Category: interview

Exclusive Interview with Manik Anand, CEO, White Knights Realty

In an exclusive interview with Shreyas Webmedia Solutions (SWS), Mr. Manik Anand, CEO,  White Knights Realty discussed various aspects such as commercial real estate investments, prospects of real the state sector, and many more

SWS: As the leading real estate portfolio management company, is commercial real estate investment a good plan?

Manik Anand:  Absolutely. Commercial real estate investments offer much higher ROIs than those on residential investments. You are looking at ROIs between 6–12%, and in some cases, we have even achieved 15–18% ROI per annum. The tenants are primarily MNCs or a variety of retail brands. Retail availability is already limited. If you look at the Noida Master Plan of 2032, only around 1.7% of the total land area in the region is dedicated to commercial development. However, with the influx of multiple IT powerhouses and Fortune 500 companies such as Google, Ernst &Young, PWC, NEC, Infosys, TCS, KPMG, and Accenture etc setting up shop on the Noida Expressway, the future looks promising and bright.

SWS: What are the trigger points for commercial real estate?

Manik Anand: Well, I would say that return on investment in residential properties is low. The rental rates on residential properties generally range from 1 to 1.5% annually, capping out at 2–2.5%. This does not even cover inflation, which is hovering at around 7%. Therefore, I advise that, if you already possess a home, you should not look at residential investments to obtain greater capital gains; rather, you should consider commercial investments. In the long term, commercial investments consistently outperform traditional investments, such as mutual funds, equities, stocks, and commodities.

SWS: From a bird’s-eye view, how will 2023 turn out for the real estate sector?

Manik Anand: It’s looking very promising, lots of influx in the Noida region, primarily. The main catalyst for this is the upcoming International Airport. Delhi, the capital of the country, is set to get its second international airport, which is also set to be the third largest airport in the world and the biggest in Asia. This has led to a lot of interest from all global markets. Especially with the US and European regions seeing a downturn and a recession of sorts in the last year, with the interest rate hiking up and inflation at record levels currently, people from all over the world are looking at India as an investment option. Due to which, the unsold inventory in the region is currently may be at a 10 year low right now. A lot of industries, warehouses, corporate clients, and Fortune 500 companies are setting up shop in the region because of the excellent infrastructure that the region has to offer and the excellent connectivity to all of North India from the expressways that the region has to offer; the airport; the metro; and the existing connectivity to Delhi that the city has. So, it’s all guns blazing for 2023.

SWS:Is the luxury real estate market influencing investors to invest in luxury property?

Manik Anand:  That’s a good question. When I say that you shouldn’t be looking at residential property to invest in, the luxury real estate is on another tangent altogether. We saw this majorly during the pandemic. If they must be cocooned in the house, the kids need a separate room to attend the online classes and study, while the elder members of the family have to work from home and set up home offices. So, the people realised that the existing areas were too small, and that is what led to the rise in inquiries right after the first lockdown was lifted in August 2020. We have also seen unprecedented launches across the country and, at the same time, an excellent response from the global NRI audience, looking to acquire a piece of land or an apartment back home. With the dollar also touching a record high, it makes sense to buy real estate in the country now and take advantage of it. That is what drove the luxury real estate segment for a three-bedroom apartment ranging from about 2,000 to 3,000 square feet, going up to plush 4BHKs at 6 to 10,000 square feet. Generally, these bigger apartments with better specifications also tend to offer higher rentals than the other normal budget homes or normal housing because they tend to cater to the top management of all these IT giants who are setting up shops in the country.

SWS: Clearly, there have been high expectations for the upcoming Union Budget 2023–24. Should there be such high expectations? What are a few of your suggestions for this?

Manik Anand:  Fingers crossed! We are looking at better lending rates, which would help the developers’ complete projects on the fastrack. Secondly, we are also expecting better repo rates or a reduction in repo rates, which would in turn affect the monthly EMI payments of residential buyers, which should also drive-up demand. With “INDIA SHINING” and all eyes on India as the fastest-developing region on the globe, the upcoming financial budget should provide the impetus needed to accelerate the real estate sector, which is one of the biggest contributor to the country’s GDP.

