Meet Abhijit, a versatile entrepreneur from Najibabad, in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh.
His is the ideal profile for anyone who may question the background and drive of Entrepreneurial Households. He holds not one, but three degrees (B.Com, M.Com, MBA) and has three diversified sources of income.
Post his MBA, he worked in various salaried roles in larger cities before deciding to come back home to establish several ventures. He decided to do so to be closer to his family, and he saw the opportunity to build back in the place where he grew up.
From catering to uniforms
Abhijit’s entrepreneurial journey is remarkable and started even before his homebound return. His first independent venture was a catering company which he set up and ran for a year in the capital city of Delhi. Today in Najibabad, he owns a shop that sells books, stationery and confectionery, and provides lamination and photocopying services. He co-owns a Jan Seva Kendra - a Government of India service center that offers digital services such as recharges and bill payments. To cap it off, he also retails uniforms for the National Cadet Corps (NCC), a youth development movement. This diversification not only showcases Abhijit’s business acumen, but also ensures financial stability.
Abhijit says he learnt a valuable lesson during his MBA - "Everything is sellable." - which inspired him to start his catering business in 2013. He believes that in a customer-oriented market, if a customer asks for something and you can supply it, then you should go for it. "It takes effort, but you earn more. You must serve your customers as much as possible," he says. This customer-centric approach has been a key factor in his success.
“Everything is sellable. It takes effort, but you earn more” - Abhijit Vashisht, Najibabad
Abhijit is not done yet. He aspires to explore new income-generation methods, and for quality education for his children. He is particularly keen on expanding his NCC uniform business - to a second store, and bringing in efficiencies using technology such as barcodes.
An exemplar of Entrepreneurial Households
In Abhijit's story, we see many facets of Entrepreneurial Households - a blend of education and practical knowledge, the drive to achieve financial growth, the confidence to diversify, and an inclination to return to hometowns for better opportunities. Importantly, his journey also typifies a relentless pursuit for social mobility, and a willingness to invest towards that goal.
Like Abhijit’s, there are 247 million such Entrepreneurial Households across India. Their demands for core solutions like quality education, healthcare and MSME financing represent a multi-trillion dollar business opportunity for investors and entrepreneurs to participate in their growth.
To read more about the EPIC Opportunity, download the EPIC Opportunity Report.