Where there’s a will there’s a way.

The will to win, the desire to succeed, the urge to reach your full potential… these are the keys that will unlock the door to personal excellence.

Jay Bhatt

When it comes to following your dreams, never ever compromise, just follow what your heart says and chances are you will start discovering the potential you never knew you had – Jay Bhatt, our Gujpreneur and this is his story. He has been through the roller coaster ride in his journey before reaching where he is today.

Ours was a traditional brahmin, working-class family with no business background. Thus, it was obvious that the expectation of the family would be to get a stable 9 to 5 job in MNC and settle down with life. The idea of entrepreneurship will not be welcomed easily. I was also a little hesitant to break the path and do some adventure at the initial stage of my career.

As the famous quote goes, a will will find a way! In 2009, I started my journey as a fresh engineering graduate with a heart fluttering with ideas for a better tomorrow. I have never been a book worm and has always believed in practical execution of all the learning. So clearing JEE to get admission in some leading Tech School seemed distant.

Luckily I got an opportunity to join Incubating Center Of IIT Bombay as an intern in the field of Robotics. Although the initial salary of 8K per month was not enough to meet two ends, I accepted the offer as the field of robotics was booming and the experience of working at IIT Bombay would boost my carrier to get further good opportunities in the robotics field. I met very interesting people during this time, who were already big names in Silicon Valley in the field of robotics.

A start up of Robotics was a lucrative idea at that time as it was an emerging branch. It also demanded a huge investment so I had to drop the idea and start with the resources I had access to. Ceramics was booming and I decided to start a small business with a friend of mine and a little funding from my dad. Starting something from scratch requires a whole lot of efforts and time. We worked 16-18 hours a day, learning, failing, and again learning till we had a total solution. Somehow this didn’t work and we had to sell the company.

My first venture had proved an epic flop but that didn’t stop me from opening my wings. Again found an opportunity to work with one of my relatives on his new product called Gabions. However challenging it might have been, I was enjoying this new phase because I had an opportunity to implement my skills and learning here. I got promoted as the managing director because of my expertise in the process. The product also was making profit in market. Once the product started making big, I was dropped from my post and my company started to mute my opinions. It was time to listen to the higher calling and part ways for the sanity of my mind and heart!

This was the second time something didn’t work. Failure is not always welcomed in our society the way winning is cheered for. I had my tough times and was lucky enough to have my close ones stand by me. My dad was generous enough to trust my potential. He asked me to start my own brand , to which I was reluctant.

God surely had some better plans for me. Few days later my friend came to me with this idea of hiring me as the Director for the international expansion of his already successful ceramics business which was doing fine in the domestic market.

In Dec 2014, I took up the offer and started building a client base for his products in the international market. With my dedication and hard work, we were able to tap the international market and expanded the sells of our brand known as “Motto”. When you work more than what you are getting paid for, you end up earning more than what you have been working for.

From 2 manufacturing units in domestic market and zero international presence, today we own 6 manufacturing units and a remarkable international client base. We have now centralised our exports. I own an equal profit sharing partnership in the company that I once joined as the director of international business. With annual turnover of 100Cr and zero capital investment our growth rate is increasing by 50% every year. We export 5000 containers annually. We are aiming to double the turnover in next couple of years. 

The journey hasn’t been smooth but that’s how life is. You have to leave the shore if you want to find new destinations. I firmly believe in listening to your gut feeling and following your heart in whatever you do. When you work with all your heart for something, you are bound to get results.

Don’t let people who wrong you make you bitter, instead become kinder and move on. Don’t let their negativity affect your positivity. Make sure you finish your graduation because it teaches you a lot. Have your concepts clear, know every single bit of your product right from scratch, own your knowledge and mistakes. Stay connected to your employees because the happier they are, the better your company will perform. Be greedy but for knowledge and experience, not for money. I assure you won’t have to look afar for success.

Go ahead and sail your ship!