Perhaps the greatest lesson one can learn is to remain a student of life; to keep learning at every stage, no matter what. This insatiable appetite for learning is palpable in Deepjyot Singh Sethi\u2019s approach to his work, as well as his life in general. Sethi recalls how his ambition has altered its course over the years, but the drive for learning has not. \u201cI wanted to become a doctor, earlier. My parents badgered me not to become an entrepreneur; they wanted me to be a professional. In high school, my focus shifted from medical sciences to law. I studied for the exam, and cleared it for one university. However, we had to move to Ludhiana, so I had to pursue BBA from Chandigarh since it was closer to home. After my PGDMM, I enrolled on law school, but touring for business along with studies became tedious so I dropped out. But, currently, I\u2019m pursuing my MCom from IGNOU.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Grounded to the earth, Deepjyot\u2019s flair for learning \u2013 be it bookish knowledge or practical experience \u2013 perhaps runs in his blood. His grandfather arrived in India post-partition and built a manufacturing firm from the ground up by his own hands, sweat and tears. \u201cHe is my singular greatest inspiration. From business values and ethics, I cannot fathom how much I\u2019ve learnt from him. He worked in the government for some time and started the business in Meerut.\u201d Sethi\u2019s roots in an industrial family background exposed him to the vagaries of the business early in his life. \u201cI\u2019ve seen both crests and troughs of business.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It would not be remiss if someone draws the conclusion that being a fourth-generation entrepreneur, Sethi must\u2019ve had it easy. But the truth betrays this assumption. Sethi and his friend and partner in business Gagandeep have had to learn the ropes of the business the hard way. \u201cOur entrepreneurial journey has been very topsy-turvy. My business idea required capital at a large scale, and I thank my father for placing his trust in a novice 23-year-old me and giving me the freedom to manage my business on my own. The past few years have brought on a lot of unforeseen external stimuli like GST and covid. All we\u2019ve learnt is that the earth will keep revolving, and we\u2019ll have to keep facing new challenges.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
His early twenties went by in railways compartments, cheap hotel rooms and meeting clients while he toured the country for his business research. But calendar years have failed to keep up with the pace of his intellectual maturity. Once an experienced client of his guessed his age to be 40. Sethi was 23 back then. \u201cI took this as a compliment.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Both Gagandeep and Sethi have worked on the ground, so much so that their customers didn\u2019t think of them as owners, but employees of their own firms. And for Sethi, this is true. \u201cGagandeep and I treat ourselves as employees of the company. We\u2019re not the owners; we take our salary and reinvest the rest back into the company. That\u2019s the work ethic we have.\u201d Gagandeep and Sethi are two peas in a pod who\u2019ll probably trust each other with their life. \u201cGagan\u2019s been my trellis, my emotional and professional support through all of this and he\u2019s taught me a lot.\u201d Sethi\u2019s grandfather told him to form a concrete taal-mel <\/em>with Gagandeep if they had to work together. Safe to say, he\u2019d be proud of the relationship Gagan and Sethi share.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sethi\u2019s learnt a lot from the Growtharator programme, but he very candidly says that he hasn\u2019t applied it to his business for now. \u201cI\u2019m glad I\u2019m getting invaluable knowledge from the programme, but the ground reality is too grim. I just don\u2019t feel like applying anything to the operations right now, which, by the way, are running below capacity, and only for the sake of my employees. I\u2019m waiting for the situation to take a hopeful turn. Till then, the ultimate priority is to stay safe and stay alive. I can rebuild the business again, but I just want everyone to remain safe.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n