At BrilliantRead Media, we always strive to bring meaningful and powerful stories from India and around the world to empower and motivate our growing community. As part of this endeavour, we invited Vidyut Jaswal for an exclusive interview with us. He is a Leader, Entrepreneur, Gamer, Film maker, Consultant and Mentor. Let’s learn more about his incredible journey, his background, and his advice for our growing community!
Excerpts from our exclusive interview with Vidyut:
We are aware of your contribution to the ecosystem, talk us through your background and your journey as an entrepreneur, please;
I went to school at Mayo College, Ajmer and pursued a Bachelor’s in History (Hons.) from St. Stephen’s College, Delhi. Through these years I was a national swimmer as well as a gold medalist shooter. Growing up in a competitive sport taught me the importance of rigour, grit and teamwork.
Following university, I completed a diploma in filmmaking with a specialisation in Cinematography from Whistling Woods International, Mumbai. This was an extremely fulfilling time for me.
Since my youth, I had exposure to the family business that is agriculture, seed trading and cold storage. This gave me an acute understanding of business and real-world knowledge of the market while filmmaking fuelled my creative aspirations.”
I worked as a DOP on several award-winning projects and that gave me the resources to lead and manage varied and sizeable groups of people. Producing and directing a feature-length film further lead to the harnessing of these skills.
I’ve always been an avid gamer and with my competitive background at school, I found healthy competition and camaraderie in online sports. I also took part in various online tournaments and e-sports events with considerable success.
As the world descended into a global pandemic at the start of 2020, each of us locked in our homes found respite in whatever way we could. For me, that comprised of several hours a day spent online gaming with my friends who too were isolated in their homes.
More than time spent gaming and expending energy in a fun healthy way, what struck me is that this was a way we were all constantly communicating and engaging with each other, and it made all of us feel less alone in the several gruelling months of repeated lockdowns. It really struck me then that a wonderful wholesome community can emerge from Esports and how it could be both competitive yet nurturing.”
It also occurred to me that all the tournaments we were playing were organised by foreign interests. I saw a gap in the Indian market for amateur and non-pro gamers, and this is when the seed was planted in my head to start with my partner Kshitij, what has now blossomed into AKADA.
What attracts you towards entrepreneurship instead of a corporate career?
I think I am too much of a creative soul to ever work in a corporate set-up.
I like to colour outside the lines, so to speak.
‘AKADA ESPORTS’ is such a unique name; talk us through more about it, please. Our audience would also love to know what kind of problem you are solving?
We went back and forth a lot while picking a name for the company. I finally proposed Akada which my partner Kshitij and the rest of the team loved.
It is a wordplay on Akhada which is one of the oldest arenas for competitive sport in India. Akada is also a more modern and cosmopolitan sounding word which well suited our brand identity.”
In terms of the problems we are solving – it is no secret that the internet can be a very toxic place. Parents worry about letting their kids traverse the web unsupervised because they never know the sort of influences they might encounter. In addition to this, the online space has become a social hub for the young, being for several the primary place of interaction and human bonding. This has been one of our primary endeavours since day one.
To ensure our platform is a safe and nurturing space where no sort of intolerance or bigotry is tolerated. We want to set an example, especially for children and young adults, that there can be healthy community and competition online without bullying or oneupmanship.”
Another area where we saw a gap and rose to fill it was in giving opportunities to people not just in the big cities, as our smaller towns and villages are brimming with untapped potential. Through grassroots Esports tournaments, we provide a platform for talent and exposure to kids who can then be recruited by pro teams.
What does your company specialise in?
We at AKADA are working on creating a platform for PC, Console and Mobile Gamers where amateur-pro gamers can connect with other gamers, compete on a daily, weekly and monthly basis in events across games, and win prizes.
In our MVP phase, we have done 65 Consecutive Weeks – 9200+ active customers (30-40% active weekly), 120+ events in 10 games, 500 unique winners, 5 Lakh INR in prizes, 430K + views, 200K + unique viewers.
We are also working on building a grassroots esports educational and competitive model for schools and universities – a first step to an organised Esports education program.
During this COVID-19 crisis, what are the measures you have undertaken to continue your business without disruption?
Our business was born during the pandemic and has grown through two years of various covid waves, so each measure has been taken to ensure that the model aligns with the challenges of this time.
– For starters, it is an entirely Work from home model. Every aspect is handled remotely and there has never been a need for physical meetings.
– We have designed a lean team which is not at all resource-heavy and has minimal overheads.
– Every aspect of the business is online and tech-enabled to ensure automation as much as possible.
How do you manage to keep going despite the challenges? What drives you?
I see every new challenge as a learning opportunity and as a leader, I try to welcome and understand change. What drives me honestly is the sheer and overwhelming support and the response we’ve received from the viewers, participants, and members of the Akada team at every level.
During the first season, we had no revenue model; it’s all been about building a player base and most importantly generating goodwill amongst the participants. It is humbling that with zero marketing we’ve accrued a thoroughly engaged and active player base of over 11,000 members.
What are the business mantras you have embraced as you sought to establish your success story?
Choosing the right person for the right job and once you’ve done that put your whole trust in them.
Let them do what you hired them to do. And equally importantly, ensuring that your employees are happy and feel well heard, supported and taken care of.
That’s the only way to build a healthy working environment where each member can thrive and give the job their best.
Who do you believe has been the biggest source of motivation in your daily life?
I grew up idolising my grandfather, he was adventurous and innovative.
What are some of the strategies that you believe have helped you grow as a person?
First and foremost taking ownership of my mistakes and shortcomings, and taking time to understand them and how I can be better. Understanding that change is inevitable.
Being mindful and considerate and not giving in to every impulse as one was used to doing when younger. Always being well informed – I am hungry to never stop learning.
In your opinion what are the keys to success?
There is no one way to success. I think one needs to fail many times and get up and start over. That grit, to me, is essential. Adaptability is important too, as well as foresight.
As a team leader one has to be able to inspire the people around them and keep them motivated, and that can only happen if you really believe passionately about what you’re building together. Most importantly I think is to choose the right people around you, in work and in life.
What advice would you give students and young professionals who want to have a successful career?
I’m still learning every day and don’t feel qualified to give advice. Never stop learning.
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.
