Category: Leaders

The Chairman and Managing Director of WAAREE Group, Hitesh is one versatile, dynamic, and optimistic leader with over three decades of experience in the corporate world. A quick learner and adaptor to new challenges, he is reckoned for his efforts in making workplaces evolve into a powerhouse of ideas, where all members are equal participants in the process of growth and success.

Soon after graduation, Hitesh had started his career in 1989, by establishing a hardware process control instrument trading company and moved into manufacturing of process control instruments, gas station equipment, and industrial valves. Going ahead, taking giant strides towards making WAAREE an internationally acclaimed brand, he led its expertise in multifarious verticals such as Solar Energy, Industrial Valves, Petroleum Equipment & Process Control Instrumentation. He looks after the overall business strategy of the Company and International Business Development coupled with expansion projects of the Company.

He is the founder secretary of Instrumentation Expert Club and President of Jain Education and Empowerment Trust (JEET) and is a patron member of the Jain International Trade Organization (JITO) and an active philanthropist.

LEADING TO NEW DIMENSIONS

Hitesh believes that the success of a business lies in its power and ability to embrace novelty and include a future focused approach towards planning, keeping sustainability, sustenance, and affordability in mind. His vision towards WAAREE has been that of establishing it as a strategic business that evolves with time. With the same thought in mind, he led the company’s foray into the renewable energy sector in 2007 and since then, has taken several initiatives to accelerate the company’s top-line and bottom-line growth.

His vision and strategic business leadership are instrumental in establishing WAAREE Energies in a leadership position in the solar industry. Today, the brand is a diversified player in the solar space offering solar PV panels, EPC services for utility grid projects, solar rooftop solutions, solar water pumps, solar thermal, solar home lighting solutions, and is also an independent power producer. It had started as a module manufacturer and today has India’s largest solar PV module manufacturing capacity. The JMK and Mercom Reports of CY 2019 have credited WAAREE as the number one Indian manufacturer for solar panels.

Hitesh is also the chairman of the All India Solar Industries Association and in his capability has been actively voicing out his thoughts on the need to improve and strengthen the industry. He insists that India has great potential to lead the growth of the solar industry of the world and it should be tapped into with a tactical and community-friendly approach by supporting the businesses through active policy interventions. Recently, he insisted that the government should work towards imposing 50 percent tariffs duty to help the domestic manufacturers of solar panels and related services.

STELLAR LEADERSHIP STYLE

Hitesh’s leadership style has always been that of a motivator and enabler. He reckons that happy employees are productive employees and they also may be safer, record fewer absences, have fewer work-related conflicts, and more likely to remain with the company. Hitesh believes in providing the people with a safe and comfortable working environment and encourages them for work-life balance.

He also motivates the people at various levels of WAAREE teams to think innovatively in whatever they do. They are guided to challenge the conventional way of doing business at every point and see opportunities where others see problems. It was his leadership that led WAAREE sail smoothly through the tough times of pandemic, with no pay cuts and layoffs. WAAREE didn’t opt for any loan of moratorium and neither defaulted any of their payment commitments. Hitesh is a well-versed leader with an amicable and welcoming attitude that helps him connect with all the people around him on a personal level and contribute towards their growth. He also strives to create a lasting, positive change in the lives of the customers and communities. He believes in training his own people as the agents of change who work to make the world a better place. Under his leadership, the group has made a priority to recognize performance and announce to everyone the value the employees bring. Role Clarity, Right Compensation, Recognition, Development, and Feedback are the five pillars on which he keeps the company standing tall.

THE BENEVOLENT SOUL

In addition to being a stellar businessman, Hitesh is also a staunch philanthropist who believes in supporting the well-being of humankind. He wants to have a lasting impact on society and therefore putting band-aids on the ills of the community is not his aim. He believes that education is the key to success, and this has led him to support around 7000 students to get free education across 400 cities.  He understands that without a lasting impact, charities will keep them coming back annually to repeat the same process, or cycle. His initiatives have uplifted thousands of families from poverty, and helped them become self-sustainable.

MARCHING TOWARDS SUCCESS

Under Hitesh’s leadership, Waaree has emerged as the largest Module manufacturer in India and has delivered more than 3 GW of premium quality solar modules to customers in over 68 countries in the past 12 years. Waaree is the only Indian company to be listed consecutively for 22 quarters in Bloomberg New Energy Finance’s Tier 1 Module Manufacturers ranking in terms of bankability.

