Narendra Somani, Founder & Chairman, Bhagwati Banquets & Hotels Ltd, Ahmedabad

My story

I always dreamt of a business of my own. I never wanted to take up a job like other people and my father also supported this line of thinking. I was fascinated by the food and hospitality industry even back in my college days. I was convinced there was so much one could do here and so innovatively, too.

As a youngster, I loved going to different food joints and meeting people from the industry. I would also travel to different parts of the country and savour the local cuisines. Gradually, I started taking note of the different food habits and comparing them with what Ahmedabad as a city offered.

My father saw my homework and gave me a token amount to start my own venture while I was still in college. I started with a small chat outlet and for the first time introduced different chat items from North India in Ahmedabad. It caught the fancy of people.

Over time, we built up a small team of special cooks and other workers and simultaneously started outdoor catering. The concept of serving dishes and delicacies from across India under the same roof was a runaway hit with both existing and new clients.

But, the real turning point came in 2002, when we commissioned a star-category hotel --The Grand Bhagwati. It was again a first of its kind offering in Gujarat, as a large banqueting hotel that could accommodate up to 1,200 people at a time. It was centrally air-conditioned and with its pillar-less halls it suited just about every function be it a marriage, reception, exhibition, corporate product launch or informal get-together. The hotel put our company in a league of its own and established our brand name. Despite all the success, I did consider getting out of this business once, while we were constructing our hotel. I had invested all I had when the natural calamities rocked Gujarat. First, there were the floods and then the huge earthquake. The events set us back by a year or so, disrupting construction and further straining our finances. But, we weathered the storm.

What drove me on was the passion to succeed at whatever I was trying to do, a passion to innovate and elicit customer delight.

That is precisely what I would want other start-ups to take note of, irrespective of the line of business " seek perfection in whatever you take up; have a vision to grow, devise your own ways to keep growing, trust your abilities to deliver on that vision and work hard. Above all, always try to keep your customers happy, for they are the be all and end all of your business.