G Suresh: When classmates turned partners

Manathil urudhi vendum... Vaarthayile thelivum vendum'(Have confidence in heart and clarity in words)...... sings his dialer tone. True to his tune, G Suresh, too, is confident and clear in whatever he does. When a group of college goers assemble, what would be discussed? The prettiest girl in the class or the new couple in campus or at least, about their favorite film star. But, Suresh and his friends dreamt of starting their own business.

From PSG to E-Caps
"It was just a casual discussion amongst us, when we were pursuing our bachelor's degree in computer technology at PSG College of Technology, Coimbatore. But we never thought that one day we will own a company," recalled Suresh.

People believe that anything which starts with the blessing of Lord Ganesha will be a success. Having that in mind, E-Caps was started on Vinayakar Chaturthi in 1993. Initially the organization was started as a training institution which later handled minor projects like preparing software for LIC agents, BPO-related works etc. "Later, we found there was a huge potential in hardware business. So we entered into networking and are here for the last 18 years," said Suresh, who added that all the students in his class were offered a white-collar job in the US. "While everyone was busy applying for VISA, we 4 decided to remain in India and stand on our own feet," disclosed Suresh.

Initial days
"I would not say that my initial days were of much struggle as we see in movies. Of course, as a first time entrepreneur, we had some problems. However, we had a great enthusiasm and love for computers," said Suresh.
"We never saw a computer in our school days. So, the moment I saw it in college, I made full use of it," added Suresh. If anyone has to be attributed for his success, Suresh gives all his credits to his alma-mater and parents. While the former taught him discipline, the latter bestowed confidence on him. "When we wanted to expand our organization, we were in need of some capital investment for which Rajiv Gandhi Swavlamban Rozgar Yojna scheme helped us," he recalled.

Advantage partners
One major hurdle everyone comes across in business is the issue related to partnership. "I knew my business partners before knowing my life partner and they understand me and my gestures much before than anyone else," informed Suresh.

He also added that in the scenario, where many business partnerships end up in a divorce within few years of the business, they are still together with a lot of care and affection. "If I would have partnered with some X or Y, I doubt whether my company would have seen such a growth," said Suresh. He also added that as his class mates were his business partners, the misunderstanding level was much less in their organization. Suresh said that his staff is one of the greatest assets in his life. "Right from the beginning till now, my staff is with me dedicating their time for company's growth. I consider them God's gift," informed Suresh.

True to the myth that residents of Coimbatore are known for maintaining their relationship, Suresh said that for him, it is the relationship with the vendors and dealers that matters more to him than the business. "In my tough time, many vendors believed in me and a good number of customers opted for our shop which is the sole reason for our success. Through DQ Channels, I would like to thank them personally," said Suresh.

Achievement
E-Caps recently won the prestigious status of being the national distributor of Kaspersky enterprise business.

Advice to aspiring entrepreneurs
According to Suresh, ‘Success never fails'. He asked the future entrepreneurs to invest a lot of hard work and not to bother about the return. "If you truly work hard, you will definitely be paid for it," he said.

Inspirations and plans
His inspiration is Azim Premji, chairman, Wipro. "I like him because of his sincerity, straight forwardness and hard work," informed Suresh.
E-Caps has its presence across South India. These days the company is regularly adding product after product. Suresh has a vision of having a Rs 100 crore business in the next 5 years and plans to increase the number of branches.

Best friend
In 1999, Suresh married Sudha, who holds a Masters degree in Computer Applications. The couple is gifted with a daughter, Ishwarya who is 11-year-old. "My daughter is my best friend and she is too tech-savvy. She even owns a Facebook account and updates me about latest technology gadgets," said Suresh proudly. "My daughter is very understanding. When we go out, normally she does not ask for anything to buy. She finds her happiness with whatsoever I buy for her," added Suresh.
Suresh feels that his life is not complete without his wife. "In fact, after marrying her, I got elevated in every aspect of my life," disclosed Suresh.
Suresh says that his wife has always been a support for him. "Due to my work pressure, I can not spend much time with my family. For almost 265 days in a year, I'm traveling. During that time, my wife, as a perfect homemaker, takes care of my family," disclosed Suresh. Amidst his busy schedule, he prefers visiting Ooty. Sudha likes drawing Tanjore paintings.

Miscellaneous
As time do not permit him to visit his alma mater at regular intervals. He made a brilliant plan to be in touch with his college. He made PSG College of Technology his client. "Whenever I find time, I visit my college, share some light moments," informed Suresh.

A typical youth of 1990s, there is no question about his favorite music director. "I am an ardent fan of ‘isaigyani' (mastero) Ilayaraja and my favorite singer is KJJ Yesudas," concluded Suresh.

B Swaminathan
(swaminathanb@cybermedia.co.in)