Waaree has over 350 franchisees across India which is the largest sales and service network held by any Solar company.

Vertex Global Services, ranked 19th among the world’s 50 most innovative companies, has been digitally transforming organisations by offering cutting-edge solutions. With limited resources and a firm belief in the power of technology, Vertex started from Florida in 2016. Technology-driven enterprises then, on the other hand, were at a nascent stage of becoming pervasive businesses. With operations in India, the UK, and the Philippines, the company skyrocketed and established a global footprint after just a few years in the market. While staying committed to environmental and humanitarian causes, Vertex reached a major achievement by generating 100% revenue YoY and served 3000+ satisfied customers in a short span. It is embossed as one of the top innovative startups in India that is responsible for digitally transforming organizations by deploying efficient and revenue generating solutions. Under his guidance, Vertex has paved a way to transcend the geographical boundaries in search of quintessential opportunities that can be turned into effective business planning.

Vertex works on the motto of “One dialogue, Many solutions.” As a highly driven leader, he was quick to leap enthusiastically in the driver’s seat, climbing the entrepreneurial peak. Leaving no stones unturned, Vertex has channelized the power of technology by deploying chatbots, Smart IVRs, AI & Machine Learning, and the key services range from Customer Experience Management, Human Resource Outsourcing, Performance Marketing to a whole online Digital Academy.

WEARING MANY HATS

A unique perspective is imperative to bring progressive change in the society. An inspiration like Mr. Arora has transformed the lives of many. Through multiple programs, he has brilliantly uplifted the society. As a leader, he has set different paradigms for the youth to hone their skills and mold themselves to be the leaders of change. He has been recognized for his excellence in areas such as social, professional, financial and innovation, which led him to gain the prestigious title of the ‘CEO of the Year’ by ‘Indian Achievers’ 2020. As the captain of the ship Mr. Arora has built a solid foundation, which certified Vertex as best place to work. He successfully created a network of partners, and added important and valuable client businesses to the growing roster. In a short span of just 4+ years the organization has set footprints in 4 continents. Acknowledged as the first-generation techentrepreneur and Boston Group certified business professional, Gagan Arora was also appointed as the Chairman for FOREIGN INVESTORS COUNCIL-FIC Delhi in December 2020. At Vertex, he wears multiple hats, motivating his team to achieve unimaginable milestones. His vision towards upskilling and education for all, earned him the position of Director of the International Education Committee at ASIAN ARAB CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE, where he has 52 countries directly under his supervision.

OPPORTUNITIES AMIDST ADVERSITIES

During the pandemic, Vertex was busy turning misfortune into fortune. To make an impactful change in the education sector, he initiated Vertex Digital Academy to influence new-age learning and holistic development for all. Vertex Global Services has won 20 awards this year in ‘services and operations’ categories. He has won 5 awards himself in 2020. He was awarded by CNBC for being one of the 40 Under 40 Top Influential Leaders and by Forbes for being the Top 100 Great Managers. He also won the Most Innovative Young Tech-Entrepreneur 2020 by Brand Opus India.

Aseasoned professional, Ms. Chandni believes in staying focused on the direction forward. Known for her dynamism and pragmatic approach, she is driven by her passion and has held positions of great responsibility. With her business acumen, astuteness, cognizance, and farsightedness, Ms. Chandni has been taking GLS University far ahead of the competition. She has established strong networks and built a solid, dependable team which is essential for the smooth execution of any successful business.

ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENTS

In 1993, Ms. Chandni embarked on her career as an Assistant Merchandiser at JCPenney, USA while pursuing Fashion Merchandising from Fashion Institute of Technology, New York. Later, she went on to pursue a Master in Business Administration from the London School of Economics. She also holds a degree in Law from IM Nanavati Law College with 6 Gold Medals. What’s more, she is also well versed in Psychology and Philosophy and holds a degree in both subjects.

Ms. Chandni’s association with Education has been more than a decade old. Initially, she was associated as a consultant for international and professional education and is now working as the Chief Operating Officer at GLS University, established under Gujarat Law Society.

At GLS, she takes care of International Collaborations with different Universities across the globe, including marketing and promotions of GLS University. She also plays a significant role in making top management level decisions.

