From Agri-Residue to E-Commerce Success: The MAE Story with Ronit Jain

In this episode of the Indian Community Podcast, we're joined by Ronit Jain, the visionary entrepreneur behind Selvel Global and MAE, who shares his journey from transforming a traditional family business into an e-commerce success, to launching MAE, a pioneer in sustainable products made from agricultural residue. Dive into Ronit's story of ambition, innovation, and a deep commitment to sustainability. Discover the challenges and triumphs of his entrepreneurial path, the creation of MAE, and his educational pursuits. Prepare to be inspired by a tale of resilience, environmental stewardship, and the pursuit of excellence in the world of business.

Mae Brand Website - https://mae.in/
Selvel Global Website - https://selvelglobal.com/
Indian Community - https://indian.community/

Transcript

Amit Gupta: 0:00

Welcome to the Indian Community Podcast where we spotlight the journeys of visionary entrepreneurs. Today, we are joined by Ronit Jain, the driving force behind Selvel Global and MAE, from transforming a traditional family business into an e commerce success, to launching MAE, a pioneer in sustainable products made from agri residue. Ronit's story is one of ambition, Innovation and a deep commitment to sustainability. As we dive into his entrepreneurial path, the creation of my and his educational pursuits, prepare to be inspired by a tale of resilience, environmental stewardship, and the pursuit of excellence in the world of business. Hey Ronit Welcome to the Indian it Community Podcast.

Track 1: 0:52

Hi, Amit. So nice to, be here. Thank you for having me in your show. Yeah,

rahul-mehra_1_02-14-2024_074425: 0:58

Welcome to the

Rahul Mehra: 0:58

community. Ronit.

Ronit Jain: 0:59

Thank you, Rahul. Likewise.

rahul-mehra_1_02-14-2024_074425: 1:01

Welcome.

Track 1: 1:02

it feels amazing to be here. Thank you. Thank you for inviting me. Yeah.

Rahul Mehra: 1:06

It's a pleasure.

amit-gupta_2_02-13-2024_211425: 1:07

Excellent.

Rahul Mehra: 1:08

Yeah.

Amit Gupta (2): 1:08

Rahul, one thing

amit-gupta_2_02-13-2024_211425: 1:09

I'm really excited about is today's Valentine's Day. And we have young Blood on the show

Amit Gupta (2): 1:15

Ronit Jain so he is

amit-gupta_2_02-13-2024_211425: 1:16

also he tick all the boxes. So it's a very interesting conversation.

rahul-mehra_1_02-14-2024_074425: 1:21

Yeah, of course.

Amit Gupta (2): 1:23

So Ronit, I'll get started. Ronit I noticed

amit-gupta_2_02-13-2024_211425: 1:26

you come from a business family with a very successful business legacy, but you wanted to go ahead and start something of your own. And your ventures

Amit Gupta (2): 1:35

Selvel global. And MAE

amit-gupta_2_02-13-2024_211425: 1:38

both of these have done phenomenally well. So can you share some key moments that inspired you and helped you shape up your entrepreneurial journey.

Track 1: 1:47

So I always wanted to be an entrepreneur, for as long as I can remember. And yeah, I have different plans for MAE business. My father, and, they're pretty happy with where the business is right now, but I was always hungry for more and I always envisioned a different kind of a brand or a different kind of a business. I wasn't just happy with what we have right now. And I see a lot more potential, so many things yet to be explored and yet to be so many, territories yet to charter. Yeah.

amit-gupta_2_02-13-2024_211425: 2:20

Okay, you remind me of that. Life means more tagline. I don't know if you will remember. It was in the late nineties. There, there used to be a brand campaign called Life Means More. So your statement just reminded me of that one.

rahul-mehra_1_02-14-2024_074425: 2:35

Actually growing up in a business family generally it's kids look up to their fathers, doing business all day and night. Unlike my dad was a service person. So your father is into business, so automatically it comes, so you were saying that you were motivated more, you wanted more out of there, right? So is there any factor, is there anything that motivated you more? Big cars with other people, even bigger cars. Even bigger houses. So something of that sort of, there was something else.

Track 1: 3:03

Yeah, definitely. That, that could be one aspect. And I just have some really big goals and ambitions. Let's say I want to be in the Fortune 500, right? So my father and my uncle in the family business, they never thought like that. They were happy with the business. And of course, it it does well, it provides for the family. Everything is great. But, I, yeah, just wasn't satisfied with that. So always saw myself as a top entrepreneur and that is what I want to do with my life. Yeah.

