By Jatin Goel:
In a developing country like India, achieving one’s dreams can be a very difficult task. While a few are born into privileged circles, the vast majority of our country is forced to settle for less when it comes to ambition. We are home to the youngest workforce in the world which, if nurtured in the right manner, can be given wings. India has the potential to generate entrepreneurs from every household.
It was this zeal to take risks and make a difference that drove 23-year-old Smriti, the Founder & CEO of Atulyakala, a social enterprise that empowers artists with hearing impairments through design partnerships and creative collaborations. Another young thinker who did not let his circumstances hold him back is Saad Memon, a 22-year-old engineering graduate who developed a mini super-computer with the speed and efficiency of an assembly of 32 computers. With so much talent brewing in our lanes, we have no dearth of new ideas. All that needs to be done is to fling open the ‘vault’ of dreams.
It is extremely important that we start seeing success as something that can only be achieved when we work together. Many hopes are crushed under the weight of deprivation due to the cut-throat competition that rules our markets. I am a 24-year-old entrepreneur who strongly believes that there is an urgent need to empower the youth, student community, household & rural ventures as well as startups at an incubation stage, a need to give them a chance to voice their ideas.
Addressing this very need, the government of India, through its ‘Start-up India’ initiative and various other programmes is trying to create an ecosystem that fosters entrepreneurship and innovation. Inspired, motivated and thrilled by such strong support, I came straight back to my hometown, Delhi, after completing my masters at London School of Economics (LSE) in 2015, declining a job offer in London. Straight away I got involved in the ecosystem, consulting small and medium sized businesses to raise funds and get the required mentorship. That’s when it struck me, why not bring what happens inside boardroom meetings during a funding process in front of the people of India? Hence, I came up with a TV Show – “The Vault” that aligns together the interests of all the stakeholders in the ecosystem – the investors, entrepreneurs, government and consumers a win-win for all.
The Vault show is India’s first to-be-aired startup reality show which will put entrepreneurs-in-the-making and investors in the same room. The show focuses on emerging businesses and household ventures, the likes of Saad and Smriti, giving them a chance to pitch their ideas to established entrepreneurs-turned-investors for an on-the-spot investment deal. The Vault is a ray of hope for anyone who has ever dreamt of becoming an entrepreneur or has a unique business proposition that could bring about a change. The show will bring support, guidance and mentorship to the upcoming breed of Indian entrepreneurs, ensuring that they have the means of actively contributing to India’s dream of becoming the next global superpower.
The objective of The Vault Show is to give televised exposure to business ventures, no matter how small or eccentric, and bring to the forefront all the behind-closed-doors happenings of an entrepreneur-investor pitch. The investors featured on the show are carefully chosen for their own risk-taking abilities and their insights on the path to collective triumph of entrepreneurship. These men and women have proven their mettle in fields as diverse as technology, finance, retail, advertising and real-estate. Moreover, the interaction between investors and entrepreneurs is a great learning experience for each and every viewer, getting deeper insights into the art of entrepreneurship.
The Vault is meant to be a platform where many people with bright business ideas will be given a platform to be heard for the first time, and their success stories will be aired on National TV – inspiring millions. Every innovative business idea will be judged purely for its merit and has a chance of receiving funding on the spot – all in the course of a 30-minute episode. This show is a tribute to all those who burn the midnight oil and keep their noses to the grindstone despite all odds.
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