In the real world, there is no elevator to success and one has to take the stairs. Kshyana Prava (popular as Mita), a first generation entrepreneur’s journey is a true testament to the adage. Partner & Co-Founder of SmartinfoLogiks, a firm rendering innovative ICT products, solutions and services to a global clientele, Mita is a firm believer in working hard and being sincere. “Since the very first day, I decided to embark on this entrepreneurial journey, I had known that my life would not be easy. But my desire to move away from a monotonous life and go on a hurdle-laden path compelled me to embark on the journey to build SmartinfoLogiks,” says Mita, Partner & Co-Founder. Be it putting-in the long hours, wearing different hats in the organization or going against societal norms, Mita has never shied away from putting in the hard work and has thus brought her company to great heights and is only raring to go higher.

Not Shying Away from Risks
Building a business from the ground-up is akin to a herculean feat, but the process is much tougher for first time entrepreneurs. Not only are they unaware of the nitty-gritties of running a business, but it is also tenacious for them to receive approval from family and friends. Hailing from a family that had traditionally been in the public sector, Mita had the odds stacked against her from the beginning. “I am not from a business background. My father had worked in the public sector and so have my sisters. As a result, it was tough for me to convince them at the early stage. They were concerned about the hardships that I would have to face on the way,” Mita narrates.

Also, the Indian way of thinking is more inclined towards regular jobs as it brings-in the stability and security that Indian families often desire. At one point in her life, Mita had to take the risk between choosing between a steady corporate job or face the uncertain waters of entrepreneurship.

All we need is a change in our perspective towards the barrier, and the same becomes an opportunity

“After completion of my B.Tech degree from ITER, Odisha, I was placed in an MNC with a decent salary. It was at that point that I also had the option of starting-out something new with my now life partner and some of his friends. Although it was a tough call, I decided to let go-off a good life with some handsome salary and chose to lead a struggling life for next few years,” recounts Mita.

Mita’s risk taking abilities coupled with her ambition is what has made her the success that she is today. Add to this her desire to make a difference in people’s lives by adding value and we have the recipe for a true entrepreneur. “I derive most satisfaction through creating value, be it for any stakeholder,” Mita says. “Business is all about dealing with people and taking some calculated risks. For me, entrepreneurship is nothing but striking a balance between situations and people,” she adds.

Looking Beyond Genders
The corporate world has traditionally been a male-dominated arena for years. In fact, people often associate the word entrepreneur with a male.

Although the society and industry put-up more barriers for women, but the times are changing and more women are entering the workforce to challenge the status quo. When asked about her perspective on challenges faced by women entrepreneurs, Mita insists on putting a positive spin on the situation. “All we need is a change in our perspective towards the barrier, and the same becomes

an opportunity. We need to accept the barriers as another challenge and learn to overcome it,”she explains. Mita believes that entrepreneurship is equally challenging for everybody irrespective of their gender. She also strongly believes that it is impossible to keep true talent hidden and it always finds its way to flourish, irrespective of gender. The ever optimistic entrepreneur says, “Although the number of women entrepreneurs is lesser in India, but the situation is changing along with our society’s traditional mindset, so it all looks uphill from this point forward”.

Working for the Thrill of Solving Client Challenges
“From the very beginning of this journey, I’ve had to put-in average eighteen hour work days. In fact, my laptop never shut-down. This has not changed till now and my laptop sleeps for less than an hour in a month,” Mita says. Although one has to sacrifice a lot to build a successful company, but an entrepreneur’s life is also highly adventurous. “I draw my satisfaction from the fact that I am capable of creating opportunities for several people. Also, after braving all the odds when our product/project succeeds and my team delivers a solution which solves a client’s problem, that is the wow moment for me,” she asserts excitedly. “As tough as it may seem, seeing your vision materialize in front of your eyes has been the most rewarding advantage of being an entrepreneur,” Mita concludes.

Key Management
Kshyana Prava(Mita),Partner & Co-Founder
Having built a strong foundation on sincere hard work, Mita is at the helm of affairs at SmartinfoLogiks. Leveraging her skill for building bleeding edge ICT solutions and products for clients, Mita is leading the company from front to gain a larger foothold in the global market.

Office: Mumbai
Offerings:IoT, Bigdata& Analytics, Server Virtualization, Cloud Computing, IT Consultation, AI & Automation, Mobile technologies, and Integrated Computing