Knowledge@Wharton -- Innovation and Entrepreneurship

Firstsource's Ananda Mukerji: In BPO, 'There Is a Strong Need to Specialize'

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 16:27:06 EST

Firstsource Solutions, India's third-largest pure-play business process outsourcing (BPO) company, has always been slightly ahead of the curve by setting up centers abroad and diversifying into sectors such as health care. However, the sailing hasn't been completely smooth the last couple of years, largely because of the global economic slowdown. In an interview with India Knowledge@Wharton, CEO and managing director Ananda Mukerji says that despite the falling margins that come with focusing on the domestic BPO market, Firstsource has positioned itself well overall, and its prospects are good for serving the U.S. health care industry.

Polar Mobile's Kunal Gupta: Helping Mobile Media Come in from the Cold

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 15:11:49 EST

The turbo-charged proliferation of mobile phones -- including "smartphones" -- means that the demand for sophisticated, efficient mobile software platforms for news and information is growing in leaps and bounds. That's not news to Kunal Gupta, co-founder and CEO of Polar Mobile, a startup that develops proprietary content for mobile devices for a range of customers, from Time magazine to The Hockey News. In an interview with India Knowledge@Wharton, Gupta discusses his upbringing in Canada, his early exposure to entrepreneurship and what the future holds for mobile software

Building Brickwork: How a Former Government Official Found His Entrepreneurial Niche

Thu, 24 Sep 2009 14:56:03 EST

When Vivek Kulkarni was the IT secretary for the government of Karnataka in southern India, he worked to attract the world's top IT firms to Bangalore. After leaving his post in 2003, he set up Brickwork India, an outsourcing firm that caters to the needs of individuals and small businesses by providing virtual executive assistants for US$8 to US$14 an hour. Brickwork's future, however, lies in combining this business with value-added projects such as a study on the quality of health care in small hospitals, being done in collaboration with the University of Pennsylvania's Center for the Advanced Study of India. India Knowledge@Wharton looks at Kulkarni's entrepreneurial journey and the lessons it has taught him.

Essel Group's Subhash Chandra: First Movers 'Smell Opportunity before Others'

Thu, 24 Sep 2009 14:56:03 EST

Subhash Chandra, the founder and executive chairman of Essel Group, has built up a diverse conglomerate with sales of more than US$2.5 billion and interests in packaging, television broadcasting, direct-to-home (DTH) television, amusement parks, online lotteries and a lot more. In an interview with India Knowledge@Wharton, Chandra discussed the launch of his latest venture -- Veria, a health and wellness TV channel, website and chain of retail outlets in North America -- and shared his views on how entrepreneurs recognize opportunities, among other topics.

The Accidental Entrepreneur: Atul Jain, Founder and CEO of TEOCO

Thu, 10 Sep 2009 15:46:29 EST

It's not too surprising that some businesses are actually thriving during the downturn. A case in point: software and services house TEOCO (The Employee Owned Company), which helps other companies cut costs and streamline processes. Set up 15 years ago in Virginia by a young entrepreneur from India, TEOCO counts all the major U.S. telecom companies as clients and is looking to expand organically and through global acquisitions. In an interview with India Knowledge@Wharton, Atul Jain, TEOCO's founder and CEO, discussed his upbringing in Kolkata, his decision to not attend India's prestigious Indian Institute of Technology, and the lessons he has learned about entrepreneurship.

Dial 'M' for 'Mackerel': Can New Mobile Services Promote Economic Empowerment?

Thu, 27 Aug 2009 14:09:37 EST

Jawahar Kanjilal, Nokia's global head of emerging market services, refers to the launch this summer of Nokia Life Tools (NLT), a mobile information service in India, as the beginning of "an historic journey that will take mobility to the grassroots" -- one that is helping to bridge the digital divide between developed and developing economies. How that journey ends remains to be seen, but for now, new mobile offerings such as NLT seem to be a win-win for providers and their customers: Nokia and others in the mobile phone industry are gaining a foothold in some of the fastest-growing market segments in the world, while farmers in rural India are reaping the benefits of having real-time market information at their fingertips.

eClinicalWorks' Raj Dharampuriya: 'Our Goal Is to Make a Big Impact on Health Care Delivery'

Thu, 27 Aug 2009 14:09:36 EST

It's true that being at the right place at the right time is critical for a start-up to succeed, says Raj Dharampuriya, co-founder of eClinicalWorks. Amid the current debate about health care in the U.S., the Westboro, Massachusetts-based health IT company specializing in electronic medical records is well positioned to benefit from President Obama's stimulus package, which includes US$19 billion for a national rollout of electronic health record systems. In an interview with India Knowledge@Wharton, Dharampuriya talks about what this means for eClinicalWorks' strategy and U.S. health care in general, and he shares his experience as an Indian entrepreneur in America.

