Best Couture Jewellery of the Year – 2016 at Retail Jeweller India Awards and Best Store 2016 at Retail Jewellers Guild Award. Under his quintessential leadership, AS Motiwala won the Most Trusted Jewellery Brand in Mumbai at International Product and Service Awards 2016. For Outstanding Achievements in Business & Social Service, he won Udhyog Bharti Award in 2015.

After a fruitful period of clinical practice which involved lots of travel and exposure to various lifestyles in the urban, rural and tribal parts of India, she realised that there was more need for preventive medicine than curative medicine. Dr Renuka also practiced as a frontier doctor in the paramilitary force and gave medical treatment to soldiers and war-affected women and children.

LEARNING FROM DIVERSE LIFE EXPERIENCES

Being the daughter of an Air force veteran gave Dr Renuka David chances to attend several schools as her father had to shift to different places across the country. She completed her high school from the prestigious PSG Krishnammal School in Coimbatore and pursued MBBS from Coimbatore Medical College in 1990.

Apart from academics, she also aced in extracurricular activities like basketball, Bharathanatyam, and dramatics. She is fluent in many languages namely English, Tamil, Hindi, Nepali, Punjabi, Malayalam and Gujarati. Travelling to diverse places helped enrich her rich experience, expand her knowledge of various skills, and gave her a chance to impart her knowledge to several people.

After finishing her degree, she got married to Colonel David Devasahayam (an army personnel turned entrepreneur) and effectively balanced her personal and professional life. A personal experience of losing 22 kgs of weight by following a healthy lifestyle propelled her into the world of wellness in the early 2000s.

BUILDING THE EMPIRE

Radiant Medical Services was founded in the year 2006 at Chennai by Dr Renuka David. It is a sub vertical of the Radiant Group of Companies. Radiant Medical Services comprises of four sub verticals:

1. The Radiant Home Health Services
2. The Radiant Wellness Conclave
3. The Radiant Wellness Forum
4. The Radiant Medi-Fitness Lounge

EMPOWERING OTHERS

Over the years, Dr. Renuka David has become a sought after motivational speaker by students and professionals across diverse backgrounds. She has addressed various forums, organizations and institutions to propagate and address the various lifestyle issues faced by people from all walks of life. In August 2014, she was awarded “The Jaguar woman achiever award” in the field of Wellness. On the 10th of December 2016, which is the “International Human Rights Day,” Dr. Renuka David was awarded with the title of “India’s Most Exceptional Speaker Award 2016” for Health & Wellness.

Dr. Renuka also Hosts an inspirational talk show in Good News Television and on her YOUTUBE Channel showcasing stories of extraordinarily courageous individuals who have risen to become role-models in their communities. Her guests include inspiring people from all walks of life bringing their amazing stories. She inspires, motivates and addresses preventive health care and advocates healthy lifestyle.

As the Chairman & Managing Director of Trivitron Healthcare Group of Companies – the largest Indian medical technology organisation in the world with over 100 years of combined manufacturing experience, 9 manufacturing facilities of international standards located in India, Turkey and Finland – Dr. Velu is efficiently working as torch bearer of ‘Make in India’ initiative in the medical devices segment.

TAKING THE ROAD LESS TRAVELLED

Always brimming with a positive bent of mind, Dr. Velu is a man who has turned every challenge that came his way into an opportunity. Describing his initial leanings, he says, “I was born in a lower middle class family. I was good in studies and I always wanted to pursue higher education in medical science. I scored well throughout my academic years however, due to certain unavoidable factors I could not afford to go a medical school. I harboured deep interests in life sciences and I completed my graduation in pharmacy (as that was something very close to medical science).”

He further adds, “After my graduation from BITS Pilani, rather than pursuing higher education I had to choose a job in a medical distribution company to support my family. I remember I was earning just Rs 2000 as salary in 1988. However, I always dreamt of being in medical field and do something worthwhile for a larger section of our society.”