Rahul Mehra: 3:34

That's great. That's great. Great to hear that.

Amit Gupta (2): 3:37

So Ronit,

amit-gupta_2_02-13-2024_211425: 3:37

when you broke this news to your family saying hey you're doing well. There's a family business, I. Good for you. I wanna go and do something of my own. What was the reaction of the family?

Track 1: 3:50

Initially I was met with a lot of doubts, but they were also very supportive. I also have to say that I'm really lucky and fortunate to be born in such a nice family, and my parents are really supportive. So I'm really grateful for that. And yes, they do have their initial doubts, which is fine. I can understand. The first time someone is jumping straight into the business. So of course those doubts are going to be there. But keeping everything in mind they've been very supportive and yeah, just fortunate to be be born in this family.

Rahul Mehra: 4:22

Great. Ronit starting

rahul-mehra_1_02-14-2024_074425: 4:24

Selvel Global without any prior business experience would've been very challenging, I assume. So how do you navigate the obstacles and setbacks in the early days? When you started. One could be from your family, support from your family, they have. What other things did you do?

Track 1: 4:41

So I started this way back in 2017, and e-commerce in India was still shaping up, it was still very new. Of course you had Flipkart, you had Mantra, you had Amazon, everyone had, set foot in India. But for homegrown brands, like people were still figuring out how to do the whole e-commerce bit. And so even for us, it was a process of learning and even with the first hiring, right? I didn't really know which role to exactly hire for or what exactly to do, right? So we started with e-commerce marketplaces,

rahul-mehra_1_02-14-2024_074425: 5:18

so can you tell us something about, the name, Selvel How did this name come into picture? Who found those who coined this name? Sel Vel.

Track 1: 5:25

So it's my family brand, the homewares

rahul-mehra_1_02-14-2024_074425: 5:27

Okay. It's your family right? Okay.

Track 1: 5:29

It's my family brand. And, my father's tutor actually came up with this name and he lives in the States. He lives in he lives in New Jersey. He is, his name is Sat Ji and he suggested us this name.

rahul-mehra_1_02-14-2024_074425: 5:44

Alright.

Track 1: 5:45

he's a very creative person. He's a Bengali, so naturally, he has a

rahul-mehra_1_02-14-2024_074425: 5:49

And when was this coined?

Track 1: 5:51

in 1992. Yeah.

Rahul Mehra: 5:53

So you were, you guys were into some holdings and all earlier.

Track 1: 5:56

Oh no. That's another business that's not related to us. Yeah.

rahul-mehra_1_02-14-2024_074425: 6:01

Okay. That's not related to you because I remember. Sorry. That okay? Yeah. That's great to hear. That's great to hear. Coin, because I'm from, branding, so I, the name Selvel its very nicely in our ears,

Rahul Mehra: 6:13

Selling something well sell well.

rahul-mehra_1_02-14-2024_074425: 6:15

Very rarely do people come up with that name.

Rahul Mehra: 6:17

So I'm, I was very curious about it.

Track 1: 6:20

Great. Yeah, it Thing.

Rahul Mehra: 6:22

Yeah.

Amit Gupta (2): 6:22

so Ronit,

amit-gupta_2_02-13-2024_211425: 6:23

what got you onto MAE? So

Amit Gupta (2): 6:25

what's the story behind MAE?

amit-gupta_2_02-13-2024_211425: 6:26

I think that was that's the brand that you're very close to today. So can you tell us a little bit more about MAE

Amit Gupta (2): 6:34

and

amit-gupta_2_02-13-2024_211425: 6:34

is,

Amit Gupta (2): 6:34

am I pronouncing it correct

amit-gupta_2_02-13-2024_211425: 6:36

or did you intend to pronounce it differently?

Track 1: 6:38

it, it's pronounced as May as in the month of May. Because I'm born in May. And it also aligned with What I'm doing. Just went, just flipped the Y with E and that's how the brand name came to life. And so just before Covid, I was at an expo and I just bumped into a stall, which, you know, which. Spoke about bio and the wonders of Biopolymers. It was an emerging technology back then, and it was a no brainer for me. I wanted to do this for the rest of my life, commit to a greener fold, and that's what the motivation part was.

amit-gupta_2_02-13-2024_211425: 7:18

So in fact the reason I thought this is my end I, I'm happy to hear that it is MAE. But the reason I actually interpreted this as My because it is all about sustainability and your concern for, let's say planet Earth or Mother Earth. And I interpreted my in in, in. the sense, In that sense. So it's good to know that it's it's may and I'm assuming you're a.

