When it comes to entrepreneurship, Ankiti Bose is something of a legend. Thanks to the rapid success of Zilingo – the business-to-business ecommerce platform that she co-founded with Dhruv Kapoor in 2015 – she’s on the fast track to becoming the first Indian woman to found a billion-dollar startup. And she’s only 29 years old.
To make it that big that fast – she co-founded Zilingo when she was 23 – it would seem as though entrepreneurship was in her DNA. But that’s actually not the case. Ankiti’s upbringing was surprisingly humble. Her mother was a college lecturer and her father worked for the government; a stint that saw Ankiti moving from one small Indian city to another.
So how did this down-to-earth, former McKinsey & Company management consultant make the fateful leap into entrepreneurship? In her words, “foolish courage”.
“There was a lot of foolish courage involved in starting up,” Ankiti tells The CEO Magazine. “It was a decision completely driven by passion and optimism. I saw the opportunity in South-East Asia; the growth of the region looked like it could be phenomenal because it was super under-penetrated. But had I over-analysed the situation, it would’ve been harder to make the decision.”
Esta historia es de la edición May 2021 de The CEO Magazine Asia.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 8500 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor ? Conectar
Esta historia es de la edición May 2021 de The CEO Magazine Asia.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 8500 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor? Conectar
Lito German Is Driving Change And Accelerating Growth For Sandbox
After years in the automotive industry, CEO Lito German is now driving change and accelerating growth for importer and distributor Sandbox Middle East.
They're Pioneers In Enshrining Green Values Into Everything They Do
CEO Chamaiporn Uerpairojkit explains how thai plastics giant tpbi was committed to sustainability long before the government made an industry-changing announcement last year.
Maverick Unicorn
Spotify co-founder and CEO Daniel Ek is a textbook example of the startup gurus propelling their companies to billion-dollar valuations.
''Increase The Velocity''
Adapting Camfil’s business model to work at a faster pace was critical for the business to thrive in today’s China, according to managing director Michel Moulin.
Device Manager
Covid-19 tore the world’s tech supply chains asunder, the effects of which are still being felt today. But through steady management and quality of work, malaysian component manufacturer analog devices has managed to thrive during the storm.
Going Antiviral
Chiaphua Industries chief marketing officer and co-founder of Germagic Hamilton Hung has transformed the appliance manufacturer into an antiviral research and development powerhouse. And he has done so with patience and vision.
Risk Vs Return
Add pandemic fallout to a low interest-rate environment and you have a challenge for highnet-worth investors. Where might opportunities lie?
Expect The Unexpected
For lockton philippines insurance & reinsurance brokers ceo vic valledor, providing affordable premiums for the poorest families is vital, especially considering the recent challenges of the covid-19 pandemic.
The Ultimate Investments
With the global economic recovery from the pandemic underway, many analysts are suggesting now is the time to invest – but will whisky, soybeans or bitcoin find a way into your portfolio?
The Future Of Fintech
Covid-19 has accelerated the world’s shift to a digital economy, and airwallex co-founder and president Lucy Liu wants to make sure there are more female fintech leaders with her at the top.