AN EXCEPTIONAL STRATEGIST

Possessing 20+ years of professional experience, she has in-depth knowledge about the international market. She played a pivotal role in creating the right pricing strategy of the world’s largest coffee brand Starbucks and played an instrumental role in the training of staff and organizing their first store launch in India in 2012 at Mumbai. She walked her way up the ladder of success with companies like Earlsdon Trading UK, Delta Trade International, Debenhams PLC. She has excelled in her roles as Country Head, Business Head and Asia Pacific Head in companies like NEXT, Accessorize, and Calvin Klein. Ms. Chandni has been widely recognized for her leadership qualities. Recently, she has been honoured with the Award of Iconic Women for Creating a Better World For All in July, 2020 by Women Economic Forum, All Ladies League. She has also recently been conferred with “CEO of the Year” Award by Indian Achiever’s Forum and has received World Women Leadership Congress Award 2019 for her immense contribution to the fashion industry.

A MULTITASKER

A vibrant multitasker, she also loves to take up challenging roles as a bold and efficient leader. She is a constant learner who believes in upgrading her knowledge regularly. Currently, she is pursuing PhD in management while shouldering her professional responsibilities with absolute dedication. She is also associated with the field of law and is practicing at Nanavati & Nanavati, Ahmedabad (India).

She also works as an independent brand consultant for various international brands and has helped numerous brands establish their brand identity even in different challenging environments while providing impetus to strategic planning.

AN INSPIRING PERSONALITY

Bollineni Krishnaiah is the driving force behind the world-class infrastructure development company BSCPL. He not only has successfully developed a great business but also, with his multiple CSR initiatives contributed to the well-being of the nation and its underprivileged citizens.

An ex-MLA, Bollineni Krishnaiah is a firm believer in the power of extending equal opportunities to all people, regardless of their economic status, gender, and political leaning and is a big name in Indian social, political, and business circuit. All the workers at the many businesses he manages think of him as a kind and good-hearted person who is always there for them in times of distress. The great leader has made a great image for himself and in turn for his businesses with sheer hard work and an indelible determination that makes all his ventures synonymous to excellence and greatness.

THE EFFERVESCENT LEADER

A multifaceted personality, Bollineni Krishnaiah is a contractor, an entrepreneur, a preacher, a social worker, a philanthropist, a preacher, a politician, a visionary, and an inspiring force guiding generations on their pursuit of excellence. Under his guidance, the company has managed to gain unprecedented prominence in the sector and has also expanded into irrigation and hydropower projects. Bollineni Krishnaiah promotes a high degree of mechanization with skills in state-of-art technology to keep BSCPL ahead of its times.

A HAND OF GOODWILL

In addition to being a smart businessman and successful politician, Bollineni Krishnaiah is also a good samaritan taking care of society. He runs an eponymous charitable trust with the motto of Discipline service and devotion. The trust also owns Bollineni College of Nursing founded in 2002 serving the needy with great determination and zest.

Bollineni College of Nursing has been permitted by the Government of Andhra Pradesh and approved by Andhra Pradesh Nursing Midwives Council, & Indian Nursing Council and affiliated to Dr. NTR University of Health Sciences, Vijayawada. Located within 8.25 acres with a total built-up area of 1,22,972 square feet academic and hostel block in Dhanalakshmipuram, Nellore, it is known for its philanthropic activities in the space of healthcare.

Apart from this, the trust also runs the Bollineni School of Nursing and Bollineni Paramedical School. The intention behind starting the institution is to take up the task of imparting quality nursing education to eligible candidates from various parts of Nellore and other neighboring districts and states. The training programs aim to equip the committed student with the latest techniques, and develop their decision making abilities.

Dr. Biswal has held a variety of distinct and distinguished positions throughout his career, amassing a wealth of experience & knowledge. The wellversed leader has over 22 years of experience in corporate & academic settings, managing research initiatives for government bodies and international funding agencies, as well as handling business operations. He has worked in a variety of top positions & has mastered the art of leading challenging projects from concept to completion. Besides holding an academic leadership position, Dr. Biswal is also a life member of the Indian Economic Association. Under his exemplary leadership, KIAMS has grown into one of India’s best B-Schools. Quality matters to him more than quantity. He is committed to make the institute a close knit community of students, faculty, staff, & stakeholders. With his ceaseless efforts, the leader has succeeded in establishing a transparent & efficient administrative structure where everyone has a voice & everyone pays attention to and appreciates each other’s viewpoints.