Exclusive Interview with Ms. Melody Lopez, Chief of Staff – People, Process & Strategy, Crayon Software Experts India

Ms. Melody Lopez, Chief of Staff – People, Process & Strategy, Crayon Software Experts India

In an exclusive interview with Shreyas Webmedia Solutions (SWS), Ms. Melody Lopez, Chief of Staff – People, Process & Strategy Crayon Software Experts India discussed the challenges that women face in getting ahead in the IT industry and  the importance of having the right DEI policies and many more…

SWS: How would you define the Chief of Staff (CoS) role? Is it still a glorified designation or a role perfect for women leaders looking to move towards a higher C-Suite level?

Melody Lopez: The designation – Chief of Staff (CoS) unlike other C-Suite designations like CEO, CIO and CTO does not have a defined role that can be applied universally. Often, the role is defined by the organization and those in the decision-making position. In general, a CoS has the power and responsibility to make sure that all administrative, business and operational aspects are running smoothly. Just like any C-Suite level leader, a CoS also need leadership skills to work well with others, while processing information efficiently and helping their executive team with various tasks.

In the past few years, however, the role of Chief of Staff is evolving, as it is no longer considered a glorified designation. There was a time when CoS would only be responsible to assist the leadership team, taking notes during the meetings and helping them keep connected with the ongoings of the company. Today, however, a CoS can help a leader achieve sharp gains in productivity and impact. It is also now being considered as an extended version of the Human Resource department. I believe women are well-suited for this role given our instincts in handling responsibilities that comes with the designation. These days, the CoS role involves, strategic thinking and problem analysis, conflict resolution, leadership team management, operation management, value addition to company goals and, anticipating and resolving problems. For women, who want to step into a bigger C-Suite level designation, the role of CoS is a step in the right direction. With the Chief of Staff designation, there is a learning curve and a direct insight into understanding what the leadership team does and strategizes and also helps one in mastering the required leadership skills. A role as a CoS can be the 1st step, we can take that will train us for bigger roles and responsibilities paving a path towards reaching bigger goals.

As Chief of Staff at Crayon India, I drive the execution of the Company’s Strategy and Vision. I also drive engagement with Employees, Internal Stakeholders, Business Heads, Channel Partners, and Customers. I truly understand the power of listening to and collaborating with Employees, Customers and Partners. My role combines the traditional roles and responsibilities of an Executive Assistant and Head of HR along with the emerging role of a change agent for Digital transformation.

I also believe in enabling our people to help them to grow, thrive, and win through constant engagement, cutting-edge tools, trainings, events, and programs. A vocal advocate for the India Business as a whole, I am passionate about developing the next generation of women in technology. As a leader, I work to unite, mentor, inspire, and accelerate women in the workforce.

SWS: Women are leaving the workforce especially during and post-pandemic due to many management drawbacks. How has Crayon helped in avoiding such a trend as a company?

Melody Lopez Due to the pandemic, close to 3 million women in US alone have left the workforce. In India, the number of women in the workforce is down to 9% and in the past 5 years data says that more than 20 million women have quit the workforce. The biggest reasons are – lack of flexibility, growth and learning opportunity, and burnout due to toxic work environments. According to some media reports, more women in leadership roles have been increasingly quitting the workforce for better compensation, opportunities, flexibility and inclusion and the term being used to describe this is – ‘Great Breakup’. Workplace behaviour of superiors is also one of the reasons why women have problems staying in the workforce.

I am proud to say that Crayon has always been a women-friendly company. We have received many recognitions and awards for our initiatives and our work culture including the most recent recognition as India’s Best Workplaces™ for Women 2022 by Great Place to Work®. We have introduced leadership workshops for women professionals handpicked from across the globe to participate. Crayon has always given prominence and understanding to the needs of our women staff, and we aim to make things better and reach perfection. Crayon’s diversity statistics are ahead of the global IT industry standards, which is just about 25% women and has an even smaller percentage of women in leadership positions. Meanwhile, half of Crayon’s board is female, and 43% of its executive management team is women. Crayon’s overall workforce is 31% women and its local management teams are 30% women.

SWS: Where do women in the technology vertical stand currently and what are their challenges in the growth and leadership roles?

Melody Lopez Diversity in the workplace improves a company’s work culture, profitability, and productivity. Though women have made substantial steps in representation, especially in managerial and leadership roles, unfortunately, men continue to dominate the technology vertical. As a result, the IT industry generally is characterized by a low share of diverse workers. The need for the hour is for companies to systematically increase the percentage of female workers at all levels and offer equal salary levels and career opportunities regardless of gender.

