In our latest interview this week, we invited seasoned entrepreneur Mayur Sud to understand more about his exciting journey. Mayur is the Founder & Director of Great Himalayan Adventure Studio Pvt. Ltd. He is a passionate entrepreneur with over a decade of proven track record of global operational synergies & deliveries in the Travel & Tourism Industry. He held various roles managing Partnerships & Alliances, Negotiations, Business Development, Product Development & Service deliveries. He has also been a Consultant to many International research firms and expert networks like SIS, BCG and many more. Let’s learn more about his exciting journey, way forward and his advice for our growing community!
Excerpts from our exclusive interview with him:
Tell us a little bit about yourself (background) and your journey as an entrepreneur, please.. I come from the mountain state of Himachal, born in a defence family where I grew up around the different regions of the country. Adapting to changing environments while being with culturally diversified people was a part of life that played a major role in my outlook towards life. I graduated in hospitality and further pursued my advanced education in Tourism & Management. I have been an entrepreneurial executive with more than a decade of a proven track record of global operational execution and service deliveries in the Travel & Tourism Industry.
“Being a ground-up manager made me a successful multitasker. Situation management & resource optimisation was a daily affair. Being a tourism professional we not only deal with serious financial commitments but we deal with the rarest commodity in the present world “Time” of our valued guests.”
My job was very interesting – develop products as being desired & deliver what is committed, but doing that was absolute fun, which never ended. Doing my jobs. I travelled across the world to nearly 79+ countries and I can’t express how it evolved me as a person, every day I cherish each and every moment of my professional life. Being a multitasker I was a solution towards bridging the gap between an organization that talks to people and walks business – to actually walking the talk. Transforming businesses with a passionate delivery became my forte. I successfully served with the best of the best in my industry like Orbitz, Thomas Cook, Kuoni, Tata’s & Cox & Kings where I executed my roles in different capacities and their responsibilities.
With respect to my professional goals, I believe transformation is the genesis of evolution & progress. With hands-on experience of Hospitality and Tourism is my edge of looking at customers and situations with a 360° solution-oriented approach which enables decision making to remain customer-centric while keeping the pace towards the ultimate objectives.”
Why did you choose entrepreneurship over a job? I didn’t want to regret of not pursuing my dreams when I had a chance!!! Let me share more.. Professionally: I am a person who works best in a dynamic environment, I like action!!! that brings something new on my table every day and I guess nothing could be better than being a start-up entrepreneur. Personally: I have been out of home since the age of 16 and having spent nearly 17 years building myself as an individual, I realized I wanted to be close to my roots where I could make a difference, using my experience and building over my dreams. So I shifted back to Himachal and started my tourism start-up Great Himalayan Adventure Studio Pvt Ltd. Where we run one of most unique fun zones in the region called Himalayan Adrenaline. Set amidst my family tea estate and is an official Polaris Experience Zone where our guest can enjoy ATV rides on some of the most thrilling terrains in the nation along with other fun & thrilling activities which they do while being in a suburban tea estate. We also offer the guest to experience our Signature Tea tours, where they experience and understand the process involved in getting the world-famous Kangra tea from bush to cup. Kangra Tea has 150+ years of Legacy which being unique as it’s an Orthodox tea and very different than the CTC that we drink in our daily lives. In addition, we handle bespoke holidays for individuals and Incentives for corporates who are looking experiences beyond the usual. Being an entrepreneur was always a dream. It gives me the freedom to research and develop while experimenting at a pace which I choose & the journey while being a little short has been amazing and I am sure it’s going to be lots of fun as it catches its pace…
How do you find the industry/niche that you’re in? Tourism is a world in itself. Our line of business is a very dynamic, challenging & rewarding. In a typical day where environments are always changing, demands are dynamic, preferences are very personal and temperaments are very fragile, we deal and deliver emotional satisfaction which tackles perceptions and makes our clients dream experience come true. It’s not only about money, but we handle emotions that are connected to an experience that people plan for a long time. One of the few industries or rightly saying a trade that is beyond any defined borders or structure. It is the only industry that has economically, socially & culturally elevated many geographies in the world and added value to other industries. Tourism is a very emotional industry that runs on precision and pure hard work with absolute discipline. Human resource is the biggest capital in Tourism, how much ever automation may be incorporated in the tourism industry its role gets concluded at a transactional level, beyond that it’s all about the personal touch that elevates and takes you through your dream vacation.” Curating travel experiences is an art, a technique and passion-driven process that needs a person to be very sensitive towards the traveller’s needs and to connect with the guest with utmost humility. The entire personality of a tourism professional shifts its paradigms when it comes to organizing experiences meticulously and delivering it precisely. The tourism industry is for people who love to walk that extra mile with a smile while keeping up with knowledge & trends which are infinite & so are the opportunities.