Track 1: 7:42

That's right.

rahul-mehra_1_02-14-2024_074425: 7:43

Yes. Yes. Same as I'm also.

Track 1: 7:46

I mean that, that's that's a part of my personality. I am very stubborn with what goals I have and, so that's a part of my personality and I think it's required to a certain extent. To have that determination that you have to do, you have to do it, no matter what.

rahul-mehra_1_02-14-2024_074425: 8:01

Definitely the determination is a big part,

Track 1: 8:04

right.

amit-gupta_2_02-13-2024_211425: 8:05

So when it comes to MAE you're transforming waste into valuable products, right? It's garbage in gold out, if I may say. So what is that new technology or processes that you've incorporated to be able to achieve this?

Track 1: 8:19

So the manufacturing process remains the same, but of course we had to tweak our manufacturing process a bit to have these bio composites and biopolymers be compatible with the set of machinery that we already have. So there was a lot of R&D Research and Development in terms of what kind of materials are suitable for a machine and how we need to tweak the processes. So traditional polymers, they're made for the existing machines, right? So there's not really a process that you have to do before, having the materials in the machine. But with bio composites and biopolymers. You have to preheat the materials at a certain temperature and you need to give it a certain cooling time, and you only come to know that after you do a, set of trials. And it's a lengthy process

Ronit Jain: 9:08

figuring out that optimum temperature where the material needs to be heated at, and, because it's finally molded into a product. So it needs to be very compatible with the machinery.

Rahul Mehra: 9:20

So Ronit, I have a

rahul-mehra_1_02-14-2024_074425: 9:21

question here this is a technical question, it just came to my mind. It is different, the materials, the heating time and the cooling time, is it different for different batches of polymers or is it the same for. Or no?

Track 1: 9:34

So for synthetic polymers, it's not really a challenge, but for these biomaterials, the bio composites it varies depending on what kind of a material that is because, every material is different. In some materials, for the binding part, they use Corn Starch for other materials. There are different kinds of binders, so ultimately it varies for different kinds of

Ronit Jain: 9:58

materials.

Rahul Mehra: 9:59

Ronit

rahul-mehra_1_02-14-2024_074425: 9:59

For our audiences, before listening to what you're saying, they would like to know what are bio composites. It's not easy for a layman to understand what are bio composites. So if you could put some light on that.

Track 1: 10:10

So bio composite is a kind of a polymer which is made from like biomaterials, right? But basically organic source of materials. For example, a agri waste, right? Like the agri residue that, that remains after the whole agricultural process is done.

rahul-mehra_1_02-14-2024_074425: 10:30

Like what We,

Track 1: 10:31

like Rice Husk, or Bamboo waste, coffee waste. Basically any kind of agri waste, it can be used to create a bio biopolymer.

rahul-mehra_1_02-14-2024_074425: 10:41

Okay.

amit-gupta_2_02-13-2024_211425: 10:42

So does that mean all that agricultural waste, which is sometimes burnt in some parts of the country can be converted into this bio composite and be converted into products? Is, that possible?

Track 1: 10:55

mission is, to prevent stubble burning and also, give a new life to this material that would've otherwise been wasted and it would've caused severe pollution and environmental damage. So we are trying to prevent that and we are giving value to waste. That's what we are trying to do.

rahul-mehra_1_02-14-2024_074425: 11:15

That's good. That's good.

amit-gupta_2_02-13-2024_211425: 11:17

It is ironic. Today, I think this morning Rahul was complaining about smog and some higher level of pollution. So I'm hopeful that with the processes and the innovation that you're bringing to the industry that larger problem can be solved. It's not just we getting beautiful products but also helping reduce the pollution. Is gonna be phenomenal. I think that's an incredible Mission to have.

Track 1: 11:43

And we're also trying to replace traditional polymers which is your polypropylene or polycarbonate, which are usually fossil fuel based, right? So that causes a lot of pollution. And we are just trying to replace that as of now with bio composites biopolymers. And the plan is to, ultimately have a green powered manufacturing unit. That's the vision.

rahul-mehra_1_02-14-2024_074425: 12:09

Okay. Do you run on biofuel or how do you have best reults

Track 1: 12:13

Not, yet. not, yet. But definitely, we plan to make it a

Rahul Mehra: 12:16

cause now Modi has announced a lot of, this solar power yojnas.

