Life in India took a dramatic turn after the national lockdown was imposed over four months ago, on March 24. Despite the turbulence, here’s how TiE Kerala has helped local startups thrive.
Past President, TiE Kerala & Associate Partner, Ernst & Young LLP
Rajesh Nair is currently the Associate Partner (Markets) of Ernst & Young LLP. Rajesh has done his Production Engg from Regional Institute of Technology, Jamshedpur (now NIT) and joined Tata Motors. During his stint in Tata Motors, Rajesh got the ‘BEST GRADUATE ENGG TRAINEE’ Award from Mr. Ratan Tata in 1996. Post his stint here, he joined SP Jain Institute of Management & Research for a business management program specializing in Manufacturing Management.
After his business program, Rajesh has been in consulting for the last 20 years. His area of expertise is organization strategy, leadership development and mergers and acquisitions.
In his present post, Rajesh focuses on business development for all services of Ernst & Young in Kerala. Rajesh has spoken at various industry forums and several management schools. He reads and writes in his spare time and dedicates time for helping start up organizations, and young entrepreneurs. Rajesh is the Immediate Past President & Charter Member of TiE Kerala.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rajesh-nair-4578339/
Description of Mentoring Preferences:
Mentoring should not be free and for longer term Mentors can be given token equity. Minimum 4 hours Mentor and Mentee interaction on a monthly basis & immediately open to start mentoring sessions. Open for 12-18 hours of Mentoring over a 6 month period.
A brief about the kind of entrepreneur, company, domain, etc. that the Mentor would prefer to guide.
Mr. Kamath is the Co- Founder and CFO of Next Education India Founded in 2007, Next Education is a fast-growing, technology-driven company revolutionising the education system in India. Every day, through innovative products and solutions Next Education transforms the lives of 10% of India’s private-school-going children.More than 12,000,000 students from various socio-cultural backgrounds study in 12,000 partner schools across the country. Next Education is a K-12-focussed technology-based education solution provider. Its flagship products like TeachNext, LearnNext, MathsLab, ScienceLab and EnglishLab are used in over 6000-plus schools across the country, transforming the lives of over six million students. Next Education products are primarily mapped to cover CBSE, ICSE and 23 state boards in eight major Indian languages. Raveendranath Kamath secured Destination Kerala Startup Award 2017 in the ‘Midas Investor’ category
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kamathr/
Description of Mentoring Preferences:
Mentoring should not be free and for longer term Mentors can be given token equity. As required with a minimum of 2 Hours Mentor and Mentee interaction on a monthly basis & Only open to start mentoring sessions after post COVID Crisis. Open for 12-18 hours of Mentoring over a 6 month period.
A brief about the kind of entrepreneur, company, domain, etc. that the Mentor would prefer to guide.
Balagopal enrolled for PhD at the Kerala University and associated with the Center for Development Studies Trivandrum during the course. He was chosen to serve the nation as an officer in the Indian Administrative Service (Manipuar Cadre) in the role of a district official. He found his calling in entrepreneurship and quit Government service in 1983 and started a joint-venture to commercialise a knowhow developed in a national research lab. He later sold the idea to KSIDC and NRDC. Good leadership, team work along with government support helped his company develop fast and grow. They excelled in the ‘know why’ of medical device manufacturing which became the company’s core competency. With the opening up of Indian economic policy, and advent of foreign products into Indian market, Balagopal signed an MOU with Terumo Corp. Japan in 1999 as an investor and global business partner; Penpal became Terumo Penpal (TPL). Blood bags and equipments manufactured by TPL were exported to more than 50 countries globally. In the year 2012, he sold his shareholding to Terumo Corp. and stepped down as managing director in March 2013. He continued his association with TPL as an Advisor for yet another year to help with the transition to a new management team. Balagopal wears multiple hats; he is currently the Founder and Trustee at Anaha; Director of Enter Technologies Pvt. Ltd; Chairman of Mobilexion, a medical technology company. He is a Charter Member and first President of TiE Kerala. He is also a member of the Ethics Committee of Rajiv Gandhi Center for Biotechnology; Investment Promotion Board; Kerala and Technology Development Committee and Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences & Technology (Dept of Science &Technology, Govt of. India).
Balagopal now divides his time between mentoring and investing in startup ventures, especially those engaged in healthcare, community development activities, and writing. He is a sought after speaker on various subjects ranging from business, healthcare and public health, entrepreneurship, and contemporary affairs. He has written a book, “On A Clear Day You Can See India”, published by Harper Collins, and his second book “The View from Kollam” is out now.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/balagopal-chandrasekhar-12848653/
Description of Mentoring Preferences:
Mentoring should be free and for longer term Mentors can be given token equity. More than 2 hours Mentor and Mentee interaction on a monthly basis & immediately open to start mentoring sessions.
