In a diverse, socially and economically fragmented country like India, there’s always someone or other who is ready to take your service. And conversely, always someone with a solution for your idea. In this market of the crazy, the conventional and the costly, some have struck proverbial and literal gold, and quite accidentally!
They had a dream, an idea, or simply – the intuition that led them to be some of India’s most surprising successes.
The Lemon Tree Hotels -Patanjali Keswani
Patanjali Keswani, or Patu - the CEO and brain behind the Lemon Tree series of hotels across the country, reinvented vacationing in India. An IIMC graduate who played the key role of Taj Group of Hotels’ Vice President and COO, he took off on his own, with 15 years of experience in the hospitality. Since 2002, Keswani has broken ground with his relentless ambition of providing top-quality hotel services in India, while maintaining affordability. Of course, the model has been adopted by several brands over the years, but it’s safe to say that he is the father of the movement – not only for having stepped away from a prestigious brand such as the Taj Group from a senior position, but for also having recognised and tapped the Indian tourism industry by targeting a whole new market.
Ola Cabs -Bhavish Aggarwal and Ankit Bhati
While every year we hear of IIT graduates heading to major companies abroad with hefty pay packages, there is an increasing segment that is venturing out of the safety net of the bigwigs, and being their own boss. A stellar example is the co-founder duo of Bhavish Aggarwal and Ankit Bhati, who, stepped into the transportation technology game of India. They set up Ola Cabs – a company that entered the Meru-dominated field of rental cars in 2010. “The vision behind Olacabs is to provide hassle-free, reliable and technology-efficient car rental service to Indians,” said Aggarwal in an early interview dated 2012. Today, with a few stirs, the company remains one of the most recommended cab services in the country!
Negative Space, Bling! and Corporate Image - Atul Kasbekar
Chemical engineer Atul Kasbekar. Doesn’t sound as familiar, as ace photographer, and celeb management guru Atul Kasbekar, does it? He chased his passion for photography, in a time when the country was spewing more certain professionals, such as lawyers, doctors and engineers. He started young, with his studio Negative Space. Today, Kasbekar is known not only for his epic Kingfisher Calendar shoots, but for his celebrity and high-profile personality image management firms, Bling! and Corporate Image (which handles the profiles of not-so-accidental billionaires like Anil Ambani and Ratan Tata). His work has led him to be an icon for photographers and is also the Honorary Chairman of the Photographers’ Guild of India.
There are many stories, and many more inspiring people who have created beyond wealth, services that have opened markets, opportunities and even jobs for the people of the country. Being a millionaire has only been part of the perks!
The key of all these stories, across sectors has been to work hard, and to work with passion, and perhaps someday, find yourself mentioned as an exemplary personality!
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