Track 1: 12:21

right?

Rahul Mehra: 12:22

Maybe you can benefit somewhere from there also.

Track 1: 12:24

Definitely. Yeah.

Amit Gupta (2): 12:26

So Ronit, I, I believe

amit-gupta_2_02-13-2024_211425: 12:27

right now your focus is heavily on the tableware segment, right? So you've got cups and mugs that you're producing under the brand name MAE. So do you also have plans to expand into other categories into more lifestyle categories?

Track 1: 12:43

Yes, we do have plans of expanding into other categories as well. But the plan is to first, set the base really strong in our in the tableware segment, which is a strong suit, right? And then gradually move on to other product categories like. Clothing, for example, right? Or,

amit-gupta_2_02-13-2024_211425: 13:01

Okay.

Track 1: 13:02

it could be something as simple as the shoes you wear. Experimenting with vegan, leather plant-based materials, right?

rahul-mehra_1_02-14-2024_074425: 13:11

Okay.

Track 1: 13:12

we plan to bring a range of products under the brand name MAE, all lifestyle products, right? And all

amit-gupta_2_02-13-2024_211425: 13:18

Yeah, I.

Track 1: 13:19

material science and exploring different materials the nature has to offer. So some of the materials that we're currently working with are, like I mentioned, we are already working with bamboo fiber, coffee waste, Rice husk, and soon we also, plan to add other materials in our in our catalog. For example, hemp. Hemp fiber. Or something like banana. Banana crop waste these are the kinds of materials we are trying to bring forward. The idea is to show the world that nature has so much to offer. It ultimately depends on how we can optimize it and how best we can use it and eliminate all sort of dependency on manmade materials, which are causing a lot of pollution and environmental damage. So That's the plan, showing the world that nature has a lot to offer and, if we can really figure out a way of optimizing it and utilizing these materials in the best way possible, then we can cut down a lot of environmental damage to a great extent.

rahul-mehra_1_02-14-2024_074425: 14:30

Okay, a question is coming to my mind? Actually, When I started my career, I start the, my very first project was with a company who were into vegetable dice, right? So they're here only in Ghaziabad, manufacturer of apparel manufacturer, not actually apparel. They're cloth manufacturers and they used to have a vegetable dissection also. Which they used. But what I remember is that, those products, although they were mostly exported at that time, but once wash them and put them in the sun, it fades very fast. So it's coming to my mind, right now. Is there something similar like with your products also?

Track 1: 15:06

So our products are very durable and we also have a hundred percent biodegradable products in our product category, right? But they would only decompose under certain conditions, under anaerobic conditions. It would require the right amount of heat chemical reaction to happen. So ideally it would take about 180 days to decompose one you, once put it under soil. Otherwise It's pretty durable. You can use it for more than two years, more than four years, until the natural degradation process starts to happen.

rahul-mehra_1_02-14-2024_074425: 15:41

And can it can you produce them in any colors?

Track 1: 15:44

So yeah we are still experimenting with colors and right now that is a limitation to a certain extent, but we are trying to, we are trying to solve that as well with organic colors

rahul-mehra_1_02-14-2024_074425: 15:56

oh. But you said that the colors don't fade and they remain as it is.

Track 1: 16:01

right, the colors don't fade. And the products because of the materials, they're microwave safe, they're food safe, they're,

rahul-mehra_1_02-14-2024_074425: 16:10

Oh, that's right.

Track 1: 16:10

they're dishwasher safe as well. So we are also bringing durability to the customers. So these are not like your single use. Disposable products because I feel there's a lot of wastage of energy and resources to create something that would be disposed of in just one single use, be

rahul-mehra_1_02-14-2024_074425: 16:30

And it produces a lot of garbage also.

