In the dynamic world of kitchenware, Wonderchef has consistently stood out for its innovative and high-quality products. Today, we are thrilled to present an interview with Ravi Saxena, the CEO and Founder of Wonderchef, on the occasion of the launch of their latest product, Chef Magic. This groundbreaking kitchen solution promises to revolutionize the culinary experience.

In our conversation, Mr. Saxena shares the message behind Chef Magic and a lot more about it. Join us as we explore the story behind Chef Magic and what makes Wonderchef a heavy contender in the kitchenware industry.

Q)What message do you want to convey to your customers with the launch of Chef Magic, and how does this product embody the values and vision of Wonderchef?

Ans) With the launch of Chef Magic we want to give the message of gender equality because the millennial population has not forced children to learn cooking, and they have not been said that if you don’t know cooking you won’t be respected in your law house. Now if people want to learn cooking they learn, otherwise they don’t and in this period a product like Chef Magic is required, so that food can be prepared even if you don’t know cooking. Now a husband who doesn’t know cooking can help her wife in the kitchen by simply following the steps. And even our ad film talks about gender equality in which the bride comes to see the groom with her family. She asks in front of all the family members in the ad whether he knows cooking or not because the girl doesn’t know in the ad. The boy responds with “yes” The food is prepared with Chef Magic, with the help of a mobile. So this is one message that there is automatic cooking, healthy cooking because it will be prepared at home as food from outside has oil, causes several diseases, and contains Ajinomoto-like things.

Q)You mentioned during the launch that in five weeks you have received 1200 orders and 400 orders have been delivered already. Would you share the response of buyers who have already bought it and are using it?

Ans ) A number of orders have been delivered while others will be delivered in the coming days as it is manufactured continuously. We will be there for everyone from July and those customers who are using it are very happy. The best thing is when you launch a new product in the market you always stay worried about the quality of the product or encountering any issues with it. Fortunately, there has been no such reported event as it’s a highly engineered product. As you can see here it has been made with the best and top quality material and that’s the reason also that it’s a bit costly product. We want people to invest in quality things. People are already enjoying it and preparing their recipes with the “My Creation”. We have given the feature “My Creation” that lets you save your famous recipes in it. Let’s say our home’s “Masoor ki daal ke kabab” recipe is very good and we don’t find it usually anywhere. And we want that mother to save her recipe in it so that the recipe can be immortal for their kids for generations.  Mothers can also send their recipes remotely to their children through it.

Q)How do you engage and communicate with the community of buyers who have purchased Chef Magic, ensuring they have the best experience with the product and stay connected with Wonderchef?

Ans) We stay connected with every customer because the first step is, the registration process. When they register through it we stay connected with them. It’s the process that we stay in touch with them and even they can call us anytime or message us. We have also made a community of customers where they are interacting with each other sharing their dishes on it. The community is small now but in the upcoming days, there will be thousands of people in the community.

Q)Can you tell our readers about the availability of the Wonder Chef’s Chef Magic?

Ans)Sure, it will be available on Amazon, the company’s website, Reliance Digital, Croma, and other big stores. At some places the Wonder Chef’s Chef Magic is available and buyers can order it from the website, it will be delivered to them in 10-15 days of duration.

The post An Interview with Ravi Saxena, CEO and Founder of Wonderchef, on the Newly Launched Product: Chef Magic appeared first on The Tech Outlook.

In this Q&A session, Manoj Tulsani,co-founder and CEO of Rayna Group reveals how he started and grew his modest business to a massive success in the travel industry. 

• What is your background? 

I am a commerce graduate; I started my first job with Dubai’s Safeer Group of Companies as a marketing executive in 1999. I next joined Time Machine Group of Companies where I stayed till I became the Marketing Head. Later, when I decided to start my own business, I switched from trading industry to service industry. 

• When did you start Rayna Tours? Where did the idea for Rayna Tours come from?

We started Rayna Tours and Travels in the year 2006. The idea to start Rayna Tours actually came from my passion for travel and interest in meeting and mingling with new people. Back then, most related service providers in the industry offered hotel and flight bookings but they almost ignored the key aspect, i.e. to arrange activities and tours for the visitors traveling to Dubai. And our mission initially was to fix this vital shortcoming by designing pocket-friendly services and unique packages that would satisfy every traveler’s preference. 

