When the soft-hearted serial entrepreneur Shivendra Srivastava (Director, Rigil Techno & Rigil Biotech) pioneeredStevi0cal – a natural sweetener with zero calories, with the noble intention of offering Indian diabetics a natural sweetener without side effects,he never realised it would receive such a bitter feedback. Despite the fact that the sweetener is a natural product derived from Latin America -grown plant Stevia and is used widely in counties like (almost obesity-free) Japan, a large percentile of people were unwilling to accept it because of its aftertaste on account of the high intensity sweetness of the stevia plant extract Everything went down the drain – immense time, money & effort – except his dream!

As his habit of accepting rejections with grace and unhesitant willingness to improve on others suggestions kicked in, he took it as a lesson: bring the idea to market in quickest form and perceive customer’s reaction before building the product. He went back to the drawing board with even stronger self-belief and a clear understanding of target market & customers. After complete overhaul of the product and its brand image, Shivendra brought forth a much better product, which is recognized as the best tasting sweetener in the biggest Indian diabetic market.

Though Rigil Techno, an auto component company, is the first venture of this first-generation entrepreneur, Rigil Biotech is the one very close to his heart, since

to Shivendra, entrepreneurship is not just about him, but helping others as well. Human sufferings hit him the most. Though extending helping hands without evaluating the pros & cons has backfired on a few occasions, he still doesn’t hesitate when he sees someone in need. It not only makes him feel better about him self, but also draws people towards his business. “The act has to come from heart without expecting anything in return,” adds Shivendra.

Shivendra’s foray into entrepreneurship was neither an accident nor his journey is filled with masala-packed transformations

The Steady Voyage

Shivendra’s foray into entrepreneurship was neither an accident nor his journey is filled with masala-packed transformations. It is a steady & gradual voyage steered with hard work, patience and self-motivation towards the ultimate goal. The excitement of realising his dreams and satisfaction of meeting people’s aspirations is Shivendra’s favourite aspect of being an entrepreneur.“In business, not taking risk is the biggest risk. Failures are bound to be there! Entrepreneurs should work with patience, sincerity and dedication during down times to come out with clarity. There is no better time to improve themselves,” says Shivendra. He is confident that delivering the best quality to customers not once, not twice but every time is the best road to surge ahead of the competition. “Innovation should fulfil our basic needs and success can come from simple ideas which are executed well with respect to time and space,” Shivendra shares his wisdom.

He often goes through Sun Tzu’s timeless military treatise‘Art of

War’, which he recommends to fellow entrepreneurs. “The people around you can either lift you up or weigh you down. Hence it is imperative for entrepreneurs to surround them selves with right people. Harness their skills, delegate work accordingly and derive delivery as per requirements,” he asserts. Walking the talk, Shivendra constantly engages with his team members, understands their requirements &addresses them, helps them acquire new skills, enhances their effectiveness and keeps them aligned towards common objective, while keeping himself motivated as well.“Give your employees a free hand to execute their ideas in a better manner. You will either get

The Other Side

Despite the several hits & misses along his entrepreneurship voyage, Shivendra’s wife has been with him as a silent & steady partner. Being a corporate professional, she understood his need to create his own space on his terms. Shivendra also discusses his work with his daughter. “I’d love to see her take up entrepreneurship and create something beautiful & valuable. But the decision is totally up to her,” says Shivendra.

Everyday of this early-riser starts with walking his dog, which means a lot to both of them. Before starting his roller coaster of a day, Shivendra leisurely enjoys his favourite Indian vegetarian food after a series of fitness regimes such as Yoga, Sudharshana Kriya and meditation. Vacation for him is a long drive to small places like wildlife destinations with a DSLR camera. This time-offs from daily operational challenges helps him top onder over new ideas and focus on the vision & roadmap. Speaking of roadmap, he wishes to create more employment opportunities and work towards a more sustainable model of development. “If you want to be in the race, you have to be running all the time,” concludes Shivendra.