A brief about the kind of entrepreneur, company, domain, etc. that the Mentor would prefer to guide.
MSA Kumar started his career with Sandoz (India) Ltd as a Management Trainee and rose to the position of Executive Director in Bayer (India) Ltd. Before joining AV Thomas Group of companies in 1995 as Managing Director, MSA was the Vice President of Shaw Wallace and Company, Chennai. MSA brings over forty years of rich business leadership experience across frontline sales, product and profit centre management.
During his 20 years tenure with the AV Thomas group, Kumar has been the Managing Director of AVT Natural Products Ltd and AVT McCormick Ingredients Pvt. Ltd, Cochin, two flagship companies of AV Thomas Group of Companies, Chennai. He also led the founding of a state-of-the-art spice processing plant for AVT McCormick the American JV. He conceptualized and executed setting up of wholly owned subsidiary of AVT Natural Products in China for growing and processing of Marigold flowers.
He was on the Board of a number of companies in the AV Thomas Group. He has also served various public positions & also on the board of several associations like Spices Board, Cochin Chamber of Commerce and Industry, CII, TiE Kerala, All India Spice Exporters Forum, Skills Sub-Committee, CII Southern Region etc to name a few. He is the Immediate Past President of TiE Kerala.
He is the recipient of several Awards/Accomplishments including the “Management Leadership Award 2015” – highest honour conferred on an individual management leader for his/her outstanding contribution in the field of management and industrial development in the state of Kerala.
Graduated in Agricultural Sciences from College of Agriculture, Trivandrum, Kumar took his MBA from the prestigious Indian Institute of Management, Ahmadabad (IIMA)
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kumar-m-s-a-70753385/
Description of Mentoring Preferences:
Whether mentoring is free or paid is depends on the situation and the time spent by the Mentor.
Mentor and Mentee interaction will be 2 sessions in a month of 2 hours and will be open to spending 12-18 hours over a 6 month period. Immediately open to start mentoring sessions.
A brief about the kind of entrepreneur, company, domain, etc. that the Mentor would prefer to guide.
Roy I. Varghese is the founder and Senior Partner of Roy Varghese & Associates, Chartered Accountants. RVA has four offices at Bangalore, Chennai, Cochin and Trivandrum and is member firm in India of HLB international with more than six hundred offices around the world.
Roy had worked in industry for 13 years before setting up the firm in 1993. He heads the Consultancy Practice of the firm and specializes in inbound/outbound investments, strategic financial planning, M & A and cross-border services. He is a Fellow member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India, member of the All India Management Association and a Charter Member of TiE Kerala. A frequent speaker at conferences, he has presented professional topics at International Accountants Conferences. Roy is an adviser to several multinational corporations operating in India.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/roy-i-varghese-01257219/
Description of Mentoring Preferences:
Mentoring should be free and for longer term Mentors can be given token equity. Duration & frequency of Mentor and Mentee interaction should be depends upon the project and the level of mentorship needed and open to start mentoring sessions during the year.
A brief about the kind of entrepreneur, company, domain, etc. that the Mentor would prefer to guide.
Mukund’s 20-year career has seen him move across continents, and rise from systems engineer, to CEO and founder of Suyati Technologies. In between, he has gained hands-on experience in delivering global IT solutions for various businesses, including B2B & B2C Software, Engineering Services, Automotive, Consulting and Utility industries. He has worked at companies like GM, Ford and Fifth Gear. Mukund’s areas of expertise include technology and team leadership, revenue generation and sales,budget control, technology selection, staffing, employee retention, risk mitigation, and supplier relations. He’s the prime driver of Suyati’s leap towards excellence, and is the true inspiration behind its much admired corporate culture. At Suyati, Mukund has created unique solutions and products in the IT, social advocacy, digital marketing and content creation spheres. When not spearheading new ideas at Suyati, Mukund loves to read the Economist and the Unreal Times (!), ponder over philosophy and spirituality, and dabble in running and weight training. He holds an MS from the State University of New York at Buffalo, and an MBA from Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business. Mukund is also on NASSCOM’s committee for their 10,000 Startups initiatives in Kerala and on Swinburne University of Technology’s CSSE Course Advisory Committee. He is the Charter Member of TiE Kerala.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mukundkrishna/
Description of Mentoring Preferences:
Mentoring should be charged and for longer term Mentors can be given token equity. 1 hour Mentor and Mentee interaction on a monthly basis. Presently not open for mentoring since currently tied up with too many engagements. Could be availablefor mentoring 2021-22.
A brief about the kind of entrepreneur, company, domain, etc. that the Mentor would prefer to guide.