• How did you materialize your ideas into a venture?

It all began by choosing the right location. We saw the birth of our venture from a small outlet inside a strategically located hotel in Dubai, namely Flora Grand Hotel. Our initial customers were the guests who stayed in the hotel; we arranged activities like safaris, sightseeing tours,and other iconic Dubai experiences for them at affordable rates. It was well-received by the guests and the outcome was quite incredible. In a span of less than two years, we opened a chain of about 15 travel outlets in Dubai’s popular hotels and resorts. And it didn’t take too long for us to mark our name in the industry as a leading Destination Management Company. In 2009, we launched our main office at Old Labour Building, in Abu Hail, which almost after a decade has been shifted to a larger office inside ACICO Business Park Building, at Port Saaed Road, Deira. 

• What were the biggest challenges you have had to overcome along the way? 

There were quite a lot of them.We set up Rayna Tours and Travels small by sourcing all our personal savings and we didn’t have a proper mentor or a solid business plan or background or the right team to grow our business. The greatest challenge was probably getting our targeted audience see the potential of our concept. Moreover, it wasn’t easy to compete with the giants in the industry. So, we crafted our offerings differently in such a way that they are simple, straightforward and absolute value for money without any hidden fee. And this is the real base of our business success. 

• What does Rayna Tours specialize in? 

Rayna Tours’ initial clients were limited to just hotel guests, but it is now a reliable platform for all types of travelers across the world to effortlessly plan and execute their dream holiday or travel. Whatever our guests are looking for to compile their travel – be it hotel reservation, flight booking, visa application, MICE or transfers, Rayna Tours has high-end choices to well take care of every aspect of a travel. We also help both small and mid-sized travel business, individual tour operators etc, to grow their presence through our dedicated B2B travel portal, www.raynab2b.com. 

• How is Rayna Tours different from other related service providers? 

First of all, we are an ISO certified company which indicates the high standard quality of our products and services and packages. As a customer-centric company, we always put our guests’ requirements first and hence our team can go any length to enrich the customer experience on round the clock basis. With a vast line up of cruise vessels, vehicles and a huge desert camp, we don’t have an intermediary to implement most of our best-selling services such as cruises and safaris. We are our customer’s number one choice; the proof of which is many awards and recognitions that we have received over the time via unbiased public voting and five-star customer reviews, mainly Traveler’s Choice Award from TripAdvisor and Arabian Travel Awards (for Best B2B Portal and Best Destination Management Company.)

• Running a business in a competitive industry is an extremely tough task. So, how do you deal with failures and mistakes? 

Yes, we have had to undergo many failures and challenges in our business journey. But, we never take it personal; instead we believe in SWOT analysis where we analyze our strengths and weaknesses while identifying our opportunities and threats. This not only allows us to know our strong points but also work on our inadequacies and limitations. 

• What is your favorite part of being the CEO of Rayna Group? 

The most amazing part of being in this position is that not every day is same or mundane for me. There may be lots of ups and downs with a diverse set of challenges and risks to tackle on day to day basis, but it is certainly rewarding as I can respond to my clients’ needs directly and even rectify the mistakes in our own unique ways. 

• What is your valuable advice for the up and coming entrepreneurs? 

To become an entrepreneur is both a daring and scary adventure. But, you really don’t have to be; once you know your passion and find your market, just have belief in yourself and further set your goals and vision right. And of course, be attentive and adaptable to the ever-changing market demands and learn from every mistake or difficult situation. Most importantly, always listen to your audience; be it positive or negative reviews, it will promote for the growth of your business. Remember that no business can reap success overnight; be prepared to make sacrifices and it is worth it once the results began to show.

The post An Interview with Manoj Tulsani – CEO of Rayna Tours and Travels appeared first on The Tech Outlook.

Rahul Sharma of Ek Ghar Banaunga fame takes on the role of the beloved Bhushan in the latest ALTBalaji original web series Helllo Jee, launched on 1st February 2021. Bhushan is the central male character in the series, he is one of the rare good ones which makes ‘Angelina’ who is not used to good men fall for him. Rahul Sharma talks in detail about the character and the show.

