It is the idea that matters, not funds

(Excerpts from the interview of  Santhosh George Kulangara, founder and MD of Safari TV and MD of Labour India Publications on the Dhanam Titans Show)

What is essential to start a business is not funds, but an innovative idea. If the idea is good, it will not be difficult to get funding. Baiju's App thrived not just with Baiju's personal finances. When we launched the TV channel, Sancharam [travel documentary], there were plenty of people in our village who had the means to something like that. They did not do that not because they did not have the means. Only those who are not ready to think creatively and work hard say that without funds nothing can happen.

Let's walk the talk! 

Nothing can happen if you spend your time trying to convince others. Showcase your idea by implementing it. Whatever I do, I don't discuss it with anyone. Even my family gets to know only when they get the invitation for the inauguration. We don't need to seek everyone's opinion to make our ideas work.

Financial discipline

My father, a teacher, followed the same principles in business. It was not that business friendly. Even when he excelled in his sector, he could not maintain financial discipline in business. Financial discipline is crucial for succeeding in business. It requires professionalism. It is professionalism that makes five-star hotels stand out from roadside eateries.

Follow your dreams 

My childhood dream was to work in television. Long back I had made programmes for Doordarshan. Later, I had the desire to do something that will stand out. That was how the channel Sancharam was born. My journey was in pursuit of a childhood dream. When it became a success, many people followed me into this field.

Businesses can happen anywhere

The growth of technology is bringing remote villages closer. It has grown to such an extent that we can run any large business from anywhere in the world. Labour India [educational research centre], faces no hurdles in functioning from Marangatupally, a remote village. The facilities available in any city are now available in rural areas as well. They in turn become townships. Google is not based out of New York City. The place where Google was situated became the IT capital of the world. If we do well, people will come to us.

Progress with time

Only those who adapt to the changing times will survive. Labour India had already tried to make such a change in the country. I took charge of Labour India in 1995. In 2004, Labour India created a company called Labour India Software Laboratories and brought digital products to the market. It was much ahead of its time and did not become popular, but during the Covid era they gained much traction. Along with the digital format, even now the physical copy is important. That is why Labour India is still going for print editions. Entrepreneurs should think about harnessing the latest technology and implementing it. We are now closely monitoring ChatGPT, online learning and mobile applications. 

Failure is not a big deal

Failure in business is quite normal. Treat every business as an experiment. It is just that if you lose, you get great lessons and if you win, you get big rewards. When we launch new aircrafts, it is the test pilots who fly them. If they fail, they lose their lives. But they succeed, they get huge rewards. It is the same in business too. The rewards are huge when you succeed. 

Potential for investment in Kerala

• Tourism: This is an area where there must be a substantial change in the society’s attitude. Only then will it grow. Tourists should be free to pursue their interests. It does not mean they have a freehand to do anything, but we should leave them to themselves.
• Education: We should develop courses and infrastructure to make Kerala attractive for students from other states and from the Middle East, Sri Lanka, and African countries.
• Health: We have an edge in the field of medicine. By making the health laws transparent, Kerala can attract patients even from abroad.
• IT: We were ahead of others in the field. A good management system should be in place in this field, and it must be able to develop like Bengaluru.
• Agriculture: Even the new generation is turning to farming now. There should be intelligent farming systems, not widespread farming. There should be opportunities for techno-farming. Agriculture officers must have targets to change to smart farming techniques.
• Sports: Ours is a nation of young people. We have a large number of students also. Sports manufacturing offers a huge business potential.

Lack of planning  

The biggest problem that Kerala is facing is the lack of planning in the way functioning of the government. Planning should be for at least 25 years in advance and then make efforts to achieve that. Anticipate the problems in advance and go for backward planning to get the solution. You must have heard of the principle “Begin with the end in mind.” For conceiving projects, just the bureaucratic nomenclature of IAS [Indian Administrative Service] is not enough. It requires creativity too. If it happens, we can solve even issues like Brahmapuram [failure of an urban waste management project].