Shri Sunil Bharti Mittal, Chairman and Group Managing Director, Bharti Enterprises, was the Chief Guest for the 3rd Convocation of PGDBEM and PGDMN

In the year 1991, we were struggling, doing well and manufacturing good telephones. Bharti had started with an investment of 19 crores and today it is a 2000 crores company.

It was in the year 1992 that I got a unique opportunity. I believe every entrepreneur gets one opportunity in his lifetime, which he has to grab. This may involve taking risk also but then without risk there is no success in business. So for 3 months I took leave from office. I told my two brothers, who are working with me and other officials of the company that I should not be asked for anything; no one should ask as to where am I. This opportunity had come in form of licences of 4 metro cities for mobile phones.

We formed a loose consortium. Did all the necessary surveys spending around 300 crores, did our analysis and put in the bid. Practically all the big names of the corporate world were our competitors here. But our efforts paid and the result of this went in our favour and we were awarded all the 4 metro licences, so much so that the government had to intervene with the argument that all 4 licences could not go to one single company.

We were the first to launch mobiles. Today Airtel is most successful. The Delhi success took us 20 years ahead.

But there is one thing which we forget in our success and that is to sustain this success. In the last couple of years I have seen so many of my friends rise like stars and also fall to the ground in no time. To fall is very easy and therefore one must not ignore this side of the business and keep strategising constantly. I am aware about this aspect and have an eye on this always.

In the last few years of my career, there have been times when I have required large amounts of money and I have succeeded only because the risk taking spirit and the conviction were there.

We talk about the prevailing recession around, but Bharti has raised 1.05 million dollars in the last 9 months. This has been possible only because of high level of credibility that we have developed in the eyes of our investors.

Even in my office, we have created a wonderful environment. We have this Monday morning syndrome running high in employees, where each one is eager to come back to work on Monday. Every employee, right down to the level of a peon has a right over the company. If at all I wish to insist on my right as an owner, it will be only by way of becoming a share holder. There is complete transparency in the system at Bharti. I do not remember having signed a cheque for a very long time now. Even cheques worth Rs. 9 crores have been issued by the Accounts Department of the company after the signature of two signatories. A cheque comes to me only when one of the two signatories is not available.

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