The rising scene of entrepreneurship in the country can be attributed to TiE (The Indus Entrepreneurs) in many ways. A global not for profit community founded in Silicon Valley in 1992, TiE has been instrumental in encouraging entrepreneurs from different parts of the globe. One of its affiliated chapters, the Jaipur (Rajasthan) chapter has been instrumental in attracting IT companies to the Pink city, or as one of the founders of the TiE Rajasthan chapter and its present President, Rajesh Mundra explains,"TiE Rajasthan has been instrumental in putting Jaipur on the world map."
During our conversation with Mr. Mundra, he revealed many other interesting facts about TIE Rajasthan. Mr. Mundra prepares a foundation for the talk by revealing the fact that it was TIE Rajasthan that brought Genpact to Jaipur, which"acted as a catalyst for the IT revolution to follow in the city".
The mushrooming of start-ups in the state of Rajasthan over the past few years can be linked to TiE Rajasthan.
The major driving force behind the TiE Sprint program, according to Mr. Mundra is that most of the start-up entrepreneurs, while approaching them for funding, do not have any basic plan or framework in place.
"A bit more handholding is what they need", tells Mr. Mundra while indicating that TiE has taken up this mentor cum guardian cum friend role for the entrepreneurs through the TiE sprint.
One of the most striking things about TiE sprint is that it is not a 'winner takes all' competition.
"Even those who do not win the business plan competition would learn many critical things about setting up a successful business and would take home an invaluable experience", explains Mr. Mundra.
A veteran in the field of helping startups find their feet, Mr. Mundra has some vital advice for the budding entrepreneurs.
"It is very easy to get swayed away by the lure of glamour and funding when you are first setting out to launch your startup. But lack of proper understanding about your basic business model and business plan leads them to failure. Funding along won't take you far if you are weak on your business acumen", asserts Mr. Mundra.
He further adds,"Patience and Persistence are the two biggest mantras for any successful businessman."
Mr. Mundra launched his own venture,ÃÃÃÂ Truworth Infotech Pvt. Ltd in the year 2001 which has today grown into one of the biggest 'home grown' IT services provider in the state of Rajasthan with over 1,000 employees working in Domestic and International BPOs and other software services. What makes Truworth different from other IT service providers is its focus on Health technology. Offering innovative health technology solutions, Truworth has transformed itself into one of the largest employee wellness companies in the country.
Rajesh Mundra:President TIE Rajasthan
As the leader in the field of health technology, Mr. Mundra is in a good position to comment on the lack of preventive healthcare in the country.
According to him, Indians assume that preventive health checkups would lead to "a restrictive lifestyle" and therefore neglect it to "be free" and enjoy life, leading to degrading health levels in the country.
"While dealing with large employers, I have seen young people in their 20s suffering from heart, hypertension, obesity and sugar related diseases. I have seen people collapsing on the top floor, which underline how alarming is the overall situation" , says Mr. Mundra. While many people believe that increasing the number of doctors in the country can tackle the problem, Mr. Mundra, who is also the President of TiE Rajasthan, believes that this would be of little use.
"The only way to beat these diseases is Prevention. The middle class must focus on its health and beat the chronic diseases, or otherwise the healthcare sector is in for tough times in the future", proclaims Mr. Mundra.
Mr. Mundra, who witnesses varied business plans day in and day out wasÃÃÃÂ "impressed by the design and feel" of the Brainbuxa Education portal. He called it a "unique concept which is trying to bring a different angle to education".
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