Power Trading Corporation's T.N. Thakur: 'Today, Power Is Recognized as an Essential Commodity'

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 12:45:51 EST

When Tantra Narayan Thakur was appointed to head a government-initiated public-private partnership to develop India's electricity market, critics told him he was wasting his time and that India was not ready for commercial power trading. "[People] at the highest level were telling me that it would not work," he said. Ten years later, Power Trading Corporation (PTC) has done the seemingly impossible, purchasing unused power and selling it to locations in need of more, while helping to launch India's first power exchange and financing numerous infrastructure projects. In an interview with India Knowledge@Wharton at the 2009 Wharton India Economic Forum, Thakur, who is chairman and managing director of PTC, discussed the state of India's power sector, how PTC has evolved over time, and the satisfaction that comes with proving naysayers wrong.

Advice from Entrepreneur Sabeer Bhatia: 'Provide the Same Value at a Cheaper Price'

Thu, 04 Jun 2009 16:50:54 EST

Sabeer Bhatia is a pioneer in the field of web-based email, having co-founded Hotmail Corp. -- which today boasts more than 220 million registered users -- in 1996. After Microsoft acquired the company in 1998, Bhatia moved on to new projects, including Arzoo.com, an online travel services company for Indian consumers, InstaColl, which offers web-based office tools, and SabseBolo, an audio-conferencing platform for developing markets. Along the way, Bhatia has learned some critical lessons about starting businesses and keeping them going, even during difficult economic times. At the 2009 Wharton India Economic Forum, Achal Mehra, editor of Little India, interviewed Bhatia for India Knowledge@Wharton.

Abhishek Bachchan: 'Filmmaking as an Enterprise Has Become More Efficient and Professional'

Thu, 21 May 2009 17:26:19 EST

If Bollywood superstars are like royalty, actor Abhishek Bachchan is a crown prince. The son of Amitabh Bachchan, who ruled over Bollywood filmdom since the 1970s, and actress Jaya Bachchan, the younger Bachchan came into his own with the massively popular Dhoom in 2004. Since then, Bachchan has seen his movie career take off, with recent hits such as Dostana, which grossed Rs. 90 crores (US$19 million). While Bachchan and his superstar wife Aishwarya Rai are often in the media spotlight, what is less known is his involvement in AB Corp, his father's film production company. During the Wharton India Economic Forum in Philadelphia, Bachchan discussed his views about the business of filmmaking in an interview with India Knowledge@Wharton.

Perseverance and a 'Thick Skin': India's Next Wave of Entrepreneurs

Thu, 07 May 2009 16:26:54 EST

Asked to name the country's entrepreneurs, most Indians would probably reel off "Tata," "Mittal" and "Ambani." Although these legends' companies indeed play a major role in the business world, many of today's promising startups are being founded outside the space of large family enterprises, with an infusion of private equity or venture capital. At the recent Wharton India Economic Forum in Philadelphia, entrepreneurs and venture backers talked about their experiences and agreed that, although the potential rewards are high, starting a new business in India today is not for the faint of heart. "You have to find ways of making things happen that are not prescribed in any business school book," one panelist said.

Ruralnaukri.com's Ajay Gupta: 'Rural Jobs Can Provide Momentum to the Wheel of the Economy'

Thu, 26 Mar 2009 16:41:36 EST

Like other countries the world over, India is facing a slowdown. One solution offered by economists is to create jobs, boost confidence and fuel consumer spending. The target for such activity is not the cities, however; instead, "[India has] to focus on domestic consumption by primarily stimulating growth in the rural areas," acting finance minister Pranab Mukherjee noted during a recent press interview. Ajay Gupta, founder and CEO of ruralnaukri.com, has focused on jobs in the rural sector for several years now. In an interview with India Knowledge@Wharton, Gupta talks about employment in rural areas and his initiative's expansion on a grassroots level.

Claris Lifesciences' Sushil Handa: 'Building a Powerful Story' in a High-growth Industry

Thu, 12 Mar 2009 17:12:09 EST

Among the leading players in India's emerging lifesciences industry is Ahmedabad-based Claris Lifesciences, which manufactures and markets high-end sterile injectable preparations, life-saving medicines and hospital products for the treatment of critical illnesses. With estimated revenues of US$200 million for 2008, Claris has seen a compounded annual growth rate of 40% over the past five years. India Knowledge@Wharton spoke with Claris founder and CEO Sushil Handa about how he intends to keep his company at the cutting edge, even in the midst of the current financial downturn, as well as the tough but "invaluable" lessons he learned from his first venture, Core Healthcare.

