Anand is an Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Data Technology innovator and a seasoned professional who believes in accelerating transformation in traditional enterprises through the power of data, helping them become “data superpowers.” Originally from a small town in interior Maharashtra, Anand is a first-generation entrepreneur and immigrant to the U.S.A. He completed his under graduation in Mechanical Engineering and he holds a Master’s in Business Administration. His education provided a solid ground for a career of over 30 years of experience in leading global businesses.
Starting your own company in today’s time is easy. Identifying an idea, putting together a business plan, building a viable product, registering your company’s name, and within a few weeks you have your business up and running! As we emerge from the pandemic and adjust to new realities with remote and hybrid models of work, the idea of owning a traditional office space has also undergone transition. Hidden behind the glitz and glamour of start-ups and ‘modern-day entrepreneurship’, the lesser-known fact remains that building a sustainable, profitable business is challenging – for which unfortunately, there is no recipe for success.
As I had embarked upon my journey as a solo techie-entrepreneur years back, my purpose was to infuse sustainability at the core of the business which simply meant to find the right balance between purpose and action. Today being recognised by the Indian Achievers Forum for my contribution to the ecosystem as an entrepreneur is a humbling experience. When I see increased adoption of advanced analytics and AI by traditional enterprises to solve real-life business problems, it underscores the market demand for our services and products while also lending longevity for the business. This time and again has proved to be the formula for a sustainable business which is capable of supporting itself, offering value and profit to its owners, stakeholders, and employees.
With more emerging leaders developing deeper understanding about business sustainability, hereby, sharing some of the grounding principles for creating an economically and socially sound business to ensure incremental impact in the years to come.
Belief and Trust are the foundation of any business
Good businesses start with a good idea. However, what gives wings to a good idea is one’s conviction, the belief to execute it well with an approach to change the world. If one is convinced of its result, others will be on-board with it as well. It is only by building business on one’s beliefs will lead to value creation. Years ago, a past client’s inability to “find contextual information” from the structured data reports prompted me to establish Findability Sciences on the ground of creating a data platform for enterprises powered by AI.
Growth and Comfort Don’t co-exist
The shift in perception from ‘good-to-have digital’ to ‘digital-first’ showcases how businesses have transformed in the last two decades. At the centre of this transformation lies the correlation between innovation and disruption. Recently, we launched a new product, ERP-Max. It is a cost-effective add-on AI micro-product for age-old ERP systems. Our product being a customizable AI toolkit gives enterprises access to actionable leading indicators such as forecasting, prediction, and propensity modelling that unlocks the data in their respective ERP systems and deliver faster RoI with an accuracy rate of over 95%. Thus, it not only forecasts predictions and is cost-effective but has proved to be a game-changer for the global ERP market!
Stay invested in People & Skill Development
Prioritising people and giving them a clear purpose for their work is a priority. That said, businesses which work on honing both current and future talent requirements by emphasising on skill-development of their people will be on road to build sustenance and job creation. Over the years our company has grown tremendously – from a single-person company to now with 150+ team members, working with world-renowned companies across the USA, Japan, and India. Looking at the global pent-up demand, I truly believe that India will soon be the go-to destination for world class Analytics talent and this time emerging cities like Aurangabad, Nasik, Indore among others will be front-runners to produce ‘new-collar’ jobs. Taking our commitment for skill-development a notch ahead, we recently entered a partnership with Government College of Engineering in Aurangabad with an aim to develop a skilling programme that will entail industrial training, workshops, guest lectures, and job placements for the students at the institute.