In the last decade, the IT industry has made significant progress in helping bridge the gender gap by empowering women. With more women stepping into leadership roles, they inspire other women to pursue and grow in their careers.

Even today, some challenges are lack of mentors, very few female role models in the field, gender biases in the workplace, unequal growth opportunities compared to men, and unequal pay for the same skills.

SWS: What is the importance of having the right DEI (Diversity, Equity, Inclusivity) policies? Provide insight into Crayon’s initiatives.

Melody Lopez While 93% of companies take business goals into account in managers’ performance reviews, less than 40% do so for factors like team morale and progress on DEI goals. But DEI programs are an essential aspect of building engaged and happy employees. Organizations with strong DEI initiatives are more likely to have employees with increased job satisfaction, and higher levels of trust, and are more engaged. Companies with higher diversity in management earn on average 38% more revenue than companies with lower diversity and organizations in the top 25% (when it comes to gender diversity among executive leadership teams) are 21% more likely to be profitable and 27% better at creating value. Organizations address DEI through Structural Initiatives and by promoting Individual Skills. Structural Initiatives can include creating employee resource groups, instituting a diversity task force, and providing bias awareness training to all employees. Individual Skills include training employees to be upstanders and not bystanders and promoting mentor programs between colleagues that encourage employees to engage with each other.

Crayon has been taking all these steps towards maintaining diversity, equity, and inclusivity among its existing and new employees. For us at Crayon, diversity and equality are not just buzzwords.  Equality and empathy will always be our core values. Without an understanding of how people connect, we cannot shape sustainable solutions for society or pave the way for the future.  Crayon is a catalyst and creator of progress and possibilities because we let people play the main role. That’s how we have built a global, powerful team where tech talents want to work. Crayon has long been a champion of diversity, equity, and inclusion. This year it came in at No. 2 on the SHE Index, which measures gender diversity in the workplace. Crayon also won the SHE Rising Star award for making the most gains of any company on the index. This is only an indication of how much Crayon is invested in DEI policies, which in turn is creating a holistic environment for our employees.

SWS: As a C-Suite leader, debunk some myths about women in the Chief of Staff role.

Melody Lopez: A chief of staff role is an ideal starting block for women to gain a stronghold into the inner workings of an organization’s leadership. Statistics show that Chief of Staff jobs are male-dominated at 62% and the balance is to bring in more women.

The most common excuse for not having enough CoS women leaders is the myths surrounding them. Women are often told to refrain from taking risks because women are constrained by stereotypes that portray them as physically and emotionally frail. We hear it frequently ‘there aren’t enough women prepared to hold significant roles because women lack Ambition’.

Women will excel in a chief of staff role because women leaders tend to be more empathetic of those around them and can read a room quickly and accurately, which is an instrumental skill as a chief of staff. Women are also more adept at adjusting to transitions and leading calmly in times of crisis, making them influential. Women can also juggle multiple tasks and still complete everything within time.

Many women are experts at focusing on the details and creating systems of organization to keep them all straight; this is a crucial element of a chief of staff role.

Exclusive interview with Shubham Gupta, Founder, Bonkers corner

Shubham Gupta (SG), Founder, Bonkers corner

In an exclusive interview with Shreyas Webmedia Solutions (SWS), Shubham Gupta (SG), Founder, Bonkers corner, discussed the trends in the fashion and lifestyle industry and its evolution in the coming years, the company’s USP and many more…

SWS: Take us through the journey of the brand.

SG: As a fashion enthusiast, I used to be always on a hunt for something fresh & new for myself. Constantly scrolling on the brand’s websites or visiting their stores, was a task. This is when, I felt there was a huge need for trendy, fresh, affordable clothes under one roof. Though there were a few e-commerce players doing so, there was something missing to it. While working with my father in our family business, we used to travel a lot and figured out how people loved street-wear. And, internationally many brands had that one-stop-solution for their customers. Well, that urged me to bring this trend to India & make it 100% ‘Made in India’, making it easily available for those who share similar interests in fashion taste like us.

