Sairee and Anita, Founders, SAITA

Are you a budding entrepreneur with a small budget but don’t know where to start? Do the logistical mumbo jumbo of beginning a small enterprise confuse you? Just turn to SAITA Consulting, India’s first General Management Consulting firm that focuses exclusively on Small and Medium Businesses (SMBs). SAITA, which is an acronym of the names of its founders Sairee Chahal and Anita Vasudeva, was established in 2006 to assist SMBs in meeting their strategic goals, profitability guidelines and human capital aspirations. With a yearly growth rate of around 60%, SAITA Consulting employs a four-fold approach — Organisational Transformation and Strategy, Communication and Brand Management, Research and Business Intelligence Services and Strategy and Support. Based in New Delhi, the firm has a client base in Bangalore, Pune, Mumbai, Chandigarh, Ludhiana, Darjeeling and Delhi, besides USA, UK, Russia and Costa Rica. The clients come from all walks of entrepreneurial world —Steel, Telecom, Infrastructure, Education and Training, Tourism, Consulting, Media Communication and Publishing. In a tête-à-tête, the two leading ladies retrace the course they charted together and which has today become a throbbing enterprise.

Why did you decide to become an entrepreneur and not pursue a regular job?

Sairee: Though the decision was in the pipeline for some time, the immediate impetus was some aspiring entrepreneurs known to me personally and others like them, who were seeking the help of fragmented, un-institutionalised consulting services or depending on foreign consulting firms. Also, I had been part of a start-up eco-system in the course of my professional career and was aware of the kind of challenges faced by growing businesses and SMBs. Hence, I realised there was scope for setting up a consulting firm that would provide cohesive solutions to companies with limited bandwidth in resource, management and cash.

Anita: I decided to become an entrepreneur because I was armed with a concept and was confidant that, with the help of a willing and able partner, I will be able to convert my vision into reality. 

Can you tell us what kind of challenges you faced during the initial years?

Sairee: The challenges were largely personal in nature. My daughter was very young when we were growing as a company, which meant restricted travel and controlled working hours.

Anita: Being an entrepreneur has its challenges but it certainly wasn’t a struggle for me. The initial years of any business enterprise are quite a high since you are making tangible your vision, charting a course and executing it. It’s a committed and fairly joyous phase that needs you to be high on physical and emotional energy. My initial years were packed with periods of learning and evolution, changing conditioned ideas to suit values and objectives, and many moments of satisfaction. Being an entrepreneur does mean walking a tightrope on various fronts as you juggle work, organisation, teams, clients, ideas – but we discovered fearlessness in the certainty of what we wished to achieve. 

What was the turning point in your career?

Sairee: The turning point came pretty early when we found takers for our business model in various clients and companies. The breakthrough came when we managed to set up service models for clients not only in India but also in Kazakhstan, Russia and the US and bag some competitive projects. The second milestone came when, from small entrepreneurial outfits, client companies began leading in their respective market segment.

Anita: It was when I began understanding what a whole segment of business and industry required. I was happy to respond to that need and also find a business partner whose vision and professional aspirations matched mine. 

Did you, at any point, feel like giving up on your venture?

Sairee: No, never.

Anita: No. 

What drives you?

Sairee: The fact that what you do will effect changes – in an organisation, in a system, in the lives of various stakeholders. But most of all, what motivates me is the realisation that we are playing a role in building companies that are the future leaders of India Inc.

Anita: Seeing my visions take concrete shape gives me a great high. Apart from that, finding solutions to problems, striving to attain excellence and make global connects also drive me towards my goal. 

Could you please elaborate on your business model?

SAITA Consulting has capabilities across HR and organisational development, marketing and business research. The consulting team is made up of people who have managed businesses and seen the highs and lows of business cycles. Using these operational and strategic teams, SAITA engages with clients to hammer out long term solutions by creating strategies and piloting processes and enhancing internal efficiencies through various interventions.

We are also investing in creating business units which will compliment SAITA offerings or co-create customer value. This includes a content company called Roving Writers (www.rovingwriters) and some other projects in progress. 

What is the growth vision of your enterprise?

SAITA’s vision is to take consulting where it has never been before – have customers across varied economic demographics consider consulting assistance as a viable, smart option as opposed to a last resort. The vision is to also create a point of reference for SMBs, where one would be able to find solutions that are practical, affordable and cohesive.  

Can you give some tips to budding entrepreneurs?

Sairee: You just have to apply yourself whole-heartedly to what you are doing. And yes, keep that smile on while you are at it.

Anita:

• Do what you want to do
• Do your homework, study the market, talk to people, get your facts right
• Get real
• Roll up your sleeves
• Get organised and disciplined
• Keep your energy levels up
• Have a sustainable plan. It doesn’t happen overnight – you have to have staying power
• Have fun all the way