"I live in a village about 20-30 km from the town of Tenkasi, which recently became a district. We have had this office for 10 years now and have put down deep roots in this area. We want to go to even smaller villages and see how this works. We have to go deeper."
"I have been thinking about this well before the pandemic. I actually want employees to be able to live this unhurried pace of life.. I was able to get my work done even before. We could train anybody. My broadband connection here is even better than California. "
"People I am hiring here are local, most of the people grew up here. They want to be home. Cities are too crowded for them. Most people who leave villages go unwilling. That attitude is pervasive. I got flooded with resumes here."
EARLY MISTAKES:
"In the beginning, your tendency is to think maybe too small. We were too timid in the beginning, were not sufficiently ambitious in the early. Second is I didn't grasp the full potential of the Internet early on. "
"In the beginning, your tendency is to think maybe too small. We were too timid in the beginning, were not sufficiently ambitious in the early. Second is I didn't grasp the full potential of the Internet early on. "
ADVICE FOR ENTREPRENEURS:
"Focus on some immediate relevant opportunities, so that you can get a foothold. It is like climbing a cliff in a way, you need to find your footing, have to find something to hold on to."
"Focus on some immediate relevant opportunities, so that you can get a foothold. It is like climbing a cliff in a way, you need to find your footing, have to find something to hold on to."
"You have to have a temperament to stay calm during difficult times, navigate the course. if you are calm in life, you will stay calm in business too.. Look at role models who are calm in general, under a lot of pressure... They are the Buddhas who you come across everyday"
"Funding always comes with strings attached. You have a lot of unknowns,on top of that you have a finite clock ticking. Some sell simply because they can't take the pressure. Don't think of funding as a celebratory event.. you are in a sense borrowing."
"If you are in your twenties, opportunities to educate yourself are enormous today. The ability to manage your own time, manage yourself is the biggest skill. We set goals but are not committed to them. "
"I don't have any political ambition, I have political views- that doesn't mean I want to get into active politics. I have had strong political views from childhood. I was 7-8 years old during the emergency. There was actually dictatorship in our country, those were my memories"
"The thought that I am going to die one day is a very liberating thought. This is deeply rooted in Indian spirituality. The vibhuti (ash) we wear is a reminder. "
ENDS---
ENDS---