Avantha Group's Gautam Thapar: 'I See Myself as an Entrepreneur'

Thu, 12 Feb 2009 16:34:49 EST

Early on in his life, Gautam Thapar considered himself "an outsider looking in" on the wealthy Thapar family, owners of one of the biggest industrial houses in India. Today, he is the undisputed head of the US$3 billion group, which he renamed Avantha in 2007. In an interview with India Knowledge@Wharton, Thapar, now 48, spoke about leading a family business in the Indian context, the Thapar succession saga and the future prospects of the Avantha Group.

Milagrow Solutions' Rajeev Karwal: 'The Only Way in the Indian Marketplace Is Up'

Thu, 02 Oct 2008 16:24:04 EST

According to Rajeev Karwal, founder and CEO of Milagrow Business and Knowledge Solutions, "every [business] idea is a billion dollar idea in India," but what separates the success from the failures is execution. Milagrow partners with small and medium businesses at all stages of development, particularly startups, to help fill that gap. Following his participation in a panel discussion on Indian retail at the 2008 Wharton India Economic Forum, India Knowledge@Wharton spoke with Karwal about Milagrow's mission, his outlook on the industry and what it takes to succeed in Indian retail.

Researcher Vivek Wadhwa on Globalization, U.S. Competitiveness and Immigrant Entrepreneurship

Thu, 24 Jul 2008 15:30:05 EST

When Vivek Wadhwa, a high-tech entrepreneur who has built and sold two IT companies, became executive-in-residence at Duke University's school of engineering, students asked him a question that stumped him. What courses, they asked, should they take in order to "make their jobs outsourcing-proof?" That question forced Wadhwa, who had long been involved in outsourcing, to begin researching the impact of globalization on U.S. competitiveness and the role of immigrant entrepreneurs in helping the U.S. maintain its economic edge. At the recent Wharton India Economic Forum in Philadelphia, India Knowledge@Wharton spoke with Wadhwa about his research, his own entrepreneurial journey and his brief foray into Bollywood.

Bharti Group's Sunil Bharti Mittal on Lessons of Entrepreneurship and Leadership

Thu, 10 Jul 2008 18:54:59 EST

When Sunil Bharti Mittal started in business more than 30 years ago in Ludhiana in Northern India, he borrowed $1,500 to make bicycle crankshafts. Today, he heads the $5 billion Bharti Group, whose flagship company, Bharti Airtel, is India's largest mobile phone operator. Forbes magazine, which estimates Mittal's net worth at some $11 billion, ranks him among Asia's self-made billionaires. Mittal spoke with India Knowledge@Wharton at the U.S.-India Business Council's 33^rd annual meeting in Washington, D.C., about the leadership and entrepreneurial lessons he has learned during his career. Among them: When faced with a choice between perfection and speed, choose speed; perfection will follow.

UTV's Ronnie Screwvala: 'We Will Have Our Own Oprah and Our Own Larry King'

Wed, 25 Jun 2008 14:48:19 EST

When The Happening, M. Night Shyamalan's controversial sci-fi horror film, opened on June 13, many movie fans turned to the reviews to see what critics had said. Among them was Ronnie (Rohinton) Screwvala, managing director and founder-CEO of UTV Software Communications (UTV), a Mumbai-based media and entertainment company that co-produced the film with 20^th Century Fox. Unlike most movie producers in India, UTV is an integrated company that operates across four divisions -- movies, television, broadcasting and interactive (which includes animation and computer gaming). Screwvala, who was in New York City earlier this month, spoke with Knowledge@Wharton about the company's strategy in India's rapidly globalizing media and entertainment business.

Where Print Still Makes Sense: Business Publications Are Booming in India

Thu, 15 May 2008 15:14:44 EST

Hyderabad's Deccan Chronicle group in April launched the Financial Chronicle, a business daily with editions in Chennai and Hyderabad and a print run of 70,000. At a time when newspapers in the U.S. and other developed countries are struggling for survival, this marked the launch of India's sixth business newspaper. Several publishers are planning to bring out business newspapers and magazines in regional languages. What's driving the business publishing boom in India? India Knowledge@Wharton interviewed experts in academia and industry for their insights.

Ravi Kuchimanchi: Tapping the Potential of Non-Resident Indians to Help the Rural Poor

Thu, 17 Apr 2008 16:41:31 EST

In the 2004 film Swades (Homeland), the hero is an expat engineer who leaves a cushy job in the U.S. and moves to a village in India. Moved by the plight of the people, he organizes the residents and helps them hook a makeshift generator to a nearby waterfall, bringing electricity to the village for the first time. The movie was based loosely on the life and experience of Ravi Kuchimanchi, founder of the Association for India's Development (AID), who worked with grass roots organizations to electrify 12 hamlets in Bilgaon, a tribal village. AID has evolved since its 1991 launch into a non-profit organization with more than 50 chapters that work on issues such as renewable energy and other forms of grassroots development. Kuchimanchi spoke with India Knowledge@Wharton during the recent Wharton India Economic Forum in Philadelphia.