Track 1: 16:33

Yes. It produces a lot of garbage. And ideally you'd want something that you can reuse, over and over again for a very long time. So that's the idea of making products which are durable and yet are, light on the planet. So that's what the idea is.

rahul-mehra_1_02-14-2024_074425: 16:51

That's great. That's

amit-gupta_2_02-13-2024_211425: 16:52

This is a pretty interesting problem statement, right? It has to be durable. It has to have a, shorter carbon footprint, if I may say. And also be. Great in terms of quality and styling. And so there are there's a lot that goes into building a product. And I think Ronit, the way you are approaching me is commendable. And I was very interested in your statement, because you mentioned a term vegan leather, and I, I'm also an aspiring vegan I try and stay away from animal or dairy products as best as I can. And, most of my wardrobe has now switched to sustainable clothing or it is we be it my wallet or the belt or the shoes, everything is in that category now. So I was very curious about. What is your process? When you think, because the sky's the limit, you could do pretty much jump into any category that you want to. How would you qualify a particular category as one is there is, there is market fitment and then there's also a market potential, right? So what would your process be as the CEO of the brand? Or as the product manager, how do you go about thinking? Okay, that's the next category that I want to chase.

Track 1: 18:09

I've always. Had this thought that we need to make sustainability desirable for people to adopt sustainable products and for people to really understand what what this is all about. Because only if a product is great in terms of design, in terms of the utility that it provides. Only then will it work. It doesn't matter if it's a sustainable product or not. So we need to ensure that at the core, the product is superb. That people really love the product and like I said, we want to make sustainability desirable. So even in terms of the kind of the design language that, that we, bring in our products and that we bring forward to people. We want to keep it very aesthetic, very luxurious to give them that, that feel of luxury and yet be very eco-friendly and environment friendly. And in terms of the product, other product categories that we're venturing into soon yeah, that's what the whole idea is.

amit-gupta_2_02-13-2024_211425: 19:12

So how are you gonna shortlist your categories? Saying, because you could do clothes, t-shirts, belts, shoes, there's So many categories that you could produce. So how are you gonna shortlist.

Track 1: 19:23

It's very important to be hyper-focused. Whenever we are venturing into any new product category, or even with our tableware range, for instance, which is this launching soon and maybe in a month or so, right? So we are really hyper-focused with the kind of products we want to bring out because it's better to focus all your energies on a few things rather than, doing everything all at once. So even if we go into other product categories, the idea is to keep the number of SKU's very limited, and that also With giving consumers, less choices. So their decision making becomes much easier, right? If I'm shown a hundred different colors or versus, if I'm shown just three colors that are available to me. So I would, that would definitely make my decision making process much easier. That's how I view this as, and in my opinion, great companies have already always been hyper-focused. If you look at Apple, their top selling product is a mobile phone. And you can see, how that approach is fit inside the culture or how they work,

amit-gupta_2_02-13-2024_211425: 20:29

absolutely. I cannot deny that there are many instances when I go out to buy certain products and I walk into a store. And this was when I had to pick up, headphones for myself, right? And I went into a store and they had. About 40 different options in front of me, and it was very difficult for me to pick and choose which one should I go for because they all looked so similar. And even the price range was, is, was not very dramatically different. So it makes it, it's a decision paralysis, which we call it in the industry. Which creeps in at that point. That, that is definitely a good strategy to focus on, a limited set of SKUs. So you're able to do justice in terms of quality and availability as well, right? Because you're not gonna have pink cup available all the time, right,

rahul-mehra_1_02-14-2024_074425: 21:22

Also,

amit-gupta_2_02-13-2024_211425: 21:22

that specific pink is gonna be

Track 1: 21:24

And it also, more valuable. Something that is not so easily available is considered desirable, right?

rahul-mehra_1_02-14-2024_074425: 21:33

Also talking from the money angle. Like companies who are in, there are companies where big investors invest. So they have a lot of money to experiment on every small little thing, and they have big targets to meet Vis-a-vis, you are a bootstrap one, so you are the master of your own things. Know, you know what to do, you can go wherever you want to go, so that is also one of the things I hope, which is actually in your favor, right? But, being a completely bootstrap venture, what challenges have you faced and, are there any strategies for seeking connections, fundraising,

Track 1: 22:07

so definitely, we are seeking fundraising. We are seeking all kinds of connections that would help us widen our reach in terms of our visibility and the markets and the countries that we are presented. And fundraising is something that we are actively seeking right now. And, Yeah. So I started my, we started Selvel Global in the year 2019 and, we established the company in the year 2019. We started our e-commerce operations in that barrier. And luckily, we've got to a stage wherein we can now really experiment a lot with this brand MAE because we are completely bootstrapped, so that has given us a cushion to experiment and keep building on this new brand that we are working on.

rahul-mehra_1_02-14-2024_074425: 22:53

Cool. That's great. Excellent.

