Mr. Vinod Tiwari is recognized as UAE’s number one Entrepreneurship Consultant, an Engineering Director, Bestselling Author, International Speaker, and Regional – Mentor of Change having a multi-faceted interest. He is a sought after speaker and has conducted more than 149 seminars in India/UAE at various Industry forums and Conventions. He is deeply engaged with senior leadership in Abu Dhabi for Philanthropic activities, Promotion of education, and Yoga. Mr. Vinod is popularly known as Magician of Words in both UAE and India.
In 2019 his Self-help book “From Dreaming to Achieving, in LIFE” to unveil success secrets for youth become the bestseller and is available via all online platforms and major book stores in 47+ countries, including India. Recently, NITI Aayog appointed Mr. Vinod Tiwari as the ‘Regional Mentor of Change’ for Gujarat State, AIM Team for supporting and mentoring all mentors of the state. This is to support the Indian Government a flagship initiative of Atal Tinkering Lab.
In your opinion how has India geared up to face Industrial Revolution 4.0?
India is way ahead ready and well prepared to be a part of the Industrial Revolution 4.0. The revolution already has been taken to a significant level, globally. The integration plan are well in process for smart manufacturing through big data, cloud computing, 3D printing, Internet of Things, robotics etc.
India being a global technological hub has already started – Make in India campaign to invite global brands. Another big step taken by India is to start Atal Tinkering Labs across for young students led by AIM, NITI Aayog to develop new skills for miniaturization, digitization automation and information technology right from high school level.
The main objective is to ensure high efficiency through integration of man-machine approach by means of automation in the intelligent manufacturing for customized products. Every company needs to be a part of the process or else they will be technologically obsolete with competition.
How do you think COVID-19 has changed the Entrepreneurship landscape?
The Entrepreneurs, small business, and new startups has been reshaped during the COVID-19, because of one or another reason. We all would agree that, the new entrepreneurs and small business do work on a limited capital and resources. The data says that almost 60-75% of businesses have terminated the contract of full time employee.
Most of the newly born entrepreneurs have to slip down to the red segment, where the chances of the company survival are next to nil. Technology played an important role to help sinking companies, where the nature of job could allow them to adopt new culture of work from home.
On the other hand the pandemic has also given a chance to many startups for new entrepreneurial activities to divert the nature of business. It is hard to define that weather decades of efforts will go in vain or it’s a wakeup reminder call to restructure the resources.
What are your views on the current technological advancements and how entrepreneurs can harness this power?
We are fortunate enough to living in the era of great weird technology age and still waiting for big revolution to take place in block chain, machine learning for the growth of the entrepreneurs. It is important to note that, India governments already launched many initiatives for new entrepreneurs. Nevertheless, the progress is rapid and it is encouraging startups to take initiative for technologies like-
Internet of Things – IOT is to make smart refrigerators, smart AC, smart TV, and ultimately smart homes
Wearables – Wearable devices transformed from portable to pocket-able, smart watch, glasses, virtual reality.
Drones – From commercial to industrial applications – logistics, transportation, agriculture, medical, and security
Artificial Intelligence – Based on machine learning, self-driven smart cars, mobile assistant to home assistant.
The current technological advancement is still in their nascent stage, and waiting to reach the perfection. Obviously, these imperfections do open up the package of opportunities for the startups and entrepreneurs.
What would your top 3 advice be for those entrepreneurs who are planning to scale up their ideas in the current situation?
Three advices for entrepreneurs.
Help others to help yourself – If you help millions, you can make millions. It is really as simple as that. When you provide simple solution to difficult problem, success is yours. Money, name & fame are the byproduct when you invest your time for the benefit of all mankind.
Do not underestimate yourself – You are more than what you think you are, your past failure must not dictate your future. You need to start taking calculated risk to discover your caliber and expertise. Replace your surrounding with positive people, who feed positivity and believe in you.
Find a Mentor for yourself – Be teachable and find someone who can make you feel hopeful when no one else is around you. You cannot identify yourself in all aspects, the way your mentor can. All of the successful people, who are at the top, have a mentor to guide them.
How would you sum up the way entrepreneurship is shaping itself pre- and post-pandemic? What changes do you feel were long overdue but were forced out because of COVID-19?
We all are very well experiencing the pre and post-pandemic effect and witnessing the way business is turning around. Most of the business has lost a major part of their valorization and is admitted to the ICU, struggling badly for the oxygen. Travel and Tourism, Airlines, Automobile, Logistics, Mining, Construction, etcetera. Still, the corona effect has been proved to be beneficial for so many businesses.
The majority of the plans, policies, new ventures, technological tie-ups, launches, world games were overdue and in the pipeline but unfortunately forced out with no scheduled timelines. It’s time to rethink to shape the business and operating models to a new reality. However, entrepreneurs are optimistic by nature and they do fight till the last breath. But we need to respond back to nature and ask with our self, Are we going downward up or upward down? Surely, COVID-19 will leave us with a lot of unanswered questions.