AN ILLUSTRIOUS ACADEMIC CAREER

Dr. Biswal has a brilliant academic career. He holds a Ph.D. in Management, the highest academic degree awarded in the study of management science, from Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology, Bhubaneswar. He has also pursued M.Com in Accounting, Post Graduate Diploma in Industrial Relations & Personnel Management in 2003, LLB in 2000, GNIIT from NIIT, New Delhi in 2001, and B.Com (Hons) from G.M. College, Sambalpur (India) in 1995. The humble leader is a perpetual learner who believes that life is an unceasing process of learning. As he puts it, “My life’s inspiration is knowledge, which I attempt to obtain from all of the sources available in this natural ecosystem. I believe that is what keeps me going every day.” He adds, “I aspire to instil the same spirit into my students so that they can thrive in their professional and personal life.

A LEADER WITH A GROWTH MINDSET

Dr. Biswal is an open-minded leader. According to him, having a mind that is closed to innovative ideas has only one consequence – definite failure. The pragmatist leader believes that sometimes the finest learning comes from viewpoints that are diametrically opposed to your own, as long as you are prepared to embrace them with an open mind. What’s more, as a wise leader, he always takes criticism in stride & implements a transparent, cohesive, & empathetic system. He is also a good listener who believes that listening carefully to others is critical to creating a positive work/learning environment. He asserts, “It is crucial to listen to everyone because intelligence is not dependent on age, gender, or social status of an individual. Sometimes the most valuable lessons are learned from the people you least expect it from.”

LEARNING FROM ADVERSITY

Dr. Biswal is a bold leader who is constantly ready to take on new challenges. It’s the different challenges that have taught him the biggest lessons in his leadership journey. During the initial stages of his career, he spent days in tribal villages without roads, water, education, basic health care, or electricity, while he was working as an independent researcher for a disputed mining project. It was an entirely different world for him which he had never ever imagined. Despite all the hardships, he did not give up and continued his studies with zeal. Because of his tenacity, his findings were well received and earned irrefutable goodwill, resulting in additional research and consulting projects from large industrial houses. Likewise, when the pandemic presented its own unique set of obstacles, the optimistic leader embraced the hindrances as golden opportunities. The entire education system in the country underwent a substantial upheaval during the coronavirus-induced pandemic. He views the disruption as Education Revolution 2.0 and an opportunity for the educational system to evolve. Dr. Biswal believes that a leader should be able to identify and overcome all the challenges, while also seizing all the opportunities that lie ahead of them. He says, “In preparation for the new normal, we have persevered and succeeded in creating Hybrid classrooms, one where both physical & online classroom sessions take place simultaneously, prioritizing studentteacher interaction & active participation and engagement among students.” Dr. Biswal also helped the community by distributing masks, hand sanitizers, & food to needy people in the time of crisis. He encouraged small scale entrepreneurs in the surrounding neighbourhood.

STELLAR ACHIEVEMENTS

His experience and zeal for excellence have helped KIAMS earn several awards and recognitions. Under his leadership, the institution has been recognized as Business Sight’s 10 most trusted brands of the year 2021. Also, Academic Insights ranked it as one of the top ten B-schools in the country for business analytics. Additionally, CEO Insights has ranked KIAMS among the top ten B-schools in the country for business analytics. Even during the stupefying times of the pandemic, the institute witnessed an extraordinary placement season. Where other institutes were barely managing to place their students, KIAMS was able to place 99% of its students with a 15% growth in the Average package offered compared to the previous year. What’s even more exemplary is the fact that over 40% of their students joined the BIG 4. Under his guidance, KIAMS has been the only higher education institution to remain open full-time during the epidemic. Furthermore, the institute followed the original academic calendar without making major changes. The students were cautiously kept inside the campus and supplies were strategically managed for them. He made sure that the institution was fully operational during the lockdown. Term examinations were also organized keeping the social distancing norms in mind. Additionally, interviews and admissions were scheduled online and the newly admitted batch was also on-boarded with caution and exceptional care. Due to these stringent measures, the institute remains virus-free to this day. He is not only a successful leader but also a genuine role model for the next generation of budding entrepreneurs. His unshakeable moral principles, coupled with his refined, well-articulated, and cohesive vision are a source of inspiration for everyone.