Tell us about ‘Helllo Jee’?

Helllo Jee is a story of a girl and her journey of how she meets different people/characters and how those characters have their own problems and struggles. But still, this girl manages to be a part of their lives and makes a way out of those struggles together as family members.

Tell us something about your character?

I am playing the character of Bhushan who is the positive lead of the show. Basically, Bhushan is a small-town boy and from a small family, who was raised in the shadows of poverty. There is a struggle in his life but is always willing to take risks and carve a way for himself. Bhushan is an innocent character still there is a bit of sharpness in him when it comes to his work and his life. He is a very ‘Desi type’ man who is connected to his roots. Has many friends and that chill attitude within him. There is a girl who he loves very much and this story is around that girl only.

You replaced Ansh Bagri for the role overnight. Any thoughts?

I don’t know about Ansh Bagri being a part of this show, because when I was approached for the show I sent them my Audition, and within 2-3 days they wanted to finalize me because they didn’t have many days left to start the shoot. So, I got selected just 2-3 days before the start of the shoot. 

What made you say yes to the show?

This is my first web series as a lead. I have been offered many shows in the past but in every show, they talked more about other things than the story, so I have rejected many series before this. But in this series, my character is very focused as to what he wants to do and how. And in the whole show, he is focused on one aim and he does not divert his aim till the end. That was the reason which attracted me the most and this will be the reason why people are going to like my character.

What are your thoughts on the concept of ‘Helllo Jee’? 

Helllo Jee has a very interesting concept, not because it is my show but in general. There is a very interesting story that involves many characters who are living their lives in agony and how a small thing turns their lives upside down. There is a shift in their lives when they set up a business together and strive to make a better future together. Being a youth-centric show, people are going to love it. 

What preparations have you done for your character in the show?

Preparing for Bhushan was quite tough for me, as I came at the last moment for the show and at first I was not able to find that Bhushan inside myself. So, I faced many problems during the shoot at the start as I was not able to bring my character to life. I was not able to attend all of the workshops for the show and on top of that, I fell sick right before the shoot. So, it was all-natural what I performed on set, even with the dialect and diction which was required to do justice to my character. And when we were shooting at different places, to understand the dialect of those areas I used to go to those places 4-5 days before the shoot to grasp as much as I could. Let’s hope that the audience loves my character.

How is your experience shooting with the co-stars? Did you shoot any intimate scenes with them?

Experience with the co-stars was absolutely superb and everybody was fabulous. We had a great time on set. I mostly shot with Nyra, Kashish, and Nitin, so I had a great time with them and even with the young co-stars, they were also brilliant like Rahul Verma, Dheerendra, etc. We had loads of fun on the set, so more than the show we created memories. There are no intimate scenes but a few romantic scenes in the show. I am happy that they are beautifully shot and will be presented to you guys beautifully as well. It was a part of the story and will help in the progression of the story. Otherwise, I would have said no to such a character if it had involved erotic scenes.

What are your expectations from ‘Helllo Jee’?

Like everybody in the Show, I also believe that Helllo Jee will do well. We have worked very hard on this project and we all want our work to be noticed and appreciated by the audience. I personally want to leave a mark on this platform as I did in the television industry.

What is your take on Nepotism?

Nepotism is everywhere not only in the industry but in every occupation. I personally don’t have any complaints about nepotism as people worked hard for it, their parents worked hard for it and their children are getting the benefits of those sacrifices and struggles. On the other hand, it is not easy to be the child of a celebrity as it involves a lot of expectations from you as well. You have to prove your worth to the industry and audience and if you are not able to prove they are worthy they are considered a failure. So, nepotism is a neutral term for me.

What is your take on the term ‘Womance’? How much are you getting paid? Did you face any money slash due to COVID?

I got a decent amount for the show. It was not low but I was comfortable with the amount. If you have good people around you, everything is worth it.

Tell us about your upcoming projects apart from ‘Helllo Jee’

Currently, I am on talking terms with a lot of television shows as well as web shows. So as soon as I confirm, I will let you all know the good news. 

The post Interview with Rahul Sharma from ALTBalaji web series Helllo Jee appeared first on The Tech Outlook.

