It was 0830 hours and I was already at the desk working to some plan. I was dressed in a white full sleeve shirt, beige trousers, black shoes and most important of all, a floral jhin-chak tie! 🙂

This was on the 14th of August 1995 and the venue was the first and the brand new office of Career Launcher, a new entrepreneurial baby. That it was one of the bedrooms in my father’s government quarters in Gol Market In New Delhi is a matter of minor detail. It had four royal chairs made of aluminium , bought from Panchkuian Road bought for Rs 360. it also had a ‘godrej’ table donated by a friend, Bata, as he was migrating to the US.

The floral jhin-chak tie is, indeed, an important detail here. That my boss at Ranbaxy failed in making me wear too much of formals was official on the 12th floor of Devika Towers, Nehru Place office . His admonishments did not work much. He, literally, scolded me and escorted me to a shop in South Extension and made me buy a navy blue blazer. That is an important and also a marked event of my life.

And with such a background, I was sitting at the Career Launcher office on the 14th August 1995. It is just a testimony to what entrepreneurship makes you do. Or at least, made me do. I was fighting my fear about becoming lazy, careless and fail, as an entrepreneur. I was overdoing what I do every morning. I added a tie to my attire so that I take myself seriously. At 0830, I used to leave by my Vespa to the Ranbaxy office. On this day too, I left home at 0829hours and reported to work in the adjacent room at 0830 hours!

That was the official start of CL. My fun or struggle began officially on that day. It continues to be the same fun and struggle to this day, as I savour the cake at the completion of 18 years of our fun, joy, struggle, existence, triumphs etc.,

I have never met the sales or business targets on the dot. Either under-achievered them or occasionally over-achieved them. Honestly, We have made a dozen blunders every year. Newer ones each time. Hopefully, not repeated many. Errors in judgement is a part of life. But never erred by design, perhaps. Tried to build an organisation that has a wee-bit of ability to last a while after we are gone. Not a bad attempt. Let us continue on this path. Entrepreneurship is about failures and honest attempts. Success is an occasional distraction.

In all of these, the CLite has been a constant companion. ’We’ has been about every CLite who has been with CL some stage or the other. ’We’ also has included over a 100 entrepreneurs in as many cities who are CL with all passion and student commitment. ’We’ also includes all the students and parents who trusted us with the future of the child.

As we step into our 19th year, we need to just focus on twin things that we have spoken over the recent quarters. ’Trusteeship’ and ‘ Innovation’ has been the theme. It has only become more important. We have to recommit to plug away relentlessly to emerge as the brand that is more trustworthy than any one else. Inside our work areas, we need to continuously be street-smart and innovative. The rest of it is simple. The customer will take care of us if we take care of her with all honesty and commitment. Nothing can fail us!

Love
Satya