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- Dream big but start small: Sanjeev Bikhchandani
- Being action-oriented is essential for success in any profession or entrepreneurial venture, says Padma shri Sanjeev Bikhchandani
India
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New Delhi, July 02, 2021 :
The Delhi Government organized a Digital Live Entrepreneur interaction with Padma Shri awardee Sanjeev Bikhchandani on Friday, as part of its Entrepreneurship Mindset Curriculum. To give an opportunity to students to interact with entrepreneurs and draw learnings from their journey, online live entrepreneur interactions have been organized since schools were closed due to the pandemic.
Sanjeev Bikhchandani is the Founder of Info Edge India Ltd., the company that owns Naukri.com. An alumnus of St. Stephen’s College, Delhi University, and IIM Ahmedabad, he began his career in advertising. Eighteen months later, he quit his job to become an entrepreneur and co-founded Info Edge.
For the first seven years as an entrepreneur, Sanjeev dabbled in a number of small businesses- from salary surveys to databases; from feasibility studies to training. In 1997, Info Edge launched Naukri.com and transformed itself into an Internet company.
Recalling his childhood days, he said that although he was not a great student, he knew he was capable. He dreamt of starting his own company when he was a teenager. When asked about his initial days as an entrepreneur, he shared how he started his first office by renting his father’s servant quarter and used to spend his weekends teaching at management schools in and around Delhi. For the first six years in entrepreneurship, he shared how he managed his finances by taking up part-time assignments while building his company.
Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia asked Sanjeev Bikhchandani for his conception of what it means to have an entrepreneurial mindset, which he defined as thinking of creative solutions to problems, and being action-oriented. Sanjeev Bikhchandani said, “Any person who is successful as a professional or entrepreneur has a bias for action”.
Talking about the initiative of the Delhi Government to give seed money to students with entrepreneurial ideas, Sisodia said that students would be given ownership of the profit from their venture, and the government would bear the losses if any.
On being asked for his advice to students, Bikhchandani said, “Involve entrepreneurs in Delhi for project valuation and mentorship so that they can guide the children. Successful businesses are built on deep customer insights. You must study customer behavior when you want to set up a business so that it solves a problem they are facing. There is no substitute for hard work. You will face hardships, especially in the initial years. Think of the long term and keep persevering.”
Answering what was his key motivation to becoming an entrepreneur, Bikhchandani said that he wanted independence in his work. Coming from a middle-class family, he knew that financial stability was also important. After deliberating for a few months, he finally took the leap with a commitment to work hard and succeed. He said, “the first job you do is very important. Just like the first few years at school are crucial for learning, the initial 3-4 years of your professional life teach you a lot about work ethics, professional relationships, and working hard. It forms the foundation of your career.”
From his own experience of being a successful entrepreneur, Bikhchandani said, “In the initial days, you should cut your coat according to your cloth. While starting, I used to borrow my friend’s computer, request an advance from my customers, and explore other part-time jobs that did not require much capital. Dream big, start small is a mantra I’ve followed and it really helped me.”
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