There are so many inventions. Among these inventions, electronic gadgets are prominent. Gadgets are instruments that have made human life very easy. Time and again proves to nothing less than a blessing for the human race. Gadgets play a very important role in our lives. As we get up in the morning we need an alarm clock to wake up. Till the night we are bounded with the gadgets. Without the gadgets, we cannot imagine our lives. We use gadgets in each and every action. Like we want to purchase groceries and we need to the online payment we need a smartphone to make the online payment. The gadgets have become an essential part of our lives. Surviving without gadgets is the most impossible thing in today’s scenario.

The prevailing pandemic is one such example. With everything going digital it is impossible to live without gadgets. Technology cannot prevent the onset of the pandemics; however, it can help prevent the spread, educate, warn, and empower those on the ground to be aware of the situation, and noticeably lessen the impact. Today, technologies and gadgets like mobile, smart watches and fitness trackers, etc have become possible to test several innovative approaches to the pandemic response. 

Some of the ways how gadgets play a vital role in post-COVID-19 World – 

1. Life helper and optimizer

Gadgets not only make our daily life more versatile and effective, but they also contribute to increasing our standard of living. New devices like smart watches and fitness trackers can protect people from various diseases by the timely dedication of it. Nowadays smart watches enable features like heart rate monitoring, pulse monitoring. These trackers also help in regularizing the diets. 

2. Able to recognize

With the help of smart gadgets, one can easily detect the crime with the help of CCTVs connecting to gadgets. We can also find the places if we are not aware of the locations with the help of GPS and Location Tracker. The gadgets played a significant role in the surveillance and security purposes. With the outbreak of COVI-19, Gadgets are also helping in monitoring the COVID-19 containment zones. 

3. Reduces Distances

It gives the family joy and nobody must sit apart and experience the pain of separation now. With the advent of devices such as computers, cell phones, the camera now one can do the Video Calls, Voice calls any time anywhere. Thus, smart gadgets play a vital role in reducing distancing and bringing near and dears closer who are sitting far from us. 

4. Enabler of a seamless transition 

With education, landscape changing every day, and teaching pedagogy shifting to online modules gadgets is nothing less than a blessing. With the advent of a computer, laptops, Ipads, or even mobile phones our country seamlessly adopted the E-learning modules. 

5. Remote working technologies to support social distancing and maintain business continuity

As the prevailing pandemic threatening the business world, working from home ensures business continuity as well as facilitates social distancing. In such a scenario, technologies that enable secure access to data, enterprise applications, virtual meetings, cloud conferencing, and virtual/mixed/augmented reality are the forefront leaders to ensure deliverables are not impacted. Remote working is a blessing that comes due to technology and smart gadgets and is of one the greatest solution that helps us in social distancing. 

Indeed, the technology has advanced more and will continue to advance exponentially, but the human institutions and societies need to accelerate in adapting to it and continue investing in building the technology systems for the preparedness. It is quite evident that in the post-COVID-19 World new technologies and gadgets will play a crucial role in the seamless working of every industry.

The post Covid-19 impact: Demand for smart gadgets will surge in the post- COVID-19 World appeared first on The Tech Outlook.

We, at The Tech Outlook, caught up with Praveen Tyagi – Founder and CEO of STEPapp to know more about the application he made – STEPapp, how it functions and what is the USP of their program.
STEP (Student Talent Enhancement Program) is a revolutionary gamified learning application developed by a team of 400+ IITians and doctors. Recently, Amitabh Bachchan became the face of the brand that is available in English, Hindi, and Marathi.

In the interview, Praveen opened up about his journey with the company, the initial expectations, and inhibitions, the challenges, and much more.

Q. How did you come up with this idea?

Praveen Tyagi: Having been an educator for the past 22 years, I always felt that education needs a level playing field that allows students from all backgrounds equal opportunity to step up and be rewarded on the basis of their merit and sincerity. The digital revolution has provided us with a great opportunity to do just that. Students of this day and age need supplemental solutions that allow them to learn and gain conceptual clarity in an enjoyable, personalised, adaptive format, which can be achieved if learning is gamified.