Sharing his success mantra, Dr. Velu elaborates, “I transformed my dreams into passion and kept on following it, combining it with hard work and dedication. During the course of my entrepreneurial mission I experienced lot of setbacks and turbulences but my passion never waned and I never lost focus. I established Trivitron in 1997 with a vision to provide affordable healthcare solutions because I saw a few of my family members suffering due to lack of proper and affordable healthcare support system in my village. Initially, I had a bumpy ride but eventually, my hard work started to pay. I am a great believer of belief and positivity.”

OVERCOMING CHALLENGES WITH ELAN

Adversity is a fact of life. However, resilient personalities like Dr. Velu perceive every challenge as an opportunity to prove themselves. Rather than letting difficulties or failure overwhelm them and drain their resolve, they find a way to bounce back with a mightier force. As he puts it, “In my opinion, challenges are a part of life that gives you a variety of experiences, learning, and make you wiser. For me, it was quite challenging to continuously keep going.”

Describing the challenges he came across, he says, “In a volatile market dominated by western healthcare giants, sustaining a highly competitive business is not easy. The challenging environment brought the very best out of me. Life being a continuous learning opportunity, did not only teach me the value of hard work, dedication and passion, but it also developed a ‘never say die’ attitude in me. Encountering multiple setbacks, I never lost hope. I always saw the silver lining and kept on following my dreams to overcome those hurdles. For me, staying updated is highly important. We need to constantly upgrade our knowledge bank on a regular basis. There is no alternative to continuous learning.”

A REFORMIST TO THE CORE

An ardent advocate of reforms in the healthcare sector, Dr. Velu is concerned about the fact that “India spends much more on curative than on preventive healthcare, as a consequence of which, a major share of spending goes for unwanted drugs, investigations and hospitalization.” According to him, “We need to come up with policies that are focused more towards the prevention of certain maladies. Health departments must roll out nationwide screening programs for early detection of certain disease so that treatments can be initiated before the ailment can cause grave harm.”

He adds, “Both public and private sectors need to play their roles effectively. On one hand public sector should do away with red-tapism, unwanted delays and ensure effective implementation of policies, private sector must support the government in all its undertakings and shall avoid overcharging patients.”

Deeply inclined to contribute more and more for the welfare of society, he asserts, “I frankly think I am yet to reach the threshold of my contributions towards the society. All my businesses are directly or indirectly related to healthcare. With the passage of time, I have had learned new rules and tactics of the game. Day by day the industry is evolving with newer possibilities being developed every other day. I am contented with the bright future ahead. I started my business with trading of medical technology products and eventually ventured into manufacturing and R&D activities. I wish if I had the power to rewind, I would definitely like to get into the Manufacturing and R&D in the initial phase of my business as it would have helped us to penetrate the market with high end technology based products at an affordable cost which would have helped the rural population in a big way.”

MERIT RECOGNISED

Dr. Velu has received several recognitions and has been named as “parallel entrepreneur” by an international magazine and has often received the title of “first generation serial entrepreneur”. Talking about his moments of triumphs he adds, “I have been bestowed with numerous awards and recognitions, and for me, each one of them is equally important and close to my heart. Happy customers and happy employees in a true sense, make me feel triumphant, which gives me zeal to contribute more for my people and for the society. ”

LEAVING NO STONE UNTURNED FOR THE WELFARE OF HUMANITY

A man with a heart of gold, Dr. Velu is continually inclined to work for the welfare of humanity. Describing his philanthropic endeavours, he says, “Trivitron has always been working for the upliftment of the masses. Our business ventures are directed towards providing cost-effective quality healthcare services. We have always been at the forefront in giving back the society. Our CSR initiative ‘MITR’ has constantly been working to provide quality education to needy children with prime focus to girl child. We have been sponsoring Higher education for girl child. We organize health camps and eye camps for the underprivileged. We also sponsor dialysis for needy patients. Additionally, in the event of any natural calamity, we are at the forefront in providing the required assistance to the government.”

