My site designer featured on Rediff.com: Aadil- Entrepreneurship runs in my blood
10:26 PM Posted by ukmad
My site designer featured on Rediff.com: Aadil- Entrepreneurship runs in my blood
Meet 26-year-old entrepreneur Aadil Bandukwala. At the age of 26, he is the CEO and owner of not one, but two companies -- a web consultancy firm called Leading Minds and the quirkily named recruitment agency Talent Onions.
Aadil some how came across my site while googling and he immediately mailed me and asked me whether I would give him an opportunity to re design my blog. I readily agreed as I was in search of a designer who had to be from Belgaum as my site is for Belgaum. The deal clicked and what you are now all seeing is the design made by Aadil’s design team at Leading Minds. In 4 days, the whole site was re laid and many of you have acclaimed that the design of the blog is next Gen design. I am Proud to be associated with Aadil. This story published in Rediff just 3 days after he lost his Bachelors degree; I wish him all the best in his new life and in his career.
Some excerpts from the interview on Rediff.com:
After school, he took the CAT exam and received admission to the Symbiosis Institute of Business Management (Pune), where he chose to study entrepreneurship. Three months into the academic year, however, all of us who had elected for the subject were still to attend a single lecture -- the institute was simply not holding the class! We decided to approach the Dean and were told that there were no faculty members to teach entrepreneurship and that the college would be happy to transfer us to another course." Dissatisfied with this option, Aadil did take a transfer -- to the Entrepreneurship Development Institute (EDI) in Ahmedabad. There he was a model student, topping his classes and winning the Student of the Year award.
He took a loan from his father to start up Leading Minds --a venture that started as an HR firm, then took up education consultancy and finally wound up as a web agency. Dad wanted him to join the family business, but he asked him for five years' time to try my hand at something new. Atique, his younger brother who has always been interested in the family firm, so I wanted him to join my father instead.
Leading Minds started as niche area of coaching students for MBA programmes. However, money was there in the building websites and web development, so he went up there.
In 2007, one of Aadil's professors from the EDI, assistant vice-president of BPO Genpact got in touch with him, requesting him to help the company hire people. Aadil launch his second company -- recruitment agency Talent Onions. He was only 22 then, so most people just did not believe I had it in me. Then we landed Ambuja Cement as a client and Siemens followed soon after. Today he has 13 clients.
“I will always be based out of Belgaum. I love the small town life -- being able to come home for lunch everyday, deciding when I want to work and when I do not. Entrepreneurship is a definite boon when it comes to your personal life -- now I have taken 25 days off to get married and work hasn't stopped, my employees have all pitched in. Moreover, my friends are all in Belgaum and I want to give back to this city as well. And if all this isn't reason enough, my mom can't bear it when I'm away -- it was very difficult for her when I was studying in Ahmedabad” Aadil said.
Read complete story here. The whole story is worth reading.
Aadil You made us proud.
Belgaum Bullets / Royal Enfield riders club: Riding the Royal way
10:30 PM Posted by ukmad
There is a fascinating number of people out there who have a passion for Bullets / Royal Enfield Bikes. One might wonder though - in Belgaum, we seldom find people using such bikes. However, to your amazement, when you actually start "looking" you'll find that there are a fairly decent number of Royal Enfield enthusiasts in Belgaum City.Sarayu K R - a law student from R L Law College, a passionate Royal Enfield Thunderbird rider started looking out f.JPG)
or such Royal Enfield enthusiasts based in Belgaum. She found three of them online whom she pinged and they decided to meet on Sunday for a ride - 17th November. Amazingly, 9 bikers turned up with 5 pillion riders totally 14 in number. They assembled at Big Bazaar and then packed off on a ride to Hattargi - 35 kms away from Belgaum cruising at an average speed of 50 kmph. The objective of their ride was not speed but to enjoy the ride itself and of course nature.They stopped at a Dhaba for lunch, and then took some pictures across the highway followed by some tea at a Chai ka Thela. They started at 12 noon and returned to Belgaum - Hanuman Nagar at around 5. Dispersed at 5.30 pm.