That was when the idea struck me. I had the support of 400+ IITians and Doctors who not only understood my vision but also supported it. We came up with an idea that existing traditional learning pedagogy would be greatly complemented by a solution that would allow students to take control of their learning outcomes through conceptual clarity delivered to them in a gamified format. That is how the idea of STEPapp came into being.

Q. What expectations and fears you had when you started STEPapp? Do you think all the expectations have been fulfilled?

Praveen Tyagi: One of the biggest fears of bringing new technology in the digital education system is the misinterpretation that it is replacing the already set up traditional school education. I have always made sure that with the introduction of STEPapp, the traditional school education will be complemented and not supplemented. With STEPapp, we provide a gamified format to students that will enhance their education through a fun learning platform and helps them relearn the topics that are taught in schools.

We at STEPapp are focusing on bridging the educational gap between the children in the elite areas and the children in underprivileged areas. This has always been the top concern for us. I have always believed in equal educational opportunities to everyone irrespective of their backgrounds. With STEPapp, there will not be any differences when it comes to providing a level playing field for students all across, getting quality and fun learning educational experiences through this gamified format of e-learning.

Q. On this journey, what challenges have you faced and how did you overcome them?

Praveen Tyagi: I and my team at STEPapp have always aimed to provide universal access to quality education for every child in every corner of the country using technology and gamification. One of the biggest challenges that came before us was to reach out and build connectivity in remote areas and provide them the e-learning experience. There was also an issue of improper infrastructure to provide school education in many areas in the country.

After extensive research and development of STEPapp, we are happy to successfully implement the offline feature in our app to provide a platform to educate children in the underprivileged areas. With STEPapp, students can now learn and revise the topics thoroughly without any disruption at the ease of their homes.

Q. Amitabh Bachchan would be joining you as a brand ambassador. What do you have to say about that? How do you think it will help the app come in limelight?

Praveen Tyagi: Amitabh Bachchan is a legendary actor who has marked his presence in the industry for a long period of time. Being in such a respectful position, he is not only a great personality but is one of the most trusted and genuine brand influencers. He believes that the future of our country lies in the education of our children. He further adds that STEPapp has made learning interesting and rewarding for students with the innovation of introducing learning through games.

With the trust of a remarkable person like Mr Bachchan, we firmly believe in keeping the confidence of parents and teachers who will join hands with us to build the future of the children of our country.

Q. What are the things that you are going to venture into the future?

Praveen Tyagi: With a gamified, interactive and adaptive learning approach by STEPapp, we are focusing on the successful implementation of our app in every sector, every region, and corner of the country. We are concentrating on giving out equal opportunities to every child, irrespective of where they come from. Furthermore, we are aiming at helping the parents and teachers to make an informed decision on the basis of the student’s performance that is notified to them on a regular basis.

The post People think the digital education system is replacing traditional school education: Praveen Tyagi, Founder and CEO of STEPapp appeared first on The Tech Outlook.

With changing trends of the internet, everything is changing rapidly – even marketing techniques. Kuldeep Chaudhary, CEO & Co-Founder, ADOHM talks to Tech Outlook about his venture ADOHM and what and how they do to keep the business growing.

What was the inspiration behind starting this platform?

Kuldeep Chaudhary: The thought behind starting this venture of our own was to develop the best MarTech product in the industry. That was achieved by gathering raw and polished thoughts and building the best product that helps in making Marketing easier.

What kind of expectations do you have with Indian users/ customers?

Kuldeep Chaudhary: There is more to it than what meets the eye. We want the consumers to be aware of who their target audiences are, the platforms they should use for their marketing activities. We want them to know what international markets are doing to tap the audiences and how different their activities are when compared with us.

What are the key factors you keep in mind while handling the marketing of different businesses?

Kuldeep Chaudhary: Factors to keep in mind while executing or handling the clients’ business are: Firstly, to know who their audiences are, secondly getting the geography right and managing the budgets right. We want to generate leads depending on the manpower capabilities of an organisation.

With the constantly changing world of technology, what kind of challenges do you face?

Kuldeep Chaudhary: The market is resistant to adopt changes, customers need to understand there is a constant requirement of change management. Technology gets obsolete over a period of time, hence reducing the life cycle of the innovation. Finally, to make the clients understand how new technology is going to support them.

