Entrepreneurs are innovators who see an extra ordinary opportunity in an ordinary situation and willingly take calculated risks of exploiting that opportunity. They are self confident and self reliant people with a strong desire of achievements. The ups and downs in the path of setting up and running their enterprise do not discourage them instead it motivates them to make extra efforts. The power to visualize an opportunity, develop it into a concept and later transform it into an enterprise, distinguishes an entrepreneur from the crowd.
Nasik is a city thriving and developing in all the fields and this development would be incomplete without the hard work of Nasiks own entrepreneurs. The entrepreneurs in Nasik are spread across diverse field from industry to floriculture. Some of the renowned entrepreneurs of Nasik include :
Rajeev Samant : Just like introduction of Nasik is incomplete without the mention of Ram Ghat, similarly boasting about growth of Nasik is incomplete without the mention of Sula Wines. Sula Wines has bought a new face and recognition on a global horizon to the Grape City Nasik. The success story of Sula Wines, the brain child of unconventional entrepreneur Rajeev Samant, is paradigm for young entrepreneurs.
After leaving his job at Oracle and getting back to Mumbai, an idea to utilize his family owned 30 acre land near Nasik struck the entrepreneurs chords in him. He setup Sula Vineyards and started producing premium range wines under the identity of Sula Wines. It started in 1999 with a production of 50000 bottles of wine and has now expanded to huge 3 million bottles per year. Rajeev Samant not only formed Sula Vineyards, he has also adopted organic viniculture and environment friendly practices here. The achievements of Rajeev Samant and the success of Sula Wines have made him the role model of young entrepreneurs.
Ashok Katariya : The first generation entrepreneur, Ashok Katariya, is a well known name in the construction industry. Gold medalist in B.E. from COEP, Pune University, Ashok Katariya is the chairman of Ashoka Buildcon. The company was started in 1976 and initially they were into construction of industrial, commercial, residential and institutional buildings. From 1997, they started bidding for contracts of toll bridges and roads that operate on BOT basis and since then, there is no looking back. The company has received awards for its constructions and was awarded the Best Professionally Managed Company a CIDC Vishwakarma Award in 2010. Ashok Katariya has been honored with Udyog Ratna award by the Indian Economic Council. Association of Consulting Civil Engineers has awarded him with the Lifetime Achievement Award. His guidance has helped Ashoka Buildcon attain great heights.
Narendra Goliya : Founder and promoter of Rishabh Instruments Nasik, Narendra Goliya is renowned name across the industries in Nasik. Graduate in Electrical Engineering from IIT Mumbai and Post Graduate in Micro Electronics from the prestigious Stanford University California, he set up Rishabh Instrumnets in 1983 at Nasik. His vision, motivation and determination have built Rishabh Instruments as brand in the market of Electrical Test and Measuring Instruments. Rishabh is a company created with his vision to modern vertically integrated manufacturing company with the State of Art machinery and a growth which is more than 30% CAGR plans 40% CAGR in next five years. He has notable association in setting up a unique Cluster in Nasik, where the local SME have been provided with high value, technological advance machines and software to help them in product development, training and test their products for international certifications, quality improvement export. He was featured in Indiamart Leaders of Tomorrow 2010 by ETNow. He has also been awarded the Star Performer Award by EEPC.
Megha Borse : Anybody under the impression that farming is a mens profession, the achievements of Megha Borse is sure to make them spell bound. Megha Borse is a new generation woman entrepreneur who has earned the name of flower power woman of Nasik. Starting her floriculture venture in 2004 with a capital of ₹ 10 lakhs, she has two greenhouses producing around 6, 00,000 flowers per year. Achieving success is not easy; she has taken hard efforts from laying mud in trenches to tending every flower and never shied away from using innovative techniques on her farm. She has made sure that her work was managed in a methodical and planned manner. She has earned the reputation of a knowledgeable floriculture consultant and provides tips to farmers. She has been nominated to represent Maharashtra State in an apex committee which has been set by Union Ministry of Agriculture. Megha Borse is a role model for woman entrepreneurs and has also helped several women in Nasik to set up a floriculture business.
Madhur Kshirsagar : Madhur Khirsagar is the founder of Khirsagar Cold Storage and Madhur Exports. In 1992, he exported a container of grapes on individual basis to UK and became the first person in India to achieve this. His company exports around 50 containers pomegranates, grapes and onions to places like Dubai, Europe, Singapore, UK and Malaysia. He has a group of more than 100 famers from different cities like Sangli, Nasik, Baramati, Ahmednagar and others. He has a good experience in the fields of production and marketing of fruits and gives training related to practices of hygiene to the farmers. He also has multichamber cold storages at Konkangaon and Niphad. He has also received awards from Agriculture Minister and Chief Minister of Maharashtra.
