Young Entrepreneurial DNA - Interview of Mr. Ranendra N Dutta by Mr. Kishore Bose

Mr. Kishore Bose is a budding techno journalist and mass media communication professional. Here is a short interview of Ranendra Narayan Dutta, the CEO and Director of Nature Technologies Pvt Ltd. Kishore specifically targetted Ranendra since his young entrepreneurial DNA is one of the key interest areas of Kishore’s entrepreneurship survey report to be published soon...

Kishore Bose: How is the scope of entrepreneurship as a career?

Ranendra N Dutta: I feel that entrepreneurship is an inherent trait of a human being. Everyone wants to be an entrepreneur but most of the people lack confidence in succeeding as an entrepreneur.

Entrepreneurship should be a great career if you have enough confidence in yourself and have the courage to make yourself convinced that “you can”. I believe that there is no age barrier in becoming an entrepreneur, anytime is right time except the fact that you have to be mentally prepared to act alone by yourself without the cover of an organization behind you. However, there are many who choose entrepreneurship as an alternate career. This is wrong. If you have failed as an employee, chances are you shall fail even more as an entrepreneur.

Kishore Bose: How challenging are the circumstances for a young entrepreneur?

Ranendra N Dutta: I started my business after serving a multinational for 7 years and at that time I was 29. I felt that I did things at the right time. Entrepreneurship at young age gives scope to innovation and achievement. The reasons being the sheer energy your young organization has and the chances are that you shall be less biased due to relatively less industry experience. If you had too much industry experience, chances are you shall be afraid to take a new path and shall tread in the path your previous organizations had run into. This might make your business relatively risk free, but minimizes the chances of exceptional growth. The current age demands fast turn around time, a little more from everyone and really strong USP. Young entrepreneurs are great in these and are making big waves these days.

Kishore Bose: What are the threats for young entrepreneurs like you?

Ranendra N Dutta: The two biggest threat for young entrepreneurs are overconfidence in one hand and fear in the other hand. Both are destructive to a high degree. Entrepreneurship in the initial days is 99% perspiration and only 1% inspiration. But that should not deter an entrepreneur. An entrepreneur shall not perish because of any outsider, but because of his own mistakes. If young entrepreneurs tends to be too emotional OR too restless, then chances are that they would miss the bus to success.

Kishore Bose: What reaction and attitude do you get from your employees considering that you are only in your early 30s now?

Ranendra N Dutta: In India, right from our birth we are taught to respect our elders. Conversely our elders have got into the habit of being respected and given full focus and authority. Generally a young entrepreneur should stay away from very aged employees. These veterans tend to develop a mindset that they understand everything, but the young entrepreneur is foolish not to realize this. This leads to a problem of half hearted effort from such employees. I would suggest young entrepreneurs to choose teams very cautiously. Make sure that your team respects you and knows your potential. If someone joins with a feeling of redeeming you, then you are in trouble.

Kishore Bose: Without white hairs and beards, do you get adequate attention from your clients? I mean do the clients take you as sportingly and seriously as they would have taken a person in his fifties?

Ranendra N Dutta: Customers are smart. They know who can be more productive and they too have realized the speed, the flexibility and the energy of young entrepreneurs. I always felt that not having grey hair will be a problem, but in reality realized that it did never really surface in any of my business deals. However, my experiences are primarily with western customers who already have a much-matured mind set towards entrepreneurship.

Kishore Bose: How do you feel about leading your own company Nature Technologies Pvt Ltd?

Ranendra N Dutta: I have served as a Technical Leader in a multinational for 7 years and have led my company Nature Technologies Pvt Ltd for 5 years now. I should confess that the joy of leading my own company is beyond anything in the world. The best part of being an entrepreneur is dreaming when you are awake and giving yourself enough opportunity to make them true. The contentment you get from being a self-made man is colossal and incremental. The joy gradually increases with your organizations maturity.

Kishore Bose: At last please share your experience in terms of entrepreneurship.

Ranendra N Dutta: Entrepreneurship for me had been like a dream. Since childhood, I dreamt of being a businessman but never knew HOW? Born into a middle class service oriented family this was a too adventurous dream. I believe entrepreneurs are self-realized. I too realized all of a sudden in 2005 that my dreams were not meant to be a dream. There were elements of fear, uncertainty and lack of self-confidence in the initial days. Finally made up my mind and jumped out of the window to my own world. The last 5 years had been real fun. Surviving slowdown, fighting attrition during the good times and slowly and cautiously building a new organization. Pure self immersive pleasure of planning success and making it happen.