The post There is a constant requirement of change management: Kuldeep Chaudhary appeared first on The Tech Outlook.

A one-stop platform that networks & supports school ecosystems to be future-ready, Zamit is an information, engagement and interaction platform that networks schools, students, teachers, parents, and school service providers.

Zamit is a brainchild of MASH Virtual who are London based creators, actively building AR/VR applications, games, etc. And that is why we got in touch with Aarul Malaviya, Founder of MASH Virtual, to understand how the program works, what is ZQ, challenges the platform and its creators face, and much more:

Q.      What is zamit all about?

Zamit being a one-stop platform that networks & supports school ecosystems to be future-ready offers various functionalities such as search, compare, rate & review school, podcasts, edutainment & engaging activities. Zamit users can earn and redeem zamit points for merchandise and services by using different features offered by the app. The ZKiT program is a unique, customized support system based on the school’s ZQ (Zamit Quotient), Future Readiness Index. The ZKiT includes a range of services:

ZPoD – Zamit Professional Development Services: Seminars, Workshops and Professional development programmes.

ZIP – Zamit Internship Programme: A programme that offers students Internship and Apprenticeship opportunities.

ZISA – Zamit International School Awards: A first of its kind stakeholder-driven annual recognition award that recognises Schools, Principals, Teachers, Parents and non-teaching Staff of Pre-schools and K-12 schools.

ZCAS – Zamit Centralised Admissions Services: A comprehensive Web and Mobile App-based an end-to-end solution that simplifies the admissions process for prospective parents & schools.

ZFREC – Zamit Future Readiness Experience Centre: A physical space that offers students access to future-ready resources & expert guidance for admissions, careers, placements, fitness, cybersecurity, and many other areas. The ZFREC also offers various programmes that will help them prepare for the Uncertain, Complex and Ambiguous) world by helping them improve their Learning Power, develop the right mindset with future readiness skills that are critical for living and working in the age of Artificial Intelligence.

Q. As it is a brainchild of London based creators, what real-time challenges did you witness when the app was executed in India?

The creator is currently London based but by ethnicity, he is Indian and has done his schooling up until Grade 10 in India. Being one of a kind product in the market, getting the right structure which will benefit both the parents & the schools was our major challenge.

Q.      Over time, ZAMIT has managed to come in the top 10 apps. How does it feel? How has the journey been till date?

In one word “Exciting”. The journey has been certainly rewarding and miles to go. We’re keeping it dynamic and ever-evolving with our ear to the ground as more & more Schools start to see the sense in getting future-ready.

Q.      What kind of services do you offer to schools and parents? In what specific areas is it helpful for them?

We assist schools & parents to make the students future-ready.
 SCHOOLS

• The World’s first Future Ready Indexing ( ZQ: Zamit quotient ) which is an audit of the collective future-ready skills
• Zamit Keep In Touch Program (ZKIT), a series of customized workshops & which supports teachers in remaining Future-ready.
• We offer them Live streaming of school events
• Free of cost online teachers’ resources
• Talks by eminent educationists on contemporary topics
• The Zamit student internship program (ZIP)

PARENTS

• Curated news & events from schools & school education both local & global
• Parenting tips both in audio & video formats
• Genuine school reviews from parents & students together with a ‘search rate review’ schools feature on their mobile handset
• A storyboard in multi-languages where content & language is edited by language experts for appropriateness and age indicators
• Directory of tutors, coaching centres, after school activities & professional development institutes.

Q.       What is ZQ? How does it work?

ZQ stands for Zamit Quotient. The ZQ of an institute is the score built up around an algorithm of educational best practices, processes & systems. This includes curriculum delivery, innovativeness, co-curricular programs & technology integration that will prepare the students & faculty for the 21^st century. The ZQ for educational institutes demonstrates schools’ collective strength in providing students with life skills, adaptability & critical thinking in the Volatile, Uncertain, Complex, Ambiguous (VUCA) world.

The post Zamit assists schools & parents to make the students future-ready: Aarul Malaviya, Founder of MASH Virtual appeared first on The Tech Outlook.

Founded by Arjit Soni, a chartered accountant, in 2014, the company offers safe and hassle-free rides according to the users’ needs and convenience.