The group plans to start a club soon for Royal Enfield Bikers and plans to meet every fortnight for a ride - usually on Sundays.
I did not even get a chance to be a pillion rider on that Royal Enfield. But all those I know a few more get together guys and gals and ride the Royal way.
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Talent Onions from Belgaum
4:05 PM Posted by ukmad
Every Business is Different. We want to get to know yours.This is the buzzword of 'Talent Onions', a Belgaum based provider of Internet recruitment and job search solutions.
'Talent Onions', launched in July 2007 and in a span of time, 'Talent Onions' has made its mark in this very competitive but qualitative field of Internet recruitment and job search solutions.
Aadil Bandukwala, Chief Evangelist of 'Talent Onions' told this blog that he wanted to make 'Talent Onions' a number one Internet job portal company.
They are innovative business solution experts and help organizations Evaluate, Implement, and evolve the sourcing strategy that is right for their businesses. They provide a comprehensive range of Recruitment and Business Consulting Services and support the recruitment specific efforts in every stage of our client's sourcing lifecycle.Their mission is to add value to HR by delivering HR services and solutions that maximize the value of people. Everything they do enables HR to make a real commercial impact and improve our clients' business performance. They endeavor to successfully collaborate with organizations in their vision of empowering the most critical and valuable asset in their Human Resources at an optimized time and cost.
A brief interview with Aadil Bandukwala, Chief Evangelist:
How did you get an idea of starting 'Talent Onions'?
Leading Minds [my first start up] was going steady and I was on the look out for something to add to my basket. One of my professors one day got in touch stating that he needed to source talent from Belgaum for his company and questioned whether I was interested in exploring possibilities. I marched in. And we started Talent Onions.
Why is that you planned it to start from Belgaum? A place like Bangalore would have been much more rewarding.
I have been born and brought up in Belgaum. My parents live here. I know people here. I like my town. I love this place. Why would I move to Bangalore or any other metro - which is virtually unknown to me? Besides, the Internet has done wonders to today's economy and you can connect to the world from even the remotest of places. In addition, Belgaum has some rock solid potential and human talent that begging to be utilized.
How is that you work?
For every business, we have a different sourcing strategy. The cements business for example is quite technical in nature and hence you need many civil professionals. On the other hand, the telecom business is contrary in nature where in you need hardcore telephony guys. Hence, for each function like marketing or finance or engineering we have independent sourcing strategies. Obviously, we prefer to keep our business model discreet else wise there would not be any tactical advantages!
How many if not exact, but on general number of placements and clients you have added?
Cannot reveal this but one thing I can reveal is that when we started, we started with only one client. Now we have a kitty of over 15 clients of which four are constant in nature.
How many employees do you have?
I have 8 full time employees and 1 Part timer. Plus me. Therefore, that makes us a team of 10.
What plans do you have for further expansion?
We plan to make it big some day in the recruitment space and add more human capital and financial muscle to Talent Onions. We have very recently finished installing a recruitment automation application that is similar to an ERP for recruitment consultants. I hope that this will enhance efficiency and resourcefulness and will increase our client base at least three fold. We should also be able to cut lead-time in delivering solutions to our clients by over 40%. Lets keep our fingers crossed.
Leading Minds, your first company what does it do and how has it helped you to start 'Talent Onions'?
Leading Minds is an Internet consulting venture where in we build web applications. Leading Minds funded talent Onions. More on Leading Minds, here: http://www.leadingminds.co.in/
Wish the Onions a great taste of success.
More on Talent Onions here: http://www.talentonions.com/
Its time I suppose for us Belgaumites to think Higher and acheive our goals. What can I do from Belgaum ? Should not be the approach.
Say, I can do a lot from Belgaum.