Taking inspiration from these brands, we conceptualised the idea of BonkersCorner and started in 2019 with ‘order-basis’ printable t-shirts. After creating an encouraging amount of audience base, we kick-started our e-commerce portal – BonkersCorner. The brand hosts a wide array of cool, trendy and versatile range of t-shirts for both men and women along with merchandises including prints of art, music, games, quotes and more.

Since, its inception the brand has grown leaps and bounds. Kick-starting one of the most praised trends, OST – Over Sized T-shirt to having the best in class merchandise, BonkersCorner has made its presence across the B-Town celebs and ace influencers. And, all this organically!

SWS: What were the major hits and misses when you entered the market, especially in a much competitive space?

SG: Since our inception, we were very clear about the line of products. Right from their designs to fabrics and to prints. We believed in quality over quantity and creatively chose each and every aspect of our apparels, making sure to pay attention to all the details. Above everything, what made us reach here is our people. The ones who are with us or who were, made sure that BonkersCorner stands tall amongst its peers.

As far as misses are concerned, we wouldn’t call them misses but learnings! For a start-up, every step is a learning in itself. Especially, when you are in the much competitive space. So, experimenting and growing was and will be our motto. From product designs to marketing to CRM to IT, we got an opportunity to learn and improve ourselves every day.

SWS: What is the mission and vision of the company?

SG: As a brand, our utmost priority is to make our customers experience best in class. Our biggest vision is to make the brand globally recognised, 100% made in India, affordable luxury fashion for everyone. We’re aiming to build the brand as a go to brand for sustainable fashion. We’re in this for long race with biggest vision.

SWS: What is the team size?

SG: 500+

SWS: What is your business model? From where you started to where the brand has reached in the last 2 years?

SG: Initially, we started our business with a small investment where we started selling the products on merely order-basis and whatever revenue was made was re-invested in the productions majorly. The year of inception was all about this majorly. Over the next year, with effective marketing strategies, we have registered a 3X growth. Along with performance and platform based digital marketing strategies, we have been effectively and cautiously employing influencer marketing where we partner with Karishma tanna, Avneet Kaur, Nikki Tamboli and many more to help us reach our target audience with the best possible way. We keep on collaborating with micro and macro influencers to create a versatile reach and engagement on our platforms.

SWS: How do you see the current fashion and lifestyle industry and its evolution in the coming years?

SG: The fashion industry has always been one of the fastest evolving ones. However, looking at the current statistics, the industry is poised to grow into a $106 billion industry by 2026, bringing up the Indian fashion market on maps. From fashion formals for women to kids attire, the growth is spectacular! Following this development, the world’s fastest growing apparel market will most likely become one among the top apparel retail globally.

Major factors that have accelerated this evolution:

– E-Commerce: The COVID outbreak gave the brands a huge push to be present on major e-commerce marketplaces and also on various social commerce personally. This gave the fashion industry a great opportunity to tap the audience present in tier 2 and 3, giving the fashion brands a prospect to expand their avenues.

– Omnichannel Presence: Today the audience is everywhere, offline and online. Hence, it is equally important for a brand to be omni-present too. Therefore, the presence of bigger brands across channels have further given the consumers a chance to feel free to buy products with a look and feel factor and also, shop at their convenience.

For example, on the e-Commerce platform or their own online shop, a great customer experience will entail easy to access information about the clothes and hands on support with scrollable content. This works very well in the post pandemic led ‘back to office’ time where formal wear for women is taking over and more and more brands are highlighting this segment via their social media handles, giving viewers a feel of their office fashion.

– Technology influx: With metaverse taking a toll all across the globe, fashion and lifestyle industry would be the best one to leverage and this will further its evolution.

– Influencer taking over: Well, today the world is about influencers. And, these influencers have been the biggest accelerators for brands because of their sheer connect with the audiences.

SWS:  With influencer marketing gaining momentum and how, what do you have to say about your inclination towards that?

SG: Our brand since the start has focused on Influencer Marketing as the influencers today have a better connect with the audience. From a brand’s point of view, they are versatile and approachable and from the audience vision, these influencers are people next door as compared to a celebrity. However, with growing need, demand and popularity of influencers what makes your brand stands out is how you synchronise the brand’s synergies and narrative with the influencer’s core strength. And, I strongly believe that influencer marketing is here to stay and in fact is poised to grow leaps and bounds in the coming years.