Balachandran is currently the Chairman Emeritus, Buimerc Core Investments Pvt. Ltd, Kochi, India, an FIPB approved Core Investment Company that considers suitable investments in/ acquisitions of other companies, who are reasonably well established, show growth potential, need support to scale up and are operating their business successfully.
He has over 45 Years of management and entrepreneurship experience. His exposure covers different sectors like steel industry, Travel and Tourism, Real Estate development, School education, Roofing solutions, Skill development, Training and more. His Work experience is across India and the USA.
LinkedIn:
MENTORING AREAS
Description of Mentoring Preferences:
Mentoring should be free and for longer term Mentors can be given token equity. If the mentoring is free it could be restricted and should keep the first few (2 or 3) sessions free and charge a nominal fee for further sessions. As required minimum 2 hours Mentor and Mentee interaction on a monthly basis.Open to start mentoring sessions during the year. Open for 12-18 hours of Mentoring over a 6 month period.
A brief about the kind of entrepreneur, company, domain, etc. that the Mentor would prefer to guide.
Mr. Shivdas B Menon is Managing Director of Sterling Group of Companies. An Agricultural Engineer by profession, worked for highly reputed Agri Tech Companies like the Amalgamation Group, Shaw Wallace & Co. Ltd and Peirce Leslie India Ltd for almost two decades before forming Sterling Group in 1988 – manufacturers of Agri Inputs for domestic as well as international markets. Today Sterling Group is a leading exporter of Agri tech products apart from catering to domestic requirements. The Company has a State-of-the Art Testing and Research & Development Centre facility, one of its kind at Kochi for developing Hi-tech Agri Inputs and testing food and agriculture products. Shivdas Menon is former President of TiE and also Past Chairman of CII (Southern Region), Kerala and headed various Committees in the organization. His area of interests includes Agri Inputs, Food & other Agriculture Products Testing and Agri Projects Consultancy.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shivdas-menon-60128044/
Description of Mentoring Preferences:
Mentoring should not be free and for longer term Mentors can be given token equity. 2 hours Mentor and Mentee interaction on a monthly basis & open to start mentoring sessions during the year. Open for 12-18 hours of Mentoring over a 6 month period.
A brief about the kind of entrepreneur, company, domain, etc. that the Mentor would prefer to guide.
Mr. Harikrishnan Nair is currently the CEO of Western India Cashew Company, since 1992. WICC is a cashew processing company, which imports raw cashew nuts from African countries and supplies processed cashews and cashew food-ingredients to snack-food companies in America, the U.K., Europe, Australia, Japan and India. WICC also supplies imported raw cashews to other cashew processors in India. The company works in many factories in Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Its packing facility is ISO 9002 and HACCP certified.
Hari Nair has been a member of the Kerala State Council of the CII since 1996 and has served on Regional and National Committees for Agri-Business and Membership. He is Chairman of the sub-committee for packaging of the Cashew Export Promotion Council of India. He has been a speaker at the Annual Conventions of the International Tree-Nut Council (INC, Spain) and the Peanut and Tree-nut Processors Association (PTNPA, USA).
Hari Nair is an MBA (PGDM) from the Indian Institute of Management, Calcutta (1991) and a B.Com Gold Medalist from the Sri SathyaSai Institute of Higher Learning, Bangalore (1988).
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hari-krishnan-nair-02b33a/
Description of Mentoring Preferences:
Mentoring should be free and for longer term Mentors can be given token equity. Duration & frequency of Mentor and Mentee interaction should be depends upon the project and the level of mentorship needed and open to start mentoring sessions during the year.
A brief about the kind of entrepreneur, company, domain, etc. that the Mentor would prefer to guide.
His stint with the corporate stretches over a vast 41 years. His career launch was with ICICI (ICICI Bank later) where he contributed for the company’s growth for 23 years and quit as a Dy. Zonal Manager, South Zone. For the next three years he worked as a management consultant specializing in feasibility studies of projects, economic analysis and market research. He moved on to become Managing Director & CEO, Kerala Venture Capital Fund (A technology focused fund) for the next seven years. He has handled several roles thereon like Vice President, IFMR Ventures; Advisor Indian Green Grid Group, Chennai; Indian Green Grid Group; Chief Executive Officer at Muthoot Securities Ltd. Currently he heads Paradigm Technologies Ltd. as the deputy managing director. Joseph is a graduate in Chemical Engineering from IIT Madras, Post Graduate in Management from IIM Bangalore and has done an Advanced Programme in Management from INSEAD, France.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/josephka/
Description of Mentoring Preferences:
Mentoring should be free and for longer term Mentors can be given token equity. Duration & frequency of Mentor and Mentee interaction should be depends upon the project and the level of mentorship needed and open to start mentoring sessions during the year.
A brief about the kind of entrepreneur, company, domain, etc. that the Mentor would prefer to guide.
