Dynamic Duo

An honest approach, awareness of untapped verticals, a knack to sell and the desire to become successful—these qualities make Narendra and Keshav Bansal an explosive duo. A successful entrepreneur and a philanthropist at heart, Narendra Bansal is the Chairman and Managing Director of Intex Technologies, the electronics giant, which posted a whopping turnover of `6,213 crore in FY 2015-16. Following close on his heels is his son, Keshav, the director of Intex, who also is the owner of the IPL team, Gujarat Lions.

- Ashutosh Gotad

Narendra Bansal, 53, was born in tehsil Bhadra of the Hanumangarh district of Rajasthan to the Late Shri Bhanwarlal Bansal, a grain merchant in Daryaganj and Munni Devi. The eldest among four brothers and two sisters, his schooling happened at a rural school before the family moved to Kathmandu for a few years. From there, they came to Delhi in 1980 and stayed at a small accommodation at Shakti Nagar Extension. Married to Alpa Bansal, they now have two children—Ishitiaa Bansal, 20, and Keshav Bansal, 24. Yes, it’s the same Keshav Bansal, who owns the IPL team, Gujarat Lions. He is also the director of Intex technologies.

The Inception

As a self-made tycoon, Narendra Bansal is of the firm belief that one does not learn the art of selling at any school; it is rather an innate craft one is born with. He began by selling recorded audio cassettes in high school and moved to picking up and delivering cordless phones after his graduation. For this, he opened a shop at Naya Bazar in the Chandni Chowk area of Delhi, put out classified ads in newspapers and assured potential consumers of a refund if they were not happy with the service. The business did work, but was not remunerative enough. He then ventured into the sale of the now defunct floppy discs. But that did not last long either.