Attending ISBA Conference and exhibiting our designs on Feb 8-9-10,2010

This week we participated in ISBA conference and exhibited our GSM based devices at  R@W (research at work) stalls.

We have showcased our GSM based devices and got lot of positive feedback and new ideas from Media, Academicians, Industry people and Funding organisations.

Apart from exhibiting our designs, we also met lot of fellow entrepreneurs with their own ideas and products.  One smart gentleman (singer, yoga teacher and entrepreneur) from Manipur exhibited handicraft products from grass and a pretty young girl with graduation in architecture and post grad in Product Designing and just out of IIT-Kanpur was showing graphics designs.

Well, India is truly a country of brave and intelligent people and lot of opportunities are available now. People as young as college freshers to 60+ starting their first venture were there. It is exciting to be with so many energetic persons.

We also received invitation to show case our products at IIT-Delhi. So on Feb 19th and 20th we will be IIT Delhi at entrepreneur's corner.

A session by DST, IAN informed us about various options of funding and grant available from various govt agencies.

In short these three days gave us lot of feedback about our products, interaction with various entrepreneurs taught us few more lessons on innovation and meeting with academicians and Govt official have shown us ways for getting more support.

And of course we are thankful to Apoorv Sharma and his team for giving us the opportunity to showcase our designs.

Special thanks are also due to Swati and Pankaj, two trainees students working with us. They reached home almost by 9 PM every day, still they were at site by 9 AM next day.

Participating in Proto.in at IIT Mumbai on Jan 30,2010

   Last week, I visited Mumbai to participate in Proto.in, an event for start ups. It was a wonderful experience listening to 15 startups and few entrepreneurs who already made big in the field. The major learning came from Sanjiv of Naukri.com and Pradeep of cyber media. Both of them shared that in the beginning, they faced competition from large company, yet they managed to survive. Being small and without money is not the limiting factor, What limits is what you think your limits are.  Or as Ritu Shri said , YOUR WORDS CREATE YOUR WORLD.

Participation at Mash Up at IIT Delhi on Jan 23rd,2010

On Jan 23rd, we participated and showcased our GSM enabled devices at IIT Delhi in an event called Mash up by TiE.

We participated along with Amit Goenka of Ariose. We had hardware electronics which can record lat/long , speed of the vehicle, listen to the happening around the unit (from a remote location by calling the specified number), switch on/off any electrical device, sense if device is on/off, sense position of doors, sense temperature, humidity. display message on TV screen and so on.. 

This could be used for vehicle tracking, remote monitoring / control of one or more appliances.

Possible usages are

• Used in a school bus, it can raise alarm as soon as speed exceeds and after few seconds send SMS to school incharge. It can not be deactivated/tampered with. Even if it damaged.burnt and thrown out, it will inform the exact date, time and place of when tempered with by sending SMS ie it can monitor itself. Parents can send SMS and get location of the bus when required. Bus incharge or any authorised person and listen to what is happening in the bus or make announcement sitting at office and even records if it travels away from pre-define route or stop at a place longer than required.
• Monitor power consumption of a shop/home/office,. If power consumption is high/low than normal then raise alarm. For example if a shop owner forget to switch off AC or some one switching on AC before or after office hours, an SMS will be sent. Also shop owner or some one senior (who has the password) can switch on/off the electrical appliance, make announcement and listed to what is happening in his/her absence.
• Monitoring traffic lights on roads - Traffic Lights go bad causing jams and accidents. The concerned person do not even know for a long time. This system can alert  repair  team as soon as a bulb/light goes bad, batteries are not getting recharged or mains supply fails.

Ariose showcased their software solution where all these activities are records on computer and user can see a route map of the bus on internet (using google map), keep records of the last few days/weeks and generate report on overspeeding or power consumption or failure history.

We got lot of valuable inputs, suggestions and ideas and few leads for our products.

GVC team included Swati Mehta, Pankaj Talwar, Saurabh and Pusphinder.

Attended Smart City Convention on Jan 20,2010

I was sponsored by FMSME to attend one day convention on Smart City. At 25K for one day event, It was beyond my capacity.

At end of the day, I can say one thing with full confidence. India is progressing. Despite limitations and whatever we say against politicians and  govt officials, well change is happening.

I was impressed to know Govt Plans to make Indian cities, the really smart cities.

And as an entrepreneur, I can see lot of business opportunities for me using my embedded electronics products in Smart Cities of India.

Working in a company - read an interesting blog

A very good blog on common mistakes made by freshers on first job.Even useful for experienced persons

Complete article is here

http://employabilityfirst.blogspot.com/2009/05/common-mistakes-that-freshers-make.html

Common points are

1. Never be late
2. Do not gossip about boss/co-worker/organisation
3. Do not find faults with management
4. Always be willing to learn
5. Do not show off / Talk about personal problems
6. Never give up

Rocket Singh and Lunch on Dec 15th,2009

On Tuesday Dec 15th,2009 We saw Rocket Singh - Salesman of the year at Spice Mall, Noida and then a quick lunch at food court.

Rocket Singh is a movie based on IT office and performance of average people with ordinary skills and creating extraordinary results.

My visit to Indian Agriculture Research Institute and agrimach 2009

Today I visited IARI, met Dr Pramod, Dr Saxena and Mr Sharma from IARI. They are setting up an incubator at IARI, Pusa premises.

It is really nice that Govt organisation are now realising that wealth and business and development can be created only by entrepreneurs who take risk and also that entrepreneurs need to be supported.

IARI is now looking for few entrepreneurs who can set up their office within IARI premises, get all support like admin staff, fax, furniture, electricity, power back up, parking place, a good library, access to students and qualified and competent faculty and a good networking opportunities and then a nice place next to a metro station.

Checkout their website inviting entrepreneurs

http://66.36.248.186:8080/IARIBPDM/index.jsp 

I also visited the exhibition at IARI premises. There were so many foreign companies who were selling expenses instruments for farms and field. Electronics is widely used in all developed countries to boost their agriculture output.

Now we are also looking to be a part of growing field of agri-electronics.

Will be meeting IARI people again on 15th December.