Ravi Kapur Founder, ETCS, Michigan, USA

 Jobs in blue chip companies in US could not stop Ravi Kapur, NRI, to start ETCS, his own engineering tools and design company at Troy, Michigan, USA. He tells YourStory that for an entrepreneur, it's important to walk a mile in customer shoes to offer a value proposition, which brings long-term clientele.

Tell us something about your educational background and journey to US

I did my Bachelor's (B.Tech) degree in mechanical engineering from IIT

Kanpur, India in 1981 and moved to US to study mechanical & aerospace engineering from University of Missouri- Rolla, USA. I completed my Masters in 1984 and worked for 14 years in companies such as General Motors, Ford, Fuji Technica & Modern Engineering. This helped me gain valuable engineering & management experience in automotive engineering & design, tooling & components experience. I also established valuable contacts within the Automotive Other Equipment Manufacturers OEM's and Tier suppliers.

And when did the entrepreneurial bug bit you?

In 1998, I went the entrepreneur route and with a couple of other partners, started 3D Solutions, an engineering & design company. As a president & chief operating officer of the company, I grew 3D Solutions from its infancy to approx. 65 people and 6.5 million in revenues within 5 years. But, I always wanted to start a company of my own as I liked the idea of being answerable to no one but myself and own all the risks & rewards. Also the flexibility that owing your business brings to your life-style egged me to become an entrepreneur. So, in mid-2003, I started ETCS as a sole proprietor focusing primarily on engineering, tooling and component systems. Early experience with large/small companies helped in establishing contacts. It was lots of hard-work.

Did you harbor thoughts of quitting and folding the business during initial years?

Yeah when things don't go your way but now I am glad I stayed the course. It is much easier to work for somebody else but if you stay the course, things will gradually work out in your favor. I got "Businessman of the Year -2004/2005" award from Business Advisory Council of National Republican Congressional Committee (USA). That motivated me to work with a renewed vigor. Business grew and we started booking profits.

Tell us something about your business- the differentiators

Our work includes automotive & consumer product conceptual design and styling, Class A surfacing, product-design & engineering and CAD/CAM/CAE. The customers are primarily North American OEMS & Tier 1's. We also do scanning of clay models, tools & dies and reverse engineering to create surface & solid math models. The company has formed alliances with global tool manufacturers and leverages the global labor rate differential to bring cost savings to its customers who are again OEM's & Tier suppliers. We work with some of the world's largest companies and place our employees with them on a contract or direct hire basis. They choose us because we send them the very best. In 2007, ETCS started automotive component procurement from major Indian automotive tier suppliers, warehousing in US and supplying to the US major automotive OEM's. This business has been good for us and we saw our annual sales for 2007 jump to five times our 2006 & previous year sales. We hope that we can continue to keep this trend spiraling up in the near future.

Growth drivers / vision for your enterprise

Happy dedicated & empowered employees; clear goals & objectives; high quality services and goods at a reasonable price and within promised timing.

Key Requirements to grow your business

Sales & marketing network, execution & delivery, 

Tips for budding entrepreneur -

Look at your value proposition - make sure it is very attractive.

Build on your networking & connections.Know your customer well - walk a mile in his/her shoes.