Age is just a number, experiences define the ability of a person to climb the success ladder. It just requires an intangible spirit and confidence in one’s own self to build a business that competes with global giants and makes a name for itself at the young age of twenty, which Abhishek has skillfully managed to do.

The founder and CEO of Verved and the creator of the Verved edProgram, which is India’s first-of-its-kind mentorship programme, he is a huge inspiration for the youth. He is an international award winner titled “Top 50 Tech Leaders” (InterCon, Dubai), Recipient of “Young Entrepreneur Excellence Award” by NCCN & Nominee for “Young Person of the Year 2020”. He is also a TEDx speaker, a YouTuber & Google Venkat Panchapakesan Memorial Scholar. He has mentored thousands of students in the field of entrepreneurship and technology all across the globe, still as a college student.

MOTIVATIONAL STORY

It was two years ago that Abhishek first-hand witnessed the disparity in opportunities in the Indian education system. A bright and passionate student, he was disturbed by these flaws of the system, which had also started hindering his own professional development. Instead of getting bogged down by these adversities or succumbing to the archaic notions of the system, he decided to take a step to improve this.

With the aim to bring a positive change, he started with starting a college society and then kept building on it. He also worked with the International Organisation of Software Developers (IOSD), which is a group of over 2200+ developers, India’s largest developmentbased organization, on a number of projects, lead the corporate team in organizing Asia’s largest hackathon Global Innovation Festival, currently serving as a Mentor in 25+ chapters across India & as the President of IOSD-MSIT.

Abhishek also worked with companies like Coding Blocks, Xenottabyte, Google Crowdsource, etc. gaining great on-field experience. In the first two years itself, he had done over ten internships that made him realize that if a student had the right opportunities at the right time, they would grow exponentially in their career since, in interviews, the experience is always put above the actual skills of the candidate, making the selection of a fresher a matter of luck. This prompted him to lay the foundation of Verved.

A UNIQUE CONCEPT

Verved was initially started as a support system to help students by providing them a chance to work on live projects. But with just two months of its being, it witnessed its clientele increasing steadily and was dealing with more than ten of them at a time. This prompted Abhishek to take it to a scale-up.

From then, Abhishek, with Verved, has helped hundreds of students by giving them a start in their career despite their experience/knowledge level.

With Abhishek’s expert leadership and motivating vision, Verved is building strength-on-strength and has associated with many companies to provide employment opportunities. Verved operates remotely with 100+ associated companies from around the world, working as a mobile and web application development firm and offering services like marketing, designing, and growth hacking. Verved is also a part of Startup Lanes, a network of 4000+ companies in 7 countries and 40 cities.

Pratik co-founded India Needs You, a youth-led leadership movement when he was 20 years old, and then kept launching a series of successful companies with multiple successful exits. He is currently the co-founder of 5th Element Group India, a global impact management consultancy based out of New York. He has recently launched Digital Scalers with The Green Man of India, Dr K Abdul Ghani, and India’s leading blogger cum veteran digital entrepreneur Om Thoke, looking to help startups that are currently looking to grow their revenues and digital footprint through B2B, B2C, and B2G avenues. He has also created Bloggers World – the World’s Largest Impact Blogging Network with more than 6000 bloggers, giving an opportunity to aspiring impact bloggers who wish to enter this field and get live hands-on help, connect to brands and become impact millionaires. Additionally, he sits on the advisory board of multiple startups in India, the United States, Europe, and Africa.

A FASCINATING JOURNEY

Pratik holds an MBA from the Indian Institute of Foreign Trade and a Certificate in Strategic Management from the University of Chicago. He founded his first company in the education sector when he was only 16 years old. Since then, there has been no looking back for Pratik. He has come a long way and created eight businesses, all in diverse sectors and geographies. Pratik has also worked for several Fortune 500 companies, including Reckitt Benckiser.

A MULTI-TALENTED LEADER

Pratik is a public TEDx speaker; the dynamic leader has delivered over 150 speeches in 30 countries. He is also a social media influencer with a huge fan base and verified profiles on Insta & FB with over quarter million followers. The multi-talented personality is also skilled in writing. His incredible works have been covered by Forbes, World Economic Forum, Entrepreneur, Real Leaders magazine, NASDAQ, The Climate Reality Project, etc.