Let’s read what Arjit has to share about his journey, the inception of this company, the motive behind starting this company, and much more:

Q. In the era of climatic change and pollution problems, how important is to switch to cycles than vehicles like bikes and scooty?

Arjit Soni: It is quite evident that cars cannot grow beyond a point as parking is the constraint to their growth. And therefore, people will have to switch to public transport, which in return will cause problems like connectivity which makes it less accessible and convenient.

Whereas, cycles as an alternative and sustainable mode of transport are a great medium for short-distance commuting but not really practical when distance gets long.

Hence, MYBYK, with which we are addressing both the limitations of public transport and cycles by bringing them together. 

Q. Since 2014, what kind of changes have you witnessed in bicycle industry and consumer interest?

Arjit Soni: Bicycle industry hasn’t changed at all and in fact, in India it is the most conservative industry.

As long as consumer interest is concerned, I can definitely say that from being a social stigma (still present in lower-income groups) cycles have now become a lifestyle statement. 

Q. Renting and sharing also brings a lot of damage issues, how do you deal with them?

Arjit Soni: My education has helped me here. Being a chartered accountant, my strength lies in designing control processes and fixing up accountability. And this is what differentiates us from the rest of our competitors. So unlike ofo, mobike and even India bicycle-sharing operators who failed miserably due to theft and vandalism, I am proud to say that our theft and vandalism ratio is next to zero. 

Q. Apart from the balance in the environment, what is the motive behind this start up?

Arjit Soni: The vision is to help the country go in the direction of becoming a developed nation. I think if given proper attention, with this idea, the country’s wasteful expenditure on flyovers and road infrastructure can be reduced. Also, it can help in minimising the dependence on petrol.

Q. What all geographical areas is your company targeting to reach in the near future

Arjit Soni: For now, we have a huge expansion coming up in Ahmedabad and we are focused on that. We have 2 more opportunities in Mumbai (we won’t the STAMP 2019 challenge and get to pilot with Mumbai Metro Line 1) and Udaipur.

Cities such as Delhi, Indore, Bhopal, Rajkot, etc with a Mass Rapid Urban Transport such as BRTS or METRO are ideal cities for us to expand as our value proposition lies in the first and last-mile connectivity.

The post Cycles have become a lifestyle statement: Arjit Soni, Founder, Mybyk appeared first on The Tech Outlook.

Proving that age is just a number, Avii Ahuja – a class XII student from DPS Faridabad and an NTSE scholar, who has always been motivated to solve problems and develop solutions for them, is a tech-entrepreneur with three companies to his credit at the mere age of 17 years.

The young tech-entrepreneur, who created foodsamurAI and also co-founded a Healthcare product for the elderly – Senior Saathi (www.seniorsaathi.com) and Ploutos (www.ploutosmoney.com), recently received the TiE Young Entrepreneurs Award from Conrad Turner (Counselor for cultural affairs, US embassy).

In a conversation with us, Avii shares intricacies of his journey, the advantages and disadvantages of being a young entrepreneur, challenges, and much more.

Q. When did people around you started realising that you are so good at what you do? Was it from within or someone suggested you start the company?

Mr. Ahuja: I remember at the age of 12, getting frustrated sharing the Television in the family room and asking my parents for a Raspberry Pi. They looked at me with adoration, thinking that he just wants something like an apple pie. The little gadget arrived, and I quickly learned some working Python and had soon configured that into my personal media player for my room with every channel on my fingertip. The thrill of solving an average everyday problem with the help of technology put me on the path to learn various programming languages and delve deeper into the tech world.

Q. With technology upgrading so fast, how do you stay up-to-date with what is going to come in the next 1 year?

Mr. Ahuja: I thrive on exploring new avenues in technology. I explore articles on Medium, analyse AI research papers and attend PyData Meetups. 

Q. What are the advantages or disadvantages of being so young and working?

Mr. Ahuja: A big challenge that I face constantly is my age or shall I say lack of legal age. People don’t take you seriously at face value. One has to go above and beyond to sell one’s product or skills. The basic tasks of creating a company, bank accounts, applying for copyrights etc. become herculean.
On the flip side, age is also on my side as I can invest my energies into constantly learning and evolving my skill set instead of getting slotted in a box or role.  

