Take me Home by Rashmi Bansal

Take me Home by Rashmi Bansal

(Book review 11/2015)

 

This is the best book of Rasmi till date just to say that I have read her two other books “Stay hungry, Stay Foolish” and “Connect the dots”. I liked this book personally.

It starts as The Inspiring stories of 20 entrepreneurs from small-town India with big-time dreams.

The first story itself is interesting as its from my city of Balaji Waffers and Chandubhai Virani, how they struggled and from simple canteen contractor at the local cinema to becoming the brand which commands 65% share in five states in wafers and numkeen business. I liked the line “I had an obsession to increase the business even if it meant mortgaging our house.

Next story is of Jaipur Rugs, of Nand Kishor Chaudhary from that I liked”Ustad ko dekh kar main khud ustad ban gaya.” (Observing the master at work, I too became a master). From Spacewood story I learnt “To do business, sirf character dabbang hona chahiye.” (You need to be bold and fearless to do business). Jyoti CNC, the biggest hope giver to all the youths and small business starters to grow big and once again a person from Rajkot Parakramsinh Jadeja stating “Uncle, there is nothing in this world that is not possible” and also “You must be able to picture your destination and share that picture with your team.”Also included is the pride moment for India “When I entered the Huron plant, the owner had put up the Indian tricolor at the front gate. It was the proudest moment of my life.” Kashmir Apiaries, firstly I like honey and secondly after reading this I saw the label on my honey bottle, surely it was Kashmir Apiaries on the brand I use daily. “ I did not have the money but I did not believe in taking anything for free” and also “I had a ramshackle jeep and not enough money to buy diesel for the trip. Still, I decided to go.” Next from WELL BRED I liked when Bahadurbhai tell his doctor “The faster you forget the names of medicines, the better” and he tells this after a major epidemic in his poultry farm so the doctor was stunned. How would he do his job, if not with medicine? Bahadurbhai added “Instead you find out why the disease occurred in the first place.”So from then on “Prevention is better than cure” became their motto.

Deepak Dadhoti – Servocontrols India, I liked “Dr Kalam has said, ‘What is the fun of basking in the glory of another’s country…’Those words kept ringing in my mind” also “ It is one thing to have the ‘know-how’ and another to convert your know-how into a commercially viable business” and also “Entrepreneurship means going out and cutting deals. You can’t just sit in your office and expect orders” and last but the most important “For every cellphone we buy, a dollar goes to Motorola, because the IP of cellular technology is still with them. I want to make that sort of innovation happen in India.” Next is Rohith Bhat – RoboSoft stating “I used to dream of living abroad, living comfortably. After going to Japan, I was determined to do something in my own country” also “Getting a project was a big thing…so we said yes to whatever was offered. Only then we would worry about how to do it!” lastly “Do not start a business thinking I will try this…if it doesn’t work…I will go back. It will definitely fail.”Virat Khutal – Twist Mobile “When I say ‘Kill your parents’ I mean all the mindsets and the orthodox things put into your head. You have to put them aside if you want to create something new.” Vibhor Agrawal – Multimax Engineering “You have to draw a line, that, okay, this is my lakshman-rekha. I will not drop my quality below this level, no matter what the pricing pressure.”

Muruganantham – Jayashree Industries “If the problem is tough, you cannot find a single man there…you stand there and you will definitely get an opportunity.” Educated only up to class 9, Murugan is a maverick thinker and inventor. Working alone in a modest workshop, he developed a revolutionary machine to make low-cost sanitary napkins; changing the lives of ordinary women, across India.  To see the sheer force of his conviction this is enough “I was even ready to do the surgery and become a lady to conduct my research!”  Dilafrose Qazi – SSM Collage of Engineering Parihaspora (Kashmir) says “Initially, I did not have such a big dream ki university kholni hai. I thought I will teach some small courses which will help girls to become independent” and the nicest “I went to Pakistan for a peace conference and said to Mr. Musharraf, if you truly feel for Kashmir, you would not put guns into the hands of little children. The Last One is the Startup Village Kochi (Kerala). I am really stunned by the concept of incubators and really appreciate the concept behind this, hats off to the guys and I wish more of such incubators bloom up all over India. Some of the hints “ An entrepreneur must work like a bull and live like a nomad” also “This is an open space – we don’t deny any opportunity, reject any idea…” and the gist of all “The idea of a ‘Silicon Coast’ is a dream, it is not a business plan.

So to sum up a really very energizing book and quiet a good guide to think in an untangled way