A SOCIALLY-CONSCIOUS CHANGE MAKER

Pratik is creating the 5th Industrial Revolution where humans and technology will dance together to create positive impact. He intends to use his startups as a means of creating positive changes in society. In order to transform the world around him into a better place for all, Pratik aims at helping underprivileged people escape poverty by providing them with quality healthcare, clean drinking water, and education.

AWARDS AND ACCOLADES

Pratik has received many distinguished awards and honors for his works and creating a positive impact. He was named Creative Entrepreneur of the Year 2020 – by Entrepreneur India magazine in the startup category. He was also named Entrepreneur of the year 2020 by the Indian Achievers’ Forum in the same year. He has also been recognized as Entrepreneur 35 under 35, ETNow Leaders of Tomorrow, Greenbiz Global 30 Under 30, British Petroleum Scholar, World Economic Forum Global Shaper, Ambassador at One Young World, Al Gore’s Climate Leader, Fellow at Startup Leadership Program, Winner of UNLEASH 2019, Asia’s top 50 Voices by Earth Day Network, and Changemaker at Global Action on Poverty.

What’s more, Pratik has also been invited to several prestigious convenings such as World Economic Forum in Davos, Nobel Peace Prize Forum in Oslo, Skoll World Forum in Oxford, BRICS Civil Forum in Moscow, and United Nations in New York. His works have been funded by One Young World, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Desmond Tutu, Justin Trudeau, Emma Watson, among others.

With 16+ years of experience in the blogging industry, Om created Bloggers World, the only unified platform that assists all ambitious bloggers with live learning opportunities as well as all necessary resources, thus sparing them from falling prey to pointless theoretical courses. He enjoys digitally marketing every product, growing it from zero to $1 million or more, thus, creating more success stories in India, and he has joined forces with the Green Man of India, Dr K Abdul Ghani, and Pratik Gauri, a serial impact investor, President of 5th Element Group, New York to transform Bloggers World into World’s Largest Impact Blogging Network. Apart from Bloggers World, Om & Pratik have joined hands to launch Digital Scalers, helping startups, SMEs and global brands improve their digital footprint, and revenues through B2B B2C & B2G avenues. He also co-founded STM Doosra in January 2021 with Prateek Dwivedi, another veteran affiliate marketer based in Europe; STM Doosra is an official collaboration with STM Forum – the World’s largest paid community of Affiliate Marketers. It serves as a guide to aspiring bloggers, SEO professionals, affiliate marketers, Indian/Asian eCommerce, etc. He also owns Xpress SEO Solutions, Apparels World, GlowWorms Ventures, and Sanshray Ventures.

EARLY LEANINGS

Om hails from a middle-class family; he graduated from VTU, Karnataka, India with a B.E. in Electronics & Communications. Since his young days, he has shown a lot of promise. He embarked on the journey of blogging in 2006 & created a series of car blogs until May 2011, when Google wiped out the majority of MFA (Made for Adsense) blogs, causing him to lose more than $100,000 in Adsense revenue. But he didn’t give up and continued creating blogs after blogs, eventually amassing a network of over 6000+ Blogs. He has also worked as the Global Hosting Guide for About.com from 20102015, which was part of NY Times, and now under DotDash Network, it has been rebranded as LifeWire.com. He has also authored articles on YourStory, BrightHub, DigitalJournal, and dozens of other leading publications.

A START-UP MENTOR

Om is a digital and content marketing expert with 15 years of professional experience. Apart from having a decade of experience in digital marketing, web development, content writing, & managing global operations, Om also has experience in bootstrapping companies to success. He enjoys mentoring & encouraging young businesses by providing seed capital funding. By the end of this year, he intends to support more than 100 Indian startups. With a view to assisting all aspiring bloggers and startup enthusiasts, he founded the Bloggers World University and eComm World University during the pandemic.

