The Weekend Leader - We Report News & Stories that Matter
Student housing

Three young entrepreneurs Shubha Lal, Karan Kaushish and Nidhi Kumra, have launched a new venture that aims to disrupt the student housing market by providing premium facilities - plus comfort and safety that feels like home, says Gokul Bhagabati

The Comeback Entrepreneur

He has faced it all, penury during his younger days and a ten-crore loss when his business was picking up, but nothing could keep him down. G Singh met Sarat Kumar Sahoo, who rose from a tiny food stall to build a Rs 250 crore turnover company

A humble billionaire

He worked at a canteen in a cinema hall, where he also did odd jobs like sticking film posters, and door-keeping, all for a monthly salary of Rs 90. The founder of a Rs 1,800 cr turnover company tells his life story to Masuma Bharmal Jariwala

Taste of Odisha

Debasish Patnaik sensed a business opportunity when he saw that there were no restaurants in Odisha serving the State cuisine. In 2001 he started one which has now grown into a seven-outlet chain with around Rs six crore turnover, says G Singh

The Complete Man

With an investment of Rs 50,000 P. D. Shylendra opened his first textiles shop in Bengaluru and later opened a Raymond franchise store, which was a runaway success. Usha Prasad profiles the entrepreneur heading a Rs 22 crore turnover company 

Hair to Riches

What happens when your family’s financial situation hits rock-bottom? If you were Gaurav Rana, you would fight back. Gaurav made cow-dung cakes for his home kitchen, worked as a barber, and later launched a company of his own, says Bilal Handoo

 
Happily single

A first generation entrepreneur in Tiruppur, India’s textile hub, Raja M Shanmugam, has been supplying garments to a single client in Germany for 16 years, and grown along with his client to touch a turnover of Rs 80 crore, says P C Vinoj Kumar

Money tree

For Amar Singh, who was driving an auto for a living, an investment of Rs 1,200 in 60 amla saplings changed his life forever and made him an icon in his village. Partho Burman profiles the rural entrepreneur whose annual turnover is Rs 26 lakh

The thrifty scientist

For India’s top space scientist Mylswamy Annadurai, whose low-cost missions to the moon and Mars has won him many accolades, thriftiness comes naturally. P C Vinoj Kumar has the story of how young Annadurai outsmarted poverty with his ingenuity  

An Ideas Man

Abhishek Rungta started his website hosting venture, which is now a Rs 55 crore turnover company, hiring a stall in an IT exhibition spending Rs 3,000 from his pocket and another Rs 50 for printing leaflets about his services, says G Singh

Farmer's friend

Biplab Ketan Paul, who developed a water harvesting system that has benefited farmers around the country, received The Weekend Leader – VIT Person of the Year (2016) Award from  India’s ‘moon man’ Dr Mylswamy Annadurai, director, ISRO, Bengaluru

India's Flower Mogul

In 1994, a 25-year-old young man invested Rs 5,000 in a flower shop in Delhi along with a friend who put in Rs 2.5 lakh and later withdrew. Today, the business has grown into a Rs 650 crore turnover flower retail chain   

 
Just Fresh Juice

Two friends started a fruit juice shop in a 26 sq ft rented space in 2014 and have now grown into a six-outlet chain. Operating on a no-frills model and even selling on carts, they are inching toward a one crore turnover mark, says G Singh

A Winning Formula

When a man who created a business empire that is today valued at Rs 3,600 crore from a small investment of Rs 1 lakh talks about success strategies, you would want to listen. Usha Prasad did, and took away 10 Success Mantras from his speech

Success with Coffee

He dropped out of college to start a business and did not give up after his profitable trade went bust. The founder of a Rs 15 crore turnover coffee chain had suffered losses and underwent humiliations before achieving success, says Usha Prasad

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