Wolf Of Print Street: Starting A Company Before An MBA

You will find myths abound regarding entrepreneurship. A sagely elder might tell you that it is all about the passion you bring to the game, someone else will attribute it to answering one’s calling in life and others will glorify the need to fail in order to grow. In my experience, entrepreneurship does not lend itself to such simple generalizations as the above. It has a special meaning for every individual; to me, it was about connecting dots, dots that I saw around me that were waiting to be connected. Providing answers to needs that are concurrent with each other as well as within the limits of one’s skill set.

I am a print engineer by trade and as part of my first job, I found myself dealing with vendors for a retail major in north India. I realized that I could combine my knowledge as a printer and the newfound contacts I had made in hubs of commerce, such as Chandni Chowk and Chawdi Bazar, to start my own printing venture. I would source raw materials from my suppliers and provide customized printed solutions to my patrons. Catering to the burgeoning wedding industry in New Delhi, my job was a cavalcade of challenges and the occasional win. Me and my bunch of trusted friends often found ourselves at wits end regarding how to keep ourselves on track and afloat. Feeling a need to further skill myself, I decided to formalize my business education in the form of an MBA from SCMHRD. Here, my journey thus far has been an eye-opener. In the first semester itself, the entrepreneur in me has had much food for thought.

A medley of guest lectures, business simulations, research papers and projects has made me apply myself like never before. SCMHRD is defined by its student-driven culture and the numerous committees that make the B-School tick. For instance, as part of the Entrepreneurship Cell, one is afforded the opportunity of visiting cities across India and meeting successful entrepreneurs in order to gain insight and in turn foster entrepreneurship in the campus. This experience was by far the one I cherished the most. In summation, SCMHRD is a dot I am glad I chose to connect to the journey that is my career. I am most excited to see what new opportunities and wonderful experiences it has in store for me.

- Saptarshi Basu (SCMHRD 2018-20 Marketing batch)