At BrilliantRead Media, our aim is to bring to our community some of the unique and compelling stories from the start-up ecosystem. As part of this endeavour, we invited yet another passionate entrepreneur – Aditi Umesh, for an exclusive interview with us. Aditi is the Co-Founder of BRICOlite AAC Blocks & CONCREW. Let’s learn more about her exciting journey as an entrepreneur, her background and her advice for our growing community:
Excerpts from our exclusive interview with Aditi:
Talk us through your background and your journey as a women entrepreneur, please;
I did my schooling from Bishop Cottons Girls School and further pursued engineering from the prestigious M S Ramaiah Institute of Technology in Bangalore. I was a passionate individual from the beginning and always aspired to be one of the youngest achievers by delivering high performance in all walks of life. To add to my skills and knowledge, I also completed a course in EPPM, i.e, Project Management which is now very necessary in all fields of work. I represented the school in an international non-governmental organisation Child Awareness Movement Association (CMCA), and also its members. During my college days, I took part in major contests and competitions since I was an all-rounder in studies & cultural activities. One of the projects that I delivered successfully was coming out with an innovative technology that uses the waste products to be made useful to construction material was my priority.
I have always been very passionate about building something on my own that can solve major environmental problems. We all know how much pollution is caused by the building material elements, and the amount of carbon dioxide generated by them adversely affects the environment.
I did a lot of research in this space and came out with an innovative and successful product in the field of green technology that was AAC BLOCKS.”
This new technology uses the fly ash generated by the thermal power plants during the production of electricity and it recycles this waste ash powder into a building construction material known as AAC Blocks. So as soon as I graduated from college, I successfully established my first company under the name of BRICO INDUSTRIES which is into the manufacturing of AAC (Autoclaved Aerated Concrete) blocks under the trademark name of BRICOlite.
With the success of my first firm, I started the second named CONCREW (of which AMAZON is a Client), in a span of 3 months period which is into construction.”
We are aware of all the good work you are doing in your space; what keeps you going?
My Work does! I absolutely love what I do! So if you love what you do that itself is the greatest motivation for you to do something.
Why entrepreneurship over a corporate career?
I chose entrepreneurship because I always wanted to make an impact. I have always been intrigued by entrepreneurship and read success stories of all the successful entrepreneurs. You see – It’s fascinating how you build something from the scratch to build an empire around it and not everyone can do it. It takes a lot of courage, planning, perseverance, hard word, team work, combined with good strategy & execution skills.
During college, I chose Civil Engineering intentionally because I was very passionate about the environment. I always wanted to make such a product which is eco friendly and could be helpful in the field of engineering and help the clients with easy, economical and speedy construction. Hence came out with the concept of AAC Blocks and later a second firm named CONCREW, which helps people in using green technology to build smart green homes.
How is your product different from the traditional products? Tell us more about your product and your startup’s journey this far?
So this new technology that we have built uses the fly ash generated by the thermal power plants during the production of electricity and it recycles this waste ash powder into a building construction material known as AAC Blocks.
Share with us some of the challenges you faced in your journey;
Being a woman in a male-dominated Civil Industry itself was a huge challenge and I had to create a breakthrough in order to establish a brand name and thrive in the Civil Industry.
Another challenge I encountered was the fact that I had absolutely no background in the industry nor did I know the business dynamics because both of my parents are doctors, but I still chose this path as I wanted to make a difference in the society. As typical parents, they also wanted me to get a secure job but I chose to venture into uncharted territories to make my name and I am glad I did. I also draw a lot of inspiration from Kiran Mazumdar Shaw as she is my role model.
What is your Business Mantra: Money or Emotions?
I would say Discipline and Ethics do come first for me. A lot of people get into the business line in order to make money where emotions turn meaningless. But if you do what your heart wants money follows and people always say there is no room for emotions in business.
How do you handle the pressure and manage stress?
When you do what you really love, the pressure and the stress are not felt. As an entrepreneur, pain is a part of the journey that has to be experienced and enjoyed and suffering is only one’s choice so you have to embrace it.
Stress, excitement and nervousness are all part of an entrepreneur’s journey. I still remember the excitement and the stress, in particular, that occurred when the first employee was hired for the firm, it was absolutely chaotic! Sleepless nights! but it was fun. You learn a lot everyday.
From being independent to now heading two companies with a workforce of 46 people, of an average age of 24 has been a beautiful journey as you get to learn so much from these people. All 46 different personalities.
What has worked well for you so far?
With zero background from the family and being the first girl child to be educated in my family line, one of the smartest moves I made was to test out the acceptance of such a product in the industry. If I had done done it, it would have been a regret. I am fortunate the journey has been incredibly rewarding, challenging and at the same time exciting. It took off after six months of trading and to develop it into the full-fledged factory. I would say it has been brilliant so far and we have much more to achieve.
In your opinion what are the keys to success?
As I am still being too young to define success, I am learning a lot on this beautiful journey, the only motto I live with is “Do what you Love success always follows you. Don’t run behind success.”
We would love to know your advice for all those starting out as an aspiring women entrepreneur?
There is no age to be an entrepreneur. There is no too old or no too young. All you have to believe in the dream you dreamt off and do whatever it takes to make it happen. Believing in yourself when everybody thinks what we dream of is a fairy tale is the most important thing. This is what exactly I believe in.
BrilliantRead is committed to bringing stories from the startup ecosystem, stories that reshape our perspective, add value to our community and be a constant source of motivation not just for our community but also for the whole ecosystem of entrepreneurs and aspiring individuals.
Note: If you have a similar story to share with our audience and would like to be featured on our online magazine, then please write to us at [email protected], we will review your story and extend an invitation to feature if it is worth publishing.
