Gaur Gopal Das’s answer to the big question – What is the real purpose of business – at the inaugural edition of BRICS Alliance Business Forum, in Delhi recently, had a new believer. Deepa Joshi, co-founder of Convexicon Software Solutions, is convinced that ‘if making a difference to society or the planet is the real purpose, profits would naturally come.’
It’s easier for her to pick this wisdom up for two reasons – she has survived cancer at a young age of 24, and she sees how her GPS-based solutions are helping civic bodies mange their waste better. These solutions can be applied in other sectors like managing agriculture waste, better management of energy using smart meters etc.
“We are the only one in India to have completed three solid waste management projects,” she says proudly. Her big ticket clients are South Delhi Municipal Corporation, Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation, Varanasi Smart City. She says she is now confident of taking her smart solid waste management solutions global.
A chemical engineer, Deepa teamed up with her cousin, a software engineer from BITS Pilani to start this company eight years ago. They made big mistakes initially but seem to have corrected quickly. She says they over-hired initially expecting to deliver multiple services without sufficient revenues.
As part of course correction, she had to right size the head count and adapt to a collaborative model for non-core software development. This strategy resulted in the firm turning black in 2015 and profitable since then.
“We can get into any area which needs GPS solutions like metering for electricity companies, street lighting. Our solution can help reduce waste to landfill.” Her client Kajaria Ceramics has been able to save Rs. one crore a year since the last two years using their GPS solution from better logistics management.
Top Learning as an Entrepreneur
- Complimentary skills of four partners
- Don’t try doing everything. Delegate to the maximum
- Believe in yourself, your emotions and intuitions.
- Entrepreneurship is not only about yourself but about the people who work with you and help them grow
- Focus more on providing solutions to the needs of a client or towards solving their problems. Don’t simply push your products or solutions
- Typically firms try to give low quality product but charge high when they deal with government bodies. Our focus is always to provide best services with high quality products