A ROLE MODEL FOR THE YOUTH

A true leader, he is bent on helping the youth. As he puts it, “Helping and empowering others is what motivates me the most. Directing young minds to do something worthwhile is what keeps me connected with millennials I make use of every opportunity I get to help people and, I feel blessed that I can be of some help to someone. The thought that I might offer a solution to someone’s problem is what motivates me to do a good job every day.” He further adds, “My message for them is that they keep following their passion and stay focused. Agreed, there may be setbacks, but I want them to realize their potential, and bounce back with more enthusiasm. My mantra of “Belief & Positivity” will help them to manage all ups and downs in their life.”

With his noble vision, determination and futuristic approach to make healthcare accessible and affordable to one and all, Dr Velu has been successfully rendering yeomen’s service to fellow humans for more than 30 years now and keeps on devising newer ways of serving humanity with each passing day.

A woman of substance, Mrs. Manju Sharma is a dynamic personality who attributes her success to her courage, confidence, commitment, and consistency. To her greatest credibility is the work she did in setting up Eternal Hospital, which is one of the most advanced healthcare centres in the state of Rajasthan from scratch. Co-Chairperson and Managing Director of the hospital, she had stepped into the healthcare market with no prior professional training a little more than a decade ago but with her grit, she today is one of the leading names in the industry.

Mrs. Sharma is revered for her selfless dedication to her work. She believes in doing her unconditional best and admits that she is completely detached from the name and fame associated with her work. Her greatest source of motivation is the smile that she sees on the faces of the patients who leave her facility healed and healthy. Her commitment to the greater good of society can serve as an inspiration for the millions of aspiring entrepreneurs and business runners working in the healthcare industry.

SURFING THROUGH THE TIDES OF LIFE

Mrs. Manju Sharma’s life was full of unexpected ups and downs. She had to face her own challenges and outgrow them since a young age, which made her the strong lady that she is today. Her belief system is rooted in a simple thought that neither the good times nor the bad times last for longer and hence one should not be bothered about the circumstances and just keep a great focus on their dreams and aspirations.

Born in Myanmar to world war 2 veteran, Mr. Nand Lal Kaul and wife Mrs. Indira Kaul, Mrs. Sharma spent her formative years there in a privileged environment. She had everything that a child could ask for, yet her parents taught her to keep her feet firmly grounded and not take anything for granted.

These lessons helped her sail through a tough time in life that shortly followed as the family had to move to Delhi and they had to face some financial difficulties. The young girl that Mrs. Sharma was back then was not demotivated by the circumstances. In fact, taking from her parents’ positive outlook, she believed that the bad time, too, shall pass soon.

She further moved to Jaipur and completed her education before getting married to renowned cardiologist Dr. Samin Sharma and moving to the USA with him.

A few years later, she once again got to step into her corporate shoes, this time as an entrepreneur, to support her husband set up a healthcare facility in the form of Eternal Hospital in Jaipur.

FIGHTING AGAINST THE ODDS

Like most women who aspire to be entrepreneurs, Mrs. Manju Sharma’s journey did not begin on an encouraging note.

The year was 2007 and her husband had got allotted a piece of land in Jaipur for a state of the art healthcare center by then Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje. However, given his prior commitment to his patients in the USA, it was not feasible for him to leave the states and get back to India. That’s when Mrs. Sharma showed her interest in taking up the project herself.

But their family did not encourage her decision as she was a woman who had lived away from India for 35 years then. They were also skeptical because of her lack of experience in the construction business. However, her mother did not leave her side. She supported Mrs. Sharma’s choice to build this facility from scratch and encouraged her to follow her dreams.

Two years into the project, the world once again came crashing down on her as she lost her beloved mother in an accident. Losing her strongest supporter made Mrs. Sharma’s feet shaky but she got back once again, and this time even stronger.