SIGNIFICANT ACHIEVEMENTS

Om has earned several honors. He has been recognized as SEO Consultant of the Year 2017 by Silicon India, Top 10 Inspiring Leaders of 2020 by Insight Success, ETNow Leaders of Tomorrow in 2021 to name a few. He was also speaker at AdWorld 2020, and he’s again speaking at AdWorld 2021, which will be the world’s largest virtual digital conference of 2021, with 100+ elite speakers, and 50,000+ global audiences from May 3-5, 2021. He is also a public speaker who has spoken at prestigious international conferences such as AWA Bangkok 2019, and Payoneer Roadshow. He was also invited to Startup India, Stand Up India which took place in New Delhi in 2016 when the Hon’ble PM of India, Modi ji rolled out the Startup India Plan and a galaxy of stellar entrepreneurs had gathered.

Dr. Masooma aims at contemporizing traditional Indian art to suit modern interiors. For instance, with her ceaseless efforts, she has succeeded in creating demand for an extinct art form of ‘Kavad’, thus making it popular across the globe. Her mantra is to design interiors that are synonymous with functionality of the space. Under her leadership, Belita Design Solutions has implemented numerous prestigious projects, including the Rashtrapati Bhavan, Manekshaw Centre, Pravasi Bharatiya Kendra and a number of top class museums. Two of her recent projects have been inaugurated by the President of India, four by the Hon’ble PM of India, two by the Hon’ble Home Minister, and three by Chief Ministers of states.

A VISIONARY LEADER

Dr. Masooma has all the traits of a visionary leader in her. Her vision of creating, innovating, and showcasing Indian culture through art drives her short-term and long-term goals. What’s more, her vision also drives her to travel to the remotest Indian villages in search of Indian artisans whose art forms are on the verge of extinction. Additionally, she aspires to explore green and smart spaces to cater to her environment-conscious and techsavvy clients, respectively.

She is a perfectionist who spends hours analyzing a finished drawing. She does not hesitate to alter the complete design if she feels something is not right. She is also very particular about the projects that she takes up. Every space she designs is well-researched, innovative, well-planned and unique. She builds her team with clear communication and consistent goals and believes in setting common achievable targets for all to ensure a coherent business direction. She also believes that when employees keep common goals in their mind, they become more focused and productive.

Despite the fact that the ongoing pandemic has adversely affected art projects, she has kept her permanent workforce on the rolls besides retaining most of them. She also took the initiative of teaching new skillsets to artists and making them computersavvy during the pandemic.

POWERING SOCIAL PROGRESS

Dr. Masooma takes every possible measure to employ and empower all segments of society. She continually strives to provide women artisans with ample opportunities and resources to be successful. At the same time, she ensures women artisans get direct employment to become financially independent. She also runs workshops to train them to become entrepreneurs. She is associated with ‘Aakar Asha’ – an NGO set up by the “N Swain Memorial Trust” from its inception. In addition to offering financial assistance, she has provided themed artwork for this charity hospital free of cost.

GARNERING AWARDS AND ACCOLADES

Dr. Masooma was presented with the ‘Atal Samman’ at the Parliament of India in 2020. She was also honored with the ‘Jijabai Award’ by the Hon’ble Governor of Uttarakhand in the same year. In 2019, she was presented with the ‘PHD Chamber of Commerce Award on Women’s Day’. She was also honored by Sanskar Bharati as ‘Eminent Artist of India’ in 2018 in Gonda for her outstanding contribution to art. What’s more, Dr. Masooma was adjudged as one of the “15 Most Powerful Women in Architecture and Interior Design” in the Country by Vogue Magazine in August 2018.

Behind every popular brand is a great leader. Samir’s entrepreneurial spirit has been the driving force and the reason behind the establishment of a brand as successful as ‘Modicare.’ He believes in the impossible, and his personal philosophy is known to move people to think alike. His education at the Harvard Business School has provided him with a global perspective and a multicultural approach towards work. Samir strongly believes that the only way to succeed in a developing nation like India is through economic independence and there lies the freedom to realize dreams. Following this belief, at the age of 25, Samir launched India’s first Direct Selling Company, Modicare Limited, with the vision of providing selfbelief for every Indian to attain their dreams of Financial Azadi. Owing to his dedicated efforts, today, Modicare Limited has emerged as one of the fastest-growing direct selling companies in India and is changing the lives of Indians through the Modicare Azadi Movement that is being joined by over 300,000 people every month.