Q. Since you are in class 12th, how do you manage the pressure of company and studies?

Mr. Ahuja: Balancing the roles of an entrepreneur and a student simultaneously does not come easy. Being an entrepreneur, there are times that some tasks take precedence over my studies. For example, there could be a critical bug in the app that needs immediate attention or there is an app update schedule to adhere to. At those times, my studies do take a back seat. Or I could have school examinations and then I have to switch off the entrepreneur mode and give my schoolwork full attention. Being a scholar badge recipient, my schoolwork is of utmost importance too. Because of this balancing act, many times I had to decide on achievable goals as an entrepreneur. 

I use a three S principle to juggle my school studies and my entrepreneurial projects – Set Priorities, Sub-task, and Schedule. Step one is to prioritise the tasks on a daily basis, step two is to divide the task into smaller achievable sub-tasks, and lastly, step three is to schedule and plan the timeline for these subtasks. These three principles have steered me through this journey.

Q. What are you planning to pursue after class 12th?

Mr. Ahuja: I would like to take my projects to the next level and put in a suite of features that I couldn’t, due to my hectic school schedule. The added features would make the user experience more wholesome. Actively monetising the products is also on the agenda. In my opinion, this is just the brink of the iceberg – there is so much to learn, discover and incorporate. On the education front, I want to broaden my horizons. To that end, I would like to get into a university and pursue my passion for technology and artificial intelligence.  

The post People don’t take you seriously: Avii Ahuja on being a young entrepreneur appeared first on The Tech Outlook.

Yash Sharma, CEO of Quick Forex came up with the idea of using all available digital platforms for making money transfers, tours & travel an amazing experience. From the forming up of a completely dedicated team working on Social Media to building up exclusive strategies for customer satisfaction, Yash has shown keen interest and involvement in all work stages.

Yash shares what the motive behind starting the company, what all it offers, expansion plans, and much more:

Q. What were the inspiration/ motive behind starting this company?

Mr. Sharma: I believe that institutional logic should take its place alongside financial logic as a guiding principle in professional decision making. As a young entrepreneur, I explored all possible mediums to reach out to the masses with his services be it Social Media, Digital Platforms, and there are many ongoing projects that would keep Quick Forex ahead in terms of breakthrough technology. Being a frequent traveller, the long queues for exchange were very troublesome and tiring, I always thought of short cuts and quick responses for each task coming my way, and then the hype of digital platforms was gaining among people. I found a solution to it and kept on improvising our service. Our customers have really enjoyed the service and requested us to open more branches in their states. I am looking forward to creating and implement strategic solutions that would result in quick and easy access to foreign exchange and related solutions. A true entrepreneur always understands the needs of the networking business.

Q. What kind of services does your company provide? Elaborate.

Mr. Sharma: Quick Forex helps its customers to buy forex for several purposes such as Personal Travel, Business Travel, Education, Emigration, Employment, Medical, etc. through simple and convenient use of any of our Digital Platform and Pan India Branches. We promise the fastest delivery of funds globally. It’s India’s first e-commerce initiative in retail foreign exchange and international money transfer, offering customers complete services of forex products consisting of currency notes, prepaid travel cards, traveller’s cheque, demand drafts and wire transfers in the most inexpensive and convenient way, i.e., through Digital Media.

Q. What kind of packages do you offer?

Mr. Sharma: We do not provide any kind of travel packages.

Q. How is your company different than other competitors in the market?

Mr. Sharma: Our competitive rates and the hold we’re having on all our services offered is something none can beat us in. We have dedicated team catering students and travel wire transfers. We have tie-ups with almost all the banks in India for seamless service. His understanding of what customers want, combined with his employees’ know-how, can be regarded as a knowledge base. Using knowledge in the right way, I have tried to run the business more efficiently.

Q. What are your plans for expansion?

Mr. Sharma: Well, right now we have 10 branches and the next target is to have another 25 branches in the coming financial year. There is a rise in demand for foreign exchange. More and more people are flying abroad. Students are going for their degrees. I feel there is a huge potential in the market and we as a company will try to encash the trends. I feel our expansion is on the automation where people want to join us from the whole of India.

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