SWS: Where does BonkersCorner stand in terms of USP and ahead its competition?

SG: Well, competitor wise we do not have any such direct ones as everyone has their own set of offerings. But, being optimistic and ambitious, we see brands like Zara and H&M as our competitors. 😀

Jokes apart! To answer the other part of the question, we were the pioneers of the ‘The Oversized T-shirt (OST)’ trend which has been doing the rounds amongst all of us, having even celebs go gaga about it. It started off with some quirky and trendy OSTs. The whole idea was to make the over-sized t-shirts an everyday essential for every fashionista out there without burning their pockets. Apart from these, our wide array of merchandise is what makes us stand ahead of the curve, along with our price range and quality of products.

SWS: Where do you see BonkersCorner in the next 1 year?

SG: Looking at the growth and evolution of the industry we endeavour to be one of the most ‘go-to’ brands in the next 5 years. Furthermore, with our constant efforts, we are working towards making the brand a globally recognized Indian luxury fashion brand which abides by 100% ‘Made in India’ products.

Also, we feel that brands need to have omnipresence, therefore we might leverage our expertise towards foraying in a physical store down the line.

Exclusive interview with Mr. Akshaya Rath, Co-Founder & CEO, EcoEx

Akashya Rath, Co-Founder & CEO, EcoEx

In an exclusive interview with Shreyas Webmedia Solutions (SWS), Mr. Akshaya Rath (AR), Co-Founder & CEO, EcoEx., discussed about the company’s vision and mission, the challenges faced in the waste management Industry, and many more…

SWS: What are the company’s offerings?

AR: EcoEx is a first-of-its-kind electronic marketplace designed to promote a digital evolution toward a cleaner future. The firm developed a sustainable digital ecosystem that will enable all stakeholders in the plastic waste management value chain to conduct safe and beneficial transactions involving plastic credit certificates & waste commodities anytime, anywhere. EcoEx has also developed the first decentralised, block chain-based, credible plastic credit system.

SWS: What was the idea behind establishing the world’s first decentralized, blockchain-based plastic credit system?

AR: EcoEx created the world’s first decentralised, blockchain-based plastic credit system and migrated to Hyperledger, assisting people in understanding and implementing circular economy concepts. The company’s goal is to create a sustainable ecosystem and a waste-free future with monetary benefits. EcoEx provides a variety of waste management services, including EPR services, commodity trading, technology consulting, and the sale of environmentally friendly products.

“EcoEx has leveraged the latest technologies to provide services by digitising the entire process and incorporating blockchain. Blockchain technology makes it possible for anyone to track the services offered by the firm, resulting in transparency, instant traceability, efficiency, automation improvements, and enhanced security “, says Nimit Aggarwal, EcoEx’s founder.

SWS: How is the EcoEx roadmap different from other waste management companies?

AR: We provide an Indian digital marketplace where recyclers meet brand owners and provide seamless transaction of plastic credit, assisting in the fulfilment of Plastic EPR as per the PWM guidelines 2016. EcoEx has 630+ members connected on our portal to provide a digital ecosystem for members to connect anytime and anywhere to generate plastic credit. We offer technology consulting, commodity trading, and the sale of eco-friendly products, all with the goal of creating a sustainable ecosystem and a waste-free future with monetary benefits. We have launched the world’s first decentralised, blockchain-based plastic credit system.

SWS:Tell us about the challenges faced in the waste management Industry?

AR: The waste management industry faces a material quality challenge because a typical waste stream can contain seven different types of plastic, each with a unique degradation pattern. The second problem is determining the source as well as the demand supply mismatch. Manual sorting results in an inefficient and uneven sorting procedure and waste pickers struggle to collect plastic waste and often disregard gathering specific plastic wastes owing to poor calorific value. Lastly, a lack of industry expertise and technology poses a significant challenge. Workers frequently encounter issues when they lack adequate competence in recycling plastic waste. In addition, a lack of access to technology may impede the recycling process.

SWS: We would like to hear more about the mission and vision of the company?

AR: Our vision and mission is to become patrons of a cleaner tomorrow by guiding India’s waste management industry toward self-sufficiency & self-efficacy and to build a secure, transparent & equitable digital ecosystem to connect the stakeholders of the waste management value chain & enable them to work in harmony.