RIDING THE WAVE OF SUCCESS

Understanding the contemporary consumer behaviour and trends in the Indian cosmetic product offerings, Samir established Colorbar Cosmetics in 2004 to match steps with international brands. Owing to his exemplary leadership as Managing Director, it has established itself as the third-largest cosmetics brand in an industry dominated by international giants and was recently honoured for breaking two Guinness World Records™ for having the most people to get their nails filed and varnished and for the largest nail polish pattern mosaic, respectively. Another brainchild of Samir is the 24SEVEN Convenience Stores – India’s first of its kind round-the-clock convenience retail chain, launched in 2005. Under his quintessential leadership as Founder & President, the chain has over 100 stores in Delhi-NCR region and Chandigarh.

As a leader, Samir was always driven by the principles of his grandfather and father, which have always persuaded him to achieve the unachievable. With this conviction, he launched Modicare Limited in 1996, under their guidance, and has driven the firm to uncharted territories of success with his mantra Soch Badlo, Khudko Badlo, Duniya Badlo. Modicare is a single product company with its core product being ‘Azadi’ that has been empowering millions of Indians to achieve not only financial Azadi but Azadi in every aspect of their lives, giving them the success and fortune through a revolution called Soch. The new ‘Soch,’ in Samir’s words, is for every Indian to believe in themselves and have the confidence to step out on their own, to change and challenge the environment, and in the process changing the face and fate of the country itself.

He also strongly believes in the philosophy of ‘Meraki’ — to do something with soul, creativity, and love; to put something of yourself in your work. He continues to leverage this philosophy by addressing tough situations with fresh strategies that are purely guided by the mantra of putting one’s heart in the approach towards work.

BORN TO LEAD

Samir has always understood the importance of nationalistic values, empathy and liberty to dream. With this thought, he has helped in changing the lives of millions at Modicare and has enabled them to realize their dreams of owing cars and houses by launching one of the highest paying plans – SMAP (Samir Modi Azadi Plan).

From the formulation of products to selling them, Samir has always been actively involved in every step. He provides a 100% satisfaction guarantee on every product and ensures an exceptional quality. At present, the brand offers over 250 products across 12 categories and each product reflects the ideology of Samir’s words, “Selling Gold at the Price of Copper,” an ideology that no other company has followed.

He is committed to empowering the consultants and actively participates in their trainings. He shares his vision and experiences via events popularly known as Jashn-E-Azadi, Atoot Bandhan, Azadi Champions of Modicare to name a few. These events have inspired and motivated thousands of consultants not only to join the brand but have also resulted in building their self-belief. Under his leadership, the company aims at reaching every nook and corner of the country. Currently, it has a national presence with its 7000+ Distribution Points and over 47 Modicare Lifestyle Centres and 2 Modicare Success Centres. As a result of his continuous efforts, Modicare has entered its silver jubilee year. His zeal to establish a successful and meaningful work environment bore fruit when the firm was recognized as 5th rank holder among India’s 50 great midsize workplaces by Great Place to Work® Institute and acquired a position amongst India’s 100 best workplaces for women.

MAKING A POSITIVE DIFFERENCE

From the very beginning, Samir was more than just a CEO. He took the responsibility of continuing the philanthropic legacy of his family and set up the Modicare Foundation in 1996, following the footsteps of his grandfather Sh. Rai Bahadur Gujar Mal Modi. The Foundation’s continued contribution won it the President’s Award for the girl child program in Delhi. It also runs a variety of programs that include Magic Bus and has recently taken over an MCD School in Delhi, with 8000 children.

Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, he motivated the employees at Modicare Limited, 24SEVEN and Colorbar Cosmetics to contribute towards relief work run by the Modicare Foundation in a big way. Serving and helping people with food for days, this support drive continued for over 2 months across the country. As an expression of gratitude, under Samir’s leadership, Colorbar Cosmetics gifted Colorbar hampers to the frontline heroes, our doctors, nurses and healthcare workers for their selfless service to the nation during the pandemic. Samir also ensured that even with reduced work hours for 24Seven, the quality of service was never compromised. The Superheroes at 24SEVEN, i.e. the store staff, continued to work while risking their lives (with all personal safety requirements being met) to run these stores for the convenience of the society at large.

Continually bent on improving lives, Samir has been leading by example and continues to inspire many more so that everyone in need of help is touched and benefited positively.