Pramod Chaturvedi, Corporate Savings Partner & MD, CartridgeWale
www.facebook.com/cartridgewale
What exactly do you do? Simple and non complicated.
We help corporates achieve “Huge Savings” through our Remanufactured Printer Cartridges brand Ektos which cost up to 50% lesser than new OEM printer cartridges, without any quality compromise.
Why do you do what you do? Is it to make money, to become famous, to retire, to kill boredom, WHAT?
I wanted to be an entrepreneur and during the recession hit upon this idea of saving costs for corporates to help boost their bottom-line. It was a risk turning an entrepreneur at the age of 43 but then what can be achieved without it? So in a way its living a dream, as far as making money is concerned I feel it is incidental to a business which has a good product.
Printing can eat-up up to 5% of a business turnover. By using Ektos, our brand of remanufactured printer cartridges business’ can add up to 2.5% of their Top-Line straight to Bottom-Line!
Is there anything unique in what you do? And here ‘unique’ can mean anything – doing what’s been done for donkeys years and yet in a more cost efficient manner, or something new in a boring business or line or simply inventing something completely new?
Yes, we are beginning to do what Nokia did to an unorganized handset market or what Big Bazaar did to organized retail. We have brought international quality & technology for Cartridge Remanufacturing to India.
In a market dominated by local unorganized roadside refillers that actually corrupted the image of this industry & prevented the use of such a brilliant savings tool in India; we brought Ink 3000 refilling technology exclusively amongst other international exclusive alliances. All our machines & consumables come from Brazil, Germany, and USA making our remanufactured cartridges as good as any aftermarket cartridge available internationally.
What happens if this fails?
Well, it has actually taken off with several MNC’s and large Indian business houses using our Ektos remanufactured cartridges.
But, yes in case of a failure the idea would have been to relook, correct and hit again – someone who genuinely wants to be an entrepreneur doesn’t give up easily.
What’s gets you most irritated? And what makes you most happy? (Mention anything – private, personal, confidential, if you committed a murder and are feeling guilty about it or just what you wanna)
I guess infrastructure in India is a major irritant! Just imagine having to decide between buying raw material inventory and a genset, this when you are bootstrapping and every rupee is important. Electricty is the most basic thing I guess!
We were very-very happy on winning the Best Startup Award at ReIndia 2011 organized by Indian arm of Recharger USA. It’s a rcognition of efforts we have put in
Additionally, the results that we have got from our efforts on digital marketing & social media makes us happy– not too much of investments yet smart gains on brand awareness and business. We endorse your views on not spending on marketing:)
What makes you tick? Why the hell are you doing this?
We have just about started tapping in India, a market that is well worth over $ 30 billion. We have just about started helping the planet in a small way. We have just about started helping business cut their printing costs drastically without any compromise on quality & want to reach more and more business’……..
To succeed at all the above and make ourselves a name for it here and worldwide in the process is what makes us tick….. Some money in the process is also something that we wouldn’t mind at all…..
Famous last words – if you knew you are going to be hit by a truck tomorrow, what would you like to tell the world (other than crossing the road safely)?
Live your dreams – Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara!
Finally, say YES below the next para:
I solemnly put my hand on my religious book/favorite novel and swear that what I have said above (including my photos) is the truth. So help me, Rodinhood
Yes!
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