SWS: What are the innovations/up-gradations that you are currently working on that might soon be launched in the market?

AR: We have already started assisting and recycler partners to register in global carbon registries & generate plastic credit certificates which can be sold in global exchanges & fetch significant momentary value for next 10 years. We have recruited subject matter experts for ESG audit and very soon start providing “BRSR & ESG” services to our partners and other enterprises.

SWS: What is the present waste commodity trading market scenario in India?

AR: India’s annual demand for plastic packaging stands at 20 MMT – out of this, 15 MMT is met by virgin plastics and 5 MMT from recycled plastic materials. It has also been estimated that 45% of the 20 MMT – nearly 9.6 MMT – is consumed immediately and released as waste into the environment and surroundings. The remaining 55% (close to 11.4 MMT) is the growing stock which is used for products with longer life-span, such as batteries or bottles. The plastics industry employs almost 1.6 million people, directly and indirectly. The increasing awareness of the benefits of waste segregation, as well as strict government regulations, are driving market growth. EcoEx, founded in 2020 in Delhi, is constantly innovating and investing in new technologies to stay ahead of the competition.

SWS: Who all are the major clients company currently working on?

AR: Supreme Agro, Marico, ‘Mrs. Bector food specialties,’ Canon, Bengal beverages, UNDP, CocaCola, Dabur, and Bikanervale are just a few of the firm’s well-known clients. With over 630+ members on its portal, it offers a digital ecosystem for members to generate plastic credit whenever and wherever they want.

SWS: What is the growth path for you?

AR: In sync with our role of empowering the recycling industry, we have identified following areas, wherein we are building technology tool to improve outcomes and help our community to leverage our E-market place.
1. Providing finance under EPR framework from PIBO’s
2. To optimise their procurement cost by using market place and reverse option tools.
3. To get better price realization for their finished goods.
4. To assist them to generate plastic credit certificates for selling in domestic and global market.

SWS: What will be the company’s strategies for the forthcoming year?

AR: We are working to create a vertical portal for recycling industry to automate their procurement process for goods and services

SWS: Anything else you would like to throw light on?

AR: The proactive measures taken by Government of India in this space, including penalties, is helping more and more number of entities to register in CPCB online portal, which will help in gathering the relevant data on post-consumer waste collection, recycling and incineration

Exclusive interview with Mr. Hemant Sood , Founder of FinDoc.

In an exclusive interview with Shreyas Webmedia Solutions (SWS), Mr. Hemant Sood, Founder of FinDoc discussed various aspects such as the business roadmap of FinDoc for 2023, the Benefits of Algorithm Trading, and many more…

SWS: Tell us about your company, specialization, and the services offered.

Hemant Sood: Findoc Group offers the best stock trading services to help institutions, businesses, and individual investors grow their wealth. Understanding our client’s needs and ensuring capital preservation is our top priority, always.

Established in 2012, Findoc is a member of major stock exchanges such as the National Stock Exchange of India Ltd. (NSE), Bombay Stock Exchange Ltd. (BSE), and Multi Commodity Exchange of India Ltd. (MCX), and National Commodity & Derivatives Exchange Ltd. (NCDEX).

Findoc has emerged as one of India’s leading financial services providers that facilitates Algo trading, equity trading, derivatives trading, commodity trading, currency trading, and IPOs and mutual fund investments.

We are also SEBI-registered investment advisors, and we are well-equipped in generating research reports and recommending them to our clients.

Customer-first, holding this vision on the top, Findoc has been offering trustworthy financial services for over a decade now. Talk about Equity trading, commodity trading, wealth management, or the buzzing Algo trading, we offer bespoke financial solutions to each of our clients. We are ahead in Fintech technology like Algo trading, making trading easy and profitable for new traders. We have an in-house software development team who can code strategies as per the requirement of the trade.

The pioneering efforts of Findoc have been acknowledged and awarded with NCDEX KRISHI Award, TATA Mutual fund, ICICI Prudential, and SBI Mutual Fund, reflecting our credible financial services. Recently been awarded by NCDEX as a significant contributor to commodity markets

SWS:  How can today’s youth/students be their own boss by choosing to be AP/Sub Brokers?

Hemant Sood: The Indian economy has been doing very well compared to its global counterparts and the same is being reflected in India’s stock market also.