Today, she takes pride in setting up one of the best healthcare centers of the city in the most ethical way and with full honesty. JCI accredited multispeciality hospital of Rajasthan, an affiliate of Mount Sinai Hospital New York, Eternal Hospital over the years has become a boon for the community and it is one of the leading health care units and research institutions of not just the city but the state. Under her able leadership, the hospital has to its laurels the credit of performing the world’s first MyVal Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement/ Implantation, India’s first navigation guided balloon sinuplasty, and Rajasthan’s first-ever Left Bundle Branch – Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy. The hospital has also added a new tertiary care center.

STRIKING BALANCE BETWEEN DREAMS AND REALITY

Further in her mission to provide effective healthcare to people in the country, Mrs. Manju Sharma wants to reach out to people who do not have easy access to good healthcare services. Sensitive to the problems the certain section of society faces, she is planning to build a wonderful legacy for Eternal Hospital that helps economically weaker sections of the society in getting good healthcare. In return to this, Mrs. Sharma is not expecting any accolades or appreciation but a healthier tomorrow where no person is deprived of proper medical facilities and help.

Apart from dedicating herself selflessly to her work, Mrs. Manju Sharma also believes that a person should focus on personal well being as well. That’s why she makes sure that on her way to realizing her dreams, she doesn’t end up harming her own health. Despite her busy schedule, the inspirational woman makes sure she takes some time out for her hobbies including yoga, meditation, and singing. Mrs. Manju Sharma truly shows the essence of a successful person in her myriad personality.

Business runs in the blood of Bhawnani who belongs to a family of entrepreneurs. His father ran a retail business in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh (MP). A young Bhawnani often helped his father and learnt the tricks of the trade from him. Describing his success saga, he reminisces, “Hailing from a middle-class family in Mandsaur, MP, I started my career at the age of 15 in India; the group was established on 2nd December 2004 on U.A.E. National Day in Mirdiff. Since then, West Zone has emerged as a household name, and is best known as one of the UAE’s renowned retail chain, with more than 100 operational stores.” He further adds, “In a span of 15 years, we have successfully diversified and expanded West Zone Group portfolio to include Supermarkets, Hypermarkets, Logistic Facility, Malls, Real-estate, Building Material & Contracting, Technology, Hospitality and F&B. All the stores are inaugurated by my mother Mrs. Radha Bhawnani, my mentor and real strength of the group.”

Bhawnani is grateful to the dedicated efforts of his 4,000+ employees who have played a significant role in the group’s success. He declares with pride, “Today, thousands of consumers shop with us every day and trust West Zone as their first choice.”

OVERCOMING EVERY CHALLENGE LIKE A CHAMPION

It is a widely acknowledged fact that success can be a long and winding road, filled with many obstacles and challenges. Talented leaders like Bhawnani know how to convert challenges into opportunities. He forcefully asserts, “A challenge / competition to me is like oxygen – it drives me to do more. We ensure that we provide maximum benefits to our consumers, by buying directly from the manufacturer to cut additional costs and extend competitive pricing structures to provide value for money.”

Bhawnani has successfully converted every challenge that came his way to an opportunity, and is reaping the sweet fruits of success. Sharing his mantra for success, he elaborates, “I truly believe that West Zone stands out to be one of its kind in retail by looking for all the possible needs of consumers, suppliers and the real assets of the company – our employees. We work with suppliers and producers all over the world to offer great quality, healthy and sustainable products to our customers at affordable prices.”

PROPOUNDING REFORMS

Reforms are quite necessary to tackle the obstacles to the fundamental drivers of growth, and are designed to boost an economy’s competitiveness, growth potential and adjustment capacity. A strong propounder of reforms in the retail sector, Bhawnani asserts, “The Government in the UAE has so far been very supporting. Definitely, one would always want to groom things a little bit. I would prefer to create a pattern of Eco-Friendly & Bio-Diversity Policy for all the Non-Food selling entities. Selling items tagged with these important symbols would make people understand items before buying anything. This would indicate the percentage or proportional level affect sticker on all the products before getting to the End Customer/ Consumers.”

