Starting a business in Oman
We had many
pre-conceived notions about the Arabs, like they are swimming in money, etc. But this man was only an officer in the army. He
had no money to put in as capital to start a business. So, both of us went and borrowed 3,000 riyals from a bank as the initial
capital and started our business.
We decided to do the interiors of buildings, a continuation of what I was doing in Kerala.
It was an international market but I was only a street-side contractor. Street-side contractor means you had only a briefcase
with you; not even a great office. I was like a fisherman, going to the sea to fish, going to the market to sell the catch and
make a living. The beginning was very, very small.
Working hard and with confidence
It was tough initially,
but I worked hard, really hard. Five things were against me: I was not professionally qualified. I did not have sufficient capital. I
was in a new geographical location. I didn’t have sufficient contacts. And my communication skills were poor as I had studied
in a Malayalam medium school.
So amidst all the negatives, it was like chasing dreams! Yet, even though I, my feet were
firmly on the ground.
And although I had all the negatives stacked against me, my confidence level was very high. The
ability to understand too was very high. I never settled for anything less than perfect.
Now I feel I had divine
blessings.
Image: A futuristic multiplex at the Infosys campus in Mysore, built by Sobha Developers.
Also read: India story can boom for 20
years, if. . .: Kamath
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