rediffGURU Dr Ganesh Natarajan offers advice on how to build and scale your start-up.
- You can post your questions to rediffGURU Dr Ganesh Natarajan HERE.
Is India a good market to set up your first business?
How can you build a company from scratch?
How do you find your first set of investors?
"India is not a very easy place to build scientific companies," says Special rediffGURU Dr Ganesh Natarajan, chairman and co-founder, 5F World, GTT Data and Lighthouse Communities.
Dr Natarajan chairs the board at Honeywell Automation India and has been a successful business and social entrepreneur for over 30 years.
He will answer reader queries on skill development and entrepreneurship till June 1.
- You can post your questions to rediffGURU Dr Ganesh Natarajan HERE.
Anonymous: Sirji, I completed my PhD abroad and returned, hoping to work on cutting-edge gene editing therapies. However, our start-up struggles with funding and regulatory hurdles, and I'm pulled into administrative and grant-writing work instead of core research.
I aspire to lead my own lab or biotech venture focused on affordable diagnostics for rural areas.
Could you advise on building leadership skills in a technical environment, balancing research excellence with business acumen, and attracting early-stage investors for high-risk biotech ventures?
Also, how can I find mentors who understand both science and entrepreneurship?
India is not a very easy place to build scientific companies. But you can check out Venture Centre in Pune and write to Dr Premnath or the super-successful Parul Ganju of Ahammune.
Anonymous: I lost Rs 5 crores in my last business during Covid. I am yet to fully recover from the loss.
I took up a job, but I am not happy.
My father-in-law is willing to loan me Rs 2 crore for 20 per cent equity.
I want to enter the food business. Do you think this is a good decision?
It is a good decision if you have the knowledge and clarity.
You have to get started with your own capital and some seed funding from friends and family.
Once you have established the product-market, connect and start generating a steady stream of revenue. Angel investors will help you scale.
Anonymous: I am a marketing manager at an FMCG firm in Pune.
After a decade in brand communications, I've hit a plateau -- promotions are slow, and leaders keep emphasising digital analytics, AI-driven consumer insights, and e-commerce.
My team is small, budgets are tight, and I worry I'll be left behind as younger hires with AI-upskilling credentials advance faster.
At the same time, I dream of founding a consultancy that helps women entrepreneurs build powerful brands. But I don't know how to bootstrap -- where to find initial clients, how to market my services on LinkedIn and Instagram, or even how to pitch to investors for a larger venture fund.
Given your experience scaling multiple businesses and mentoring leaders, what roadmap and mindset shifts would you advise for a mid-career professional like me aiming to transition from corporate marketing to entrepreneurship while staying relevant in a rapidly evolving digital landscape?
Develop skills in digital marketing, look for a larger company and build your career. Your transition to social entrepreneurship can wait.
- You can post your questions to rediffGURU Dr Ganesh Natarajan HERE.
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