Amit Gupta (2): 22:55

Ronit

amit-gupta_2_02-13-2024_211425: 22:55

I noticed you've got a background in management studies. You've also done, packaging design and now you're currently pursuing a course in private equity. So these are all a wide range of different let's say industry specializations, if I may call it. And you are, you're building a brand. You, you're building an e-commerce brand, and you're also building a sustainable brand. So these are all a wide. Variety of different subjects that you are pursuing. So how is all of this shaping you become an entrepreneur? How is all of this contributing?

Track 1: 23:32

It helps me make better decisions and. It really expands my awareness about different subjects and different topics. So all of these courses or all of these, things that I'm learning, they're definitely helping me in my business. It's making me more aware about what's out there and what are the kind of things that we need to have in our business. In this really competitive world, right? So I think it's really important to upskill oneself. It's really important to constantly learn and one should never stop learning. That's what I really believe.

rahul-mehra_1_02-14-2024_074425: 24:08

That's correct.

Track 1: 24:10

Yeah. And

amit-gupta_2_02-13-2024_211425: 24:11

that is interesting. So you're constantly learning and you're constantly bringing those learnings back into the organization so That is very important. A lot of people that we've spoken to or successful entrepreneurs have shown, A similar trait where they're not just learning on the go but they're also bringing those learnings back into their, passion, which is the organization that they're running.

Track 1: 24:35

Yeah it's very important to, have those changes in your organization. And there was this quote that I'm really inspired from, it says that if you keep doing the same things, you will keep getting the same results. So at times you really need to shake up things and you really need to try and experiment until you find what's working for you and keep experimenting even after then, because that is what is life and you need to make life meaningful. Need to add meaning to life.

rahul-mehra_1_02-14-2024_074425: 25:08

Correct. Correct. That's true. Now Ronit talking about your, some personal interests I have heard that you're a football fan and also have interest in history and mythology. So how do these, passions, influence your creativity and work life balance?

Track 1: 25:25

I was always a very curious kid growing up, and that curiosity is still very much in me. So I'm always looking for answers. I'm always. Looking for, things like that. And that also helps me in my business journey because it keeps the drive and it keeps the hunger on, and yeah.

rahul-mehra_1_02-14-2024_074425: 25:44

So would you like to say something about it? Any instance of curiosity? What is it? Very private.

Track 1: 25:51

Oh no it's not private. But yeah, I'm, I. I'm a very spiritual person, and I meditate and it's become a part of my routine now, and,

rahul-mehra_1_02-14-2024_074425: 26:02

great.

Track 1: 26:02

it, gives me a lot of clarity in terms of decision making, in terms of navigating through different, Challenges that a any business, has. So it gives you that clarity. It gives you that focus. And it helps you go really granular into whatever you do, and ultimately it's this small things that, that, make up the larger picture. So it's really important to give a lot of attention to detail, to tweak your processes to be as efficient as possible. And all of this really helps me,

rahul-mehra_1_02-14-2024_074425: 26:37

great.

amit-gupta_2_02-13-2024_211425: 26:38

This is one thing that I've noticed with not just with Ronit, but a lot of our other guests as well, right? If you look at Ronit his education and his current education, his past education, and all of his interests there across a wide range of different topics. So this, I think, is helping him build. Skills across multiple life topics and I think that's boosting his creativity and confidence. Which is.

rahul-mehra_1_02-14-2024_074425: 27:08

And, spiritually spirituality is our Indian, it's there in our Indian culture. So I would say that, whatever you said just two moments ago, it's very, it's a very big takeaway for some of our very young listeners. I. Who would you know understand that being hyper-focused, it has to somewhere to do with, gather your attention early in the morning, do some meditation, and then, you are all energized up to start your day and, make big something big of the day. So that was very informative and very, exciting for us to know.

Track 1: 27:40

No, that's great. Absolutely.

amit-gupta_2_02-13-2024_211425: 27:42

Being a young entrepreneur yourself, right? If you were to give advice to another young entrepreneur, and let's say somebody else wants to also, establish a sustainable product like MAE, right? If somebody wants to they have an idea and they wanna go ahead and try it out, what would be that one advice that you would share with them based on the learnings and the hurdles that you faced? What would you tell them?