What gets you out of bed in the morning i.e. what’s your source of motivation? Well, the entire Play!!! My industry is fun & being ready for something new, the passion for doing more, the challenge of doing better than yesterday just make life superbly exciting. The feeling of makings others dreams come true is an amazing experience in itself. It’s a self-evolving industry and creates huge opportunities to innovate and progress.
What challenges/obstacles did you face in your journey so far? Tourism is a very high-risk business, anything having a negative impact across the globe has its first effects on my Industry. Till date the present times have been the most testing times of COVID-19, which has brought the entire tourism industry to a standstill. I personally believe this is a time to re-evaluate, restructure, and train better for times to come. These are tough times requiring clear thinking & taking tough decisions. Business and opportunities will be back again, till that time survival is the priority.
Human resource is the biggest asset in my business. Getting the right team is a one big challenge, as our industry needs a good blend of soft & hard skilled resources, while most of the educational institutions still focus at heavy theoretical learning which is obsolete and that is what needs a massive technical reform.
While tourism trade is a major national employment & revenue generator, still it’s not a key focus area in our education & skill development facilities / Institutions. This leaves the governments with a massive opportunity & responsibility to bring in a national level reform to structure & develop smart, sustainable tangible & intangible infrastructure. A larger awareness is required to help guide potential youth towards the sector & recognise the trade as an Industry with a suitable support package.
I am confident that eventually we will mitigate these challenges and grow with the right reforms, people & infrastructure.
What comes first for you – money or emotions? Money comes as a priority. No business can have money not as a priority. Tourism as a business is all about emotions & managing them generates money in our business. I firmly believe if you can create & deliver a pleasant value experience that make your money.
How do you handle the pressure and manage stress? I am a quick to respond to any situation always, Whenever tricky situation erupt I take a short step back, get the picture right & take things one by one, move on to the other one, and ensure no stone is left unturned. While off-course, proper planning and clear thinking are always a key mantra for me to keep the pressure at bay.
What is one strategy that you believe has helped you grow as a person / start-up? Being distinctive!!! A unique concept and great service are what’s sought today. We stay committed to serving our guests well. It is tough initially, but it opens way bigger opportunities to be creative and make your dreams a reality. I love researching & being experimental, This helps me overcome challenges in innovative ways and let me tell you it’s a fantastic self-learning experience. Continuous experimenting, training & knowledge enhancement is something that works for me.
In your opinion what are the keys to success? Success is a sum of consistent small efforts. For me it’s my passion that drives me thru any obstacle, the commitment to stay focused, clear and rational thinking, last but the most important key is discipline. All these blended well lays the path towards a structured momentum to success.
I have always relied on self-motivation “Push yourself, No one else is gona do it”
What advice would you give to someone starting out as an aspiring entrepreneur? “Fail Often to succeed sooner & Start from where you are & with what you have”
Plan well in advance, Study your plan well, revisit your resource to ensure you have ample to get where you want to reach. Break your plans in small tasks and fix them with timelines & get going, You need to be committed to your plans passionately.
“You are capable of amazing things, be patient & strive for excellence”
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