He adds, “Buying patterns of the consumers in the UAE has gone through a drastic shift, where they are expecting aggressive promotions; accordingly we design our promotional calendars and have been successful in offering great quality, healthy and sustainable products to our customers at affordable prices.”

TRIUMPHS GALORE

Bhawnani’s contribution to the retail sector in the UAE has been recognized at varied platforms. He proudly declares, “Recognizing my contribution to the advancement of the Arab region, Forbes Middle East selected me as one of the top Indian leaders of the Middle East. I have been listed in Arabian Business Magazine in their selected Power List, and have been awarded by Dubai Police for Cooperation. I have received a couple of other awards in the Asian continent.”

Expressing gratitude on being felicitated at multiple forums, Bhawnani says, “I am grateful to be recognized in India and beyond, for various achievements. I do enjoy tremendous respect from all sections of the society; I am being invited by various associations and organizations. I have been involved in a number of massive humanitarian causes that have played a pivotal role in the upliftment of the economically weaker sections in India and the UAE, which is a clear testimony of Social Responsibilities carried out by the West Zone Group.”

He can be best described as an epitome of selflessness, when he declares, “The triumphs wouldn’t have been possible to me if I would not have dedicated my time to indulge into the prayers and thanking God at every step of my success.”

WORKING HARD TO MAKE THE WORLD A BETTER PLACE

A philanthropist to the core, Bhawnani is actively involved in giving back to society through the CSR arm of West Zone Group. He elaborates, “We have established our CSR initiatives as a reflection of our mission and business core values. My agenda of working is not merely getting into business but also giving back to society by creating various job platforms. I ensure that everyone is being trained to deliver proper customer service through various mediums and channels in customer service and after sale services. This leads into customer happiness and satisfaction in the end. With strong customer support, we plan to nurture the relationship of customer and counter staffs to levels above and beyond today’s standards. Our vision is to focus on daily consumer needs at affordable prices without compromising on quality. Here we are, serving the best of today and making the tagline ‘Live Better Today’.”

According to him, “Youth is the future.” He believes that “they are those talented mechanisms of society who are changing the total ideology of working by working in an innovative way that they can!” He asserts, “For me the only message to the youth is to keep the same enthusiasm and spirit as this will lead to the making of a strong, stable society. One advice is preserving the Nature/ Biosphere in every possible way as this is what we inherited and this is only what we will pass on!”

As someone who has always been interested in the science of cooking, starting Nutrezy was a natural step for Ms. Kadaba. After the sudden demise of her father, she started thinking deeply about the lack of nutrition in our diets. This prompted her to spend many years on research, during which she gained holistic knowledge on nutrition. After in-depth research and thorough analysis, she established Nutrezy with the sole intention of making nutrition easy. The brand, which makes lip-smacking, healthy and nutritious snacks, made its foray into the market through the e-commerce space and now it is all set to capture the world of retail.

AN INFORMED AND MINDFUL ENTREPRENEUR

As someone who has always been conscious about eating right, Ms. Kadaba started experimenting in her kitchen. Determined to find solutions to unhealthy eating habits due to time constraints, she identified recipes that could easily become a part of modern living. Her daughter Ms. Komal Mahesh Kadaba, co-founder of Nutrezy, who has a Masters Degree in Healthcare, joined her in this journey.

Together, they persevered to turn Nutrezy into a popular brand among health-conscious people. Both mother and daughter, who are proponents of a healthy lifestyle, experimented with various ingredients to come up with recipes that appeal to a variety of palates. No wonder their rich knowledge in the field of nutrition and consistent and dedicated efforts have driven the organisation towards newer territories of success.