With layoffs becoming a trend and job security becoming a major concern, youngsters are looking towards being self-sufficient and being their boss.

Becoming a sub-broker or AP with a stockbroker is one of the exciting options which lots of people are choosing nowadays. Undergraduates/graduates can easily apply to be an AP with minimal or no investment. Traditional broking houses like Findoc have good programs/platforms for students where training/Learning is imparted as part of their onboarding process.

Various tools/platforms are also being provided to them to empower them along with excellent advisory and research support.

Unlimited earning opportunities as you earn depending upon the business you generate and the flexibility to work from home so that there is no need to come to the office/commute is also attracting them.

Working as an AP also provides work flexibility, and you can choose how many hours you want to work

SWS: What is Algo trading ? What are the important factors of successful algo trading?

Hemant Sood: Algorithmic trading is on an unstoppable rise in India. In 2008, the country allowed for algorithms and automated trades to be used by qualified companies only; however this new technology has quickly become one of the biggest contributors (if not THE MOST IMPORTANT CONTRIBUTOR) toward stock market volumes within Indian financial markets over time – controlling nearly 30%+1/3rds percent currently through Algo Trading strategies despite being fully implemented less than 10 years ago!

Algorithmic trading or Algo trading is the use of automated systems that follow a predetermined set of instructions (algorithms) to generate trading signals for making trading decisions in securities, foreign exchange, or futures markets. Algorithmic trading is now used by most traders, and it has the potential to change the way traders trade

Benefits of Algorithm Trading

1. Emotion-free Trading

Since Algo trading is based on computer-generated algorithms, there is no chance of human error or emotional trading decisions. Many traders have based their trades on intuition or gut feelings, this is not possible with Algo trading.

2. Automated Checks

If you are out of the office or travelling, you can set up your algorithm to perform automated checks and follow your position in the market. Finely tune your algorithmic trading strategies to work on your behalf by implementing stops and limits.

3. Low-Maintenance

You don’t have to work too hard when your Algorithm is working for you. You can sleep well knowing your customized algorithm is on the job 24/7 and will take care of trading for you.

4. Backtesting

With Algo trading software you can backtest and refine your algorithms against historical data. This will allow you to find the best combinations of parameters to trade.

5. More Opportunities

You can choose or create algorithm trading strategies to optimize your exposure to new opportunities in the market. Algorithms can take in more data than a human so you can customize based on real-time data.

6. Speed and Accuracy

Using Algo trading strategies can help you save time. You don’t have to spend time on your brokerage account. The algorithm follows your plan and places the order as soon as the signal is given.

7. Transaction Costs
With automated trading, there is no need for human traders to spend a lot of time monitoring markets since the algorithm automatically enters and exits trades. This will help reduce the transaction cost.

The global Algorithmic market is expected to grow significantly between 2020-2027. As more companies recognize the advantages of Algo trading, there will be more services and brokerages needed to support the growth in India and other parts of the world.

SWS: What is the business roadmap of FinDoc for 2023?

Hemant Sood: Findoc is growing rapidly, and we all share a dream of making it one of the best financial services companies in the country we as a team are all motivated to achieve new milestones in 2023 :

– Branches in Gift City, Gujarat in both Domestic & International Zone
– Branch in Mumbai
– New Corporate Office in Ludhiana with state-of-the-art facilities for employees
– Some more value-added features for our retail customers in our trading app
– Setting up a dedicated service team for 24*7 support to our customers
– Launch of PMS/AIF
– Launch a proper mix of retail products
– Robust RMS and back-office System
– Hybrid Brokerage Model ( Having the best of both the physical and digital world)
-Digital Sub broker Onboarding and Support Platform (FinDost)
-Catering FPI business
-Traders for Life & Treasury Management Event

About Mr. Hemant Sood 

Mr. Hemant Sood is a first-generation entrepreneur and angel investor based out of Ludhiana, Punjab.He believes in continuous learning and hence got certifications in Business Management from several reputed universities like Harvard Business School and MIT Sloan School of Management.

Specialities and Expertise lies in Customer Relationship Management (CRM), Team Building, Capital Markets, Management, and Leadership. He is also a member of the Board of Governors, IIT Mandi and a Regular Member of YPO.

From the Young age of 11, Mr. Sood had an entrepreneurial spirit in him. He always loved the financial market and was determined to learn more and as a step towards that, he became a sub-broker to a reputed stock broking company.