Track 1: 28:08

One thing that, that everybody else tells which is in fact true and it only takes a certain point of time in your life to realize that you really need to work hard and you really need to make this life very meaningful, right? Ultimately, you want to leave a legacy. You want to be. Satisfied with your own self, that you've completely lived up to your potential. And I think not living up to your potential could be someone's biggest regret. So my only advice is start early and, like hustle hustle. Start as early as you can and enjoy life while you're doing it, because even that is a process and just. Just try to leave a legacy, try to do something me meaningful and try to do something that will impact a lot of other people that will make the society a lot more better. So that's the advice. And I, I feel

rahul-mehra_1_02-14-2024_074425: 29:02

That's great.

Track 1: 29:03

And that will give oneself a lot of happiness is, and that's my personal experience, trying to do something, for the society, for the planet to make this world a better place.

rahul-mehra_1_02-14-2024_074425: 29:15

Great.

amit-gupta_2_02-13-2024_211425: 29:16

Nice. So while you said it with a smile, you kept it very light. There was a very deep message there which was hard work is ultimate right. Nothing beats hard work. There, good luck also cannot beat hard work, right? And the hustle culture is extremely important, especially for, younger entrepreneurs who and when I say younger entrepreneurs, I don't necessarily mean the age of the entrepreneur, but I'm talking about your life stage within entrepreneurship. When you're starting off. The hustle culture is real and it is really important for us to embrace that. And

Track 1: 29:54

I would like to, in interrupt you for a second, there's this quote, which or there's this saying, which is that the more you sweat in your training, the less you bleed in the battlefield. So I think that's that's absolutely true

amit-gupta_2_02-13-2024_211425: 30:07

Very true. And what I was saying is I was reading this book called The Million Dollar Weekend. Okay. And I would recommend you to pick that up as well. And one of the things in that book is exactly what you just said, right? You've got to shamelessly go and ask for it. You have to go ahead and that's the hustle culture. Nobody's gonna come and give it to us in the plate. We'll have to go out and ask for it. And miracles happen when you ask. So we, we've seen that ourselves when we reach out to people and say, Hey we would like to speak with you

