At BrilliantRead Media, it is our constant endeavour to identify and share some of the unique and compelling stories from the startup ecosystem. As part of this, we invited yet another passionate entrepreneur Dr. Nikhilesh Tiwari for an interview with BrilliantRead Media. Dr. Nikhilesh is a Seasoned Entrepreneur, Leader, Fitness Guru, Mentor and Change enabler. He is the Founder and CEO of Spay Technology. Let’s learn more about his background, his inspiring journey so far and his advice for our growing community!
Excerpts from our exclusive interview with Dr. Nikhilesh:
We are aware of your contribution to the ecosystem, talk us through your background and your journey as an entrepreneur, please;
I was born and brought up in Lucknow. After I completed my education there, I moved to Kanpur to start my career. Afterwards, I moved to Delhi to grab more opportunities. I started working as a Sales Manager in Delhi.
This was the period of time when I was exploring the fintech sector while working in a company belonging to the same industry.
I learned how fintech plays a vital role in the upliftment of a nation by using technology to provide maximum benefits to the public, increasing employment and thereby, reducing the inequalities between the rich and poor.”
When I was working in Vodafone M Pesa in 2015, I personally visited many remote rural and backward areas of Bihar like villages on the periphery of towns such as Sitamarhi, Gopalganj district, Bettiah, Motihari and Siwan district and what I observed in these areas was something that left me in shock.
Common villagers had no access to bank accounts or any medium through which they could send or receive remittances to or from their relatives living at places far away. They had to rely on Gram Panchayat or the chief of the village or any other person to help transfer their money, sometimes by travelling to that place, or giving the money on their own.
Often, they found themselves at the mercy of the people who helped them and felt stuck in their clutches. Also, the money received by the receiver would be short of the actual amount. People would shamelessly steal money during the travel.
Sooner, I realised that those people would continue to be dependent if nobody takes an action to help them out. I took it as a challenge to execute such a plan that would benefit them. I helped the company establish small outlets in all such areas possible.”
The strategy was to help people create an M Pesa account on their mobile phones through M Pesa app and transfer money to their closed ones without having to depend on others. We even captured selfies with them as a proof that they have received the money.
Since then, I have always had a vision to work and help the rural sector because I learned how important it is to uplift the rural society and bring them equal to urban society for the betterment of the country.
So as entrepreneurship was always on my mind, and after gaining an experience of about 15 years, I decided to take the plunge and started my own company Spay Technology Pvt. Ltd.
I always wanted to bring about a certain equilibrium in the mobile payments sector and help the rural population enjoy the perks of going cashless.
What attracts you towards entrepreneurship instead of a corporate career?
I chose entrepreneurship because I always wanted to make an impact. I have always been intrigued by entrepreneurship and read the success stories of all the successful entrepreneurs.
You see – It’s fascinating how you build something from scratch to build an empire around it and not everyone can do it. It takes a lot of courage, planning, perseverance, hard work, teamwork, combined with good strategy & execution skills.
‘Spay India’ is such a unique name; please tell us more about it. Our audience would also love to know what kind of problem you are solving?
Internet and smartphones have proved to be a boon for the urban masses with rural people still having no awareness about the truest potential of these developments.
Dr. Nikhilesh Tiwari (CEO and Founder) and Mr. Sunil Dhawan (Co-Founder and COO)established Spay Technology Pvt. Ltd., with a vision to uplift the underprivileged. a mobile payment service that caters to the needs of the unserved rural market.
Mr. Nikhilesh Tiwari has successfully brought about an equilibrium in the mobile payments sector and has helped the rural population enjoy the perks of going cashless. simple modus operandi says – offer the services according to the needs of the customers- where, when and in whatever manner they need them.
Spay India, now a complete B2B portal, offers a plethora of services like – Online Money Transfers, Aadhar Enabled Payment System, Utility Bill Payment, Travel, Bus Ticket Booking Recharge, Insurance, and many more. Spay India aims to make everyone’s life a technology-induced, hassle-free life.
Spay focuses on empowering the rural population by making them aware of the financial services that are made easy through the use of technology. This mission is a small step towards a humanitarian cause – equality for all. Spay India also aspires to develop the largest Neo banking network.”
By providing a complete digital banking experience to its customers, they will be able to contribute to the massive digital change taking place in the country.
What does your company specialise in?
The factor that differentiates Spay from other companies and makes Spay India, a unique mobile payment application is that it pays attention to the rural section of the nation.
Its creation has been mutated that way. The mission is to empower the rural population to live in a cashless economy. The Spay team focuses exclusively on empowering the migrant population and other sections of the Indian economy that were being ignored previously through a network of agents and merchants to cover as many locations as possible.
Spay India, now a complete B2B portal, offers a plethora of services like – Online money transfers, Aadhar enabled payment system, Utility bill payment, Travel, Bus ticket booking recharge, Insurance, and many more.
Spay India aims to make everyone’s life a technology-induced, hassle-free life. Spay focuses on empowering the rural population by making them aware of the financial services that are made easy through the use of technology.
This mission is a small step towards a humanitarian cause – equality for all. Spay India also aspires to develop the largest Neo banking network. By providing a complete digital banking experience to its customers, they will be able to contribute to the massive digital change taking place in the country.
How do you manage to keep going despite the challenges? What drives you?
Empowering and challenging the myths, stereotypes about the wellness journey to have self-awareness and courage to do their own therapy to live a life of respect, dignity and treat others with the same ethical principles is my drive to work in this field.
Mention some of the honourable awards received by your person and the company?
I am glad to say that my company has been awarded as one of the Top SME Business Year 2022.
Spay India has been presented as one of India’s greatest brands 2021-2022 by Asiaone.
Spay Technology Pvt. Ltd. has been declared as the Most Technically Advanced FinTech Company.
I am fortunate to receive an award for being the Young and Dynamic Entrepreneur of the Year by India Iconic Awards 2021-2022 along with the honourable founder of our company Mr. Sunil Dhawan.
I have been awarded as the Iconic CEO of the year 2021-22. I am privileged to be honoured by a famous Bollywood personality, Mr. Sonu Sood, as an achiever in Times 40 Under 40 category.
We are looking forward to be blessed by more such awards.
What are some of the strategies that you believe has helped you grow as a person?
There are a few:
> Being mindful
> Always being resourceful
> Taking extreme ownership and responsibility for my actions Courage
In your opinion what are the keys to success?
For me, the key to success is that – your journey is as an endless cycle of efforts, hardwork, struggle, failure, persistence and then perfection.Since, it has no end, its desire will keep you going and you will always be ready to face any obstacle that comes your way.
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.