MAKING NUTRITION HER PRIORITY

Through hard work and crystal clear guidance from Ms. Kadaba, Nutrezy has introduced snack bars in numerous flavours and varieties for its customers. These bars include various nuts and seeds that provide wholesome goodness. At present, the customers can relish these three nutrition bar variants – Almond Cranberry Crunch, Blueberry Granola Bar and the Cocoa Dates Delight.

The other significant feature of Nutrezy snacking bars is that they are devoid of any preservatives or added sugar, which is great for weight-watchers as well. The products are safe and fresh, owing to a reasonably long shelf-life of 9 months. With the brand expanding its portfolio to millet cereals, protein powders and protein savoury snacks, there is something for everyone.

NURTURING HER DREAM OF HEALTHY EATING

Under the prudent guidance of someone as vigilant as Ms. Kadaba, Nutrezy has been able to go from strength to strength. By setting up a company that is focused on nutrition, this passionate entrepreneur hopes to achieve a larger goal; she wants society to come together and adopt a healthy eating habit.

Bringing taste and health together is a challenge that the mother-daughter duo has accomplished through Nutrezy. Through these products, people of all ages can relish and enjoy the best of taste and health combined. Gradually, yet continually, the brand has made it possible and convenient for the common man to derive nutrition from nutritious snacks. The firm has enjoyed a fruitful journey so far but there are still many milestones to accomplish. Through Ms. Kadaba’s efforts and continuous guidance, the brand is sure to scale greater heights.

CARRYING THE LEGACY FORWARD

With prior experience of working as a Property Consultant at JDL Strategies Queensland, Australia, Mr. Varun Bagla is now following the footprints of his father to make Saltee Group reach newer heights of success.

Upbeat and buoyant about the growth of Saltee Group in the future, Mr. Varun Bagla plans to mark its presence by expanding the project portfolio – be it restaurants, lounges, banquets, guest suites or any other residential or commercial projects – by meeting the growing need of buyers across multiple cities, investing in streamlining processes to procure quality material and recruiting qualified professionals in areas like project management, architecture and engineering.

THE DRIVING FORCE

Mr. Varun Bagla’s objective is to help buyers make informed property investment decisions in India by providing them with detailed information about projects and their future prospects, a true comparison and full documentation in order to ensure builder’s credibility; extending pre-sales, sales and post-sales support services to garner the reputation of being the most trustworthy and high-quality real estate developer among the buyers.

Mr. Varun Bagla is striving hard to establish Saltee Group as the preferred choice and the most organized and customer-centric organization in the realty sector. Building up on his experience and expertise, he finds himself in a position to soar higher with a pan-India growth strategy to deliver unique and innovative projects in the forthcoming years.

His belief that “nothing great can be achieved without energy and devotion” is ably supported by a great team of professionals and skilled personnel who are committed and willing to push the entire system to develop novel ideas and products that redefine the company itself. Admiring the worth of human resource as a vital and inseparable asset, he is highly concerned about the welfare of his people.

ADOPTING A FUTURISTIC OUTLOOK

To make Saltee Group the most valuable, innovative and admired company that creates enormous value for their buyers, stakeholders and the economy, Mr. Varun Bagla continuously plans and hones the market strategies to develop, maintain and improve performance while complying with best practices, legal and other necessities, communicating with contractors, customers, regulatory bodies, environmental experts and stakeholders.

He has played a crucial role in modernizing the business operations, expanding market reach and refining all aspects of profitably running the business by providing new-age real estate solutions across all sections of society. With a thorough understanding of the needs of the affluent class of the society, he has matched his pace with time to cater to the diverse needs of the people by developing some of the unique and majestic designs, world-class amenities, lavish and tranquil residential and commercial projects.

A man of supreme commitment, Mr. Varun Bagla’s enormity lies in the fact that he is not just another builder but a great innovator with unbelievable success in building, promoting and strengthening the Saltee Group empire.