30:40

And we see a lot of people say, yes, we would love to speak with you too. So I think, and we're hustling as well, like you're hustling. So we're also hustling. We're also in the same journey as you. We get it. Definitely. And it's also important to have a lot of self belief. And that, that comes once you start working, once you start hustling, it gives you a kind of a self belief or a self confidence then becomes shag proof as you start growing. And as you start doing more of these activities. What piece of advice you'll give to, give to young entrepreneurs? We are looking to make a mark in the sustainable product industry. I would say that don't follow any trend, do something that is really very different. And something that adds a lot of meaning to everyone else's life and to the purpose you're trying to solve. So be different and bring out something that has never been done before. That's the only way to attract someone. That's one advice I would give. All right. All right. Great. Great. That's great. You mentioned legacy in, in the previous answer, right? And you said you want to leave a legacy behind. I want to ask you what's ahead. What do you think May is going to do in the next five to 10 years? So what's that North star that you're shooting at? So there are a lot of things that May plans to achieve. Firstly, would be of course going into different product categories and then having stores, physical stores all over the world. That's one of our goals. And yeah, to be a leader in this category, definitely. That's one of our strong goals for the next five to 10 years. We were, that's what we envision ourselves as. To have a lot of stores around the globe to make, may are really popular and a well known brand. We want to create a lot of brand love for this product. We want to do something very different, something very experiential, so that people can come and experience the whole eco friendly part to it, right in the physical stores. So you want to make the stores very experiential. Yeah, these are some of the, I would only say, may your dreams come true, right? Yeah, I think that's one of my words. Yeah, no, absolutely. I think that's, that's definitely the right vision and mission for an entrepreneur of your caliber. And hopefully on Valentine's day in 2029, we're going to do a check with you, Ronit and see where you are and remind you that yes, five years ago we discussed this and I'm going to put a note to myself and I'm going to set up a calendar and say, okay, Ronit, we discussed this and let's talk about it. And maybe that's going to be another episode at that time where we talk about what your journey was over those five years. And then. Hopefully by then you're going to say, yes, we were able to check all these boxes. And now these are the new boxes that we are aiming for. I wish you good luck with that. Yeah. Thank you. Thank you, Ahmed. Thank you, Rahul. This has been wonderful. And we have another section. I have another section. There's a very quick, rapid fire round that we'll play, which is, I mean, I have a question before that, I have a question for that, the one last one, one last, I asked about colors on your bugs, right? Specific colors. So can you produce one with the right colors? Yes, yes. We do have one with the red color as well. Next. Next time you should have one with a red color and a heart on it and inaugurate it on the 14th of February. You know that. And before that, you'll sell big time. And this is my piece of business consulting to you. I'll charge for it. Correct? Definitely. I hope a lot of people all over the world fall in love with our brand. May on this Valentine's Day. So that's what I'm hoping for. Yeah, but Raul, you're not getting royalties for that now. Excellent. So we'll jump to that rapid fire round. Some light questions. Hopefully you'll answer with all honesty. There is going to be some controversial questions. Okay. Let's go for the first one. Which is your favorite real Madrid player of all time of all time. There are so many players, but has to be Ronaldo for sure. Okay, that's excellent. I'll agree with that. I'll agree with that. So I thought this is going to be the controversy, right? In case if you took any other names, then I'm going to ask you why not Ronaldo. Okay, perfect. I'd like to say Vinicius Junior. He's an upcoming, I think he's like, he's going to be the next big star. So, yeah, I really love his game. Yeah. I think all the legends do retire one day. So there's always younger talent who is faster, leaner and more, more aggressive in the game. So it's cool. Can you name one historical figure that you would love to discuss business with? Then I would love to discuss business with Steve Jobs. I think because he's history right now. So, yeah, Steve Jobs. Oh yeah, absolutely. I think that that would be really cool. And I've seen a lot of Steve Jobs pictures with the mugs in his hand. We would love to get a makeup into his hands if we could, of course. What was the last book that inspired you? It's the one that I'm currently reading actually. It's the 5 a. m. Club. Do you wake up at 5? Yeah, that's a part of my new routine now. I wake up and go to the beach. No, I don't go to the beach. But I do spend a lot of time with myself. I walk out, I meditate, things like that. That's cool. What is that one sustainability practice that you live by every day? I travel light. I don't really I use my car to drive to places where I don't really need to, you know, so I think you can start with something as simple as traveling light. That's great. And considering it's Valentine's day, we had to have a Bollywood question, uh, your favorite Bollywood movie. I owe you this one is, uh, it's a no brainer, Shah Rukh Khan's movie. That's my favorite Bollywood. You might have been very, a small kid when that was, you've been watching it as a kid. Yeah, I got that influence from my older brother because he's a big Shah Rukh Khan fan. And no other movie has made me laugh so much as, as Badshah made me laugh. Shah Rukh Khan and Vinkal Khanna, right? Right. I was not expecting that, Rohit. I was expecting you to tell me something else, but I'm, I can live with Badshah because I found that funny too. Yeah. So Badshah is more of my kind of days when I was in school. The movie, right? Yeah. It's good to know that you love it too. So that is nice. We can crack some Badshah jokes next time when we meet. Yeah. It's a classic. It's a classic. It's a classic. That is true. Excellent. And I would say is Kabhi Ha Kabhi Na, again, Shah Rukh Khan. Really? Same, same time. He talks about a lot of failures. Shah Rukh Khan had a really good personality in that movie, being a lover boy in Goa, and iconic songs, and he was happy go lucky as well, so I really like that. I was in my college, and I went to Goa. After watching that movie, and now we had some really good music as well. Yeah. Yeah. It was like a musical in some of the, in some of the scenes. I think some of the songs are truly memorable. So that is also a good choice. I think you have a good taste in movies. So that's nice. Once again, I wanted to thank you for giving us your time and sharing your journey with the Indian community. I'm sure a lot of our viewers are going to find this very inspiring. And hopefully they'll also reach out to you to find more about your products. And you would also like to tell our listeners and people who are watching this that Ronit is looking at investors. Please do look up on his products. So we'll put the link to your website in the description of this video. But we would encourage people to reach out to Ronit and talk about how you can collaborate. So we don't want the world to conspire. To get you to that five year plan and have stores all around the world around it. Thank you. Thank you so much, Amit. Thank you, Rahul. Thank you for having me on your show. And this has been great. It's been a revelation for me as well, because a lot of times you realize a lot of things when you answer, when you speak it out. Yeah. So this has been great. Thanks a lot for inviting me. And I really look forward to meeting you guys in person. Absolutely. Anytime you come to Delhi, please be my guest. Yeah, definitely. We'll catch up.