To achieve his dream, he established Findoc Investment Pvt Ltd in 2010 & under the leadership of Mr., Hemant Findoc has been growing steadily. Today the company is registered under major stock exchanges of the country such as NSE, BSE, MCX & NCDEX among others and has bagged many awards including NCDEX KRISHI Award, Tata Mutual fund, ICICI Prudential, and SBI Mutual Fund, reflecting our credible financial services. Recently been awarded by NCDEX and MCX also as a significant contributor to commodity markets

As an Angel Investor, he has invested in many upcoming startups and actively participates in various such forums and events where he shares his experience with young & upcoming entrepreneurs on how to scale their businesses.

Along with business he also believes in giving back to the community and society. He is Chairman of Samvedna Trust which is an NGO involved in a lot of philanthropic activities.

Exclusive Interview – Mr. Rohan Singh, CEO, SemiDot Infotech

Pic Credit: LinkedIn

In an exclusive interview with Shreyas Webmedia Solutions (SWS), Mr. Rohan Singh, CEO, SemiDot Infotech discussed various aspects such as the company’s journey, growth, challenges, and many more…

SWS: How did you get your idea or concept for the SemiDot Infotech?

Rohan Singh: As a tech-enthusiast, I was always fascinated by the developments happening around the world with the help of technology. But, I also noticed problems faced by global clients in outsourcing technological work. This made me realize this gap could only be filled by better and improved IT solutions and this thought became the base to start “SemiDot Infotech”.

SWS: How has the journey of the company been so far?

Rohan Singh: During the initial days, the company had a lot of problems starting from no to fewer customers, and a shortage of funds and resources. But, with continuous work and patience, SemiDot has made a good clientele base by fulfilling their requirements and keeping up with the market standards.

SWS: What challenges did you face in your initial years? What can your peers learn from it?

Rohan Singh: Initially, when any company starts, they just start with knowledge. It was tedious work for us to reach our first client. But, after the success of our first project, seeing our work many clients and big companies approached us. With that, we kept getting a better understanding of the market and levelled up our chances for the long run. To peers, we would just like to convey that experience and expertise come with time. Keep up with your work and it will get you noticed.

SWS: How would you describe your growth trajectory in 2022?

Rohan Singh: Well, we started in 2011, first few years were the development phase of our company, and it went pretty well. But, when corona hit the world whole industry was taken aback and it affected us too in terms of clients, revenue and resources as well. We managed to still cover the revenue with our hard-working the pace didn’t reduce. Now, in 2022 we covered all the bases and came out from the effect, looking forward to keeping moving ahead.

SWS: Do you have any new digital products ready to be launched?

Rohan Singh: We always built digital products that are in demand. We have readymade white-level solutions built by our team, which are ready to deploy. If clients make some changes or want to customize solutions, our team is ready to assist them and tailor our scalable and cost-effective solutions accordingly.

SWS: On sustainability, where do you see your company a couple of years from now?

Rohan Singh: With our plans and increasing assets, we believe we will be moving forward at a fast-forward pace with next-gen solutions and will be a globally recognized Software development company.

SWS:  With rising concerns over data security, how do you safeguard or protect the data in your organization?

Rohan Singh: Yes, definitely data breaches have become a big issue. As an IT company, we can’t compromise our data, our team uses in-house built solutions and keeps the data password protected to safeguard it.

SWS:  Who has been your greatest inspiration?

Rohan Singh: There was a book I read “The Ride of a Lifetime: Lessons Learned from 15 Years as CEO by Bob Iger”, which inspired me throughout my journey. I was influenced by the leadership principles and to value the decency over money approach which made me feel that your decency, optimism, and courage builds you and keeps you pushing forward.

SWS:  If you had one piece of advice for someone just starting, what would it be?

Rohan Singh: For someone who is starting I will just say believe in yourself, and take every opportunity seriously no matter how small it is, you never know when one opportunity can become a milestone for your company.

SWS:  The Company helps any community or society?

Rohan Singh: Yes, giving back to the community is important from which we acquire resources and assets. From SemiDot, we return them by reducing carbon prints, Better-quality labor policies, and having diversity and equality in our work culture. As well as, timely we participate in charity and fundraising programs too.