Pessimistic periods are the best time for entrepreneurs to seize the opportunity to take their ideas and make them real, said Mr V.T. Bharadwaj, Managing Director of Sequoia Capital India. Resources will be available and rentals will be cheap for entrepreneurs during such periods, he said at the launch of a coffee-table book Dream to Destiny, The Driving Spirit of Chennai's Entrepreneurs .
The global venture-capital firm Sequoia Capital invested in Apple in 1979 when it was a terrible time in the US; it invested in Cisco in 1989 during a pessimistic time; and in Google in 2002 at the peak of the dotcom bubble burst. In India, Sequoia invested in Vasan Healthcare in January 2009, just four weeks after the Lehman trouble broke out and in JustDial in June 2009, which was not the best of times. However, all these companies have become highly successful ventures as entrepreneurs saw opportunity in bad times and converted their ideas into reality, he said.
Mr G. Srinivasan, Chairman and Managing Director of United India Insurance, said once an entrepreneur has started a company, the biggest challenge is moving forward and getting funding at the right time. A good eco-system to support such entrepreneurs should be created to mentor and help them, he said after launching the book.
The Indus Entrepreneurs, Chennai, has brought out the book, which showcases 35 entrepreneurs of the city. The list includes mentors, start-ups, women and social entrepreneurs. Some of the prominent names profiled in the book include Prof. Ashok Jhunjhunwala of Rural Technology Business Incubator at IIT, Madras; Mrs Saundarya Rajesh of Avtar Career Creators; Ms Ranjini Manian of Global Adjustments; and Mr B.G. Raghupathy of BGR Energy Systems.
The success stories of the entrepreneurs are an inspiration for others to emulate, said Mr Srinivasan.