A green entrepreneur at 18
A diploma holder, Sharad Parikh overcame barriers of a middle-income group family and set up his own firm that produces solar water heater
Yogesh Avasthi
Posted On Tuesday, February 21, 2012 (http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/article/3/2012022120120221193846122c874b5df/A-green-entrepreneur-at-18-.html)
A diploma holder, 20-something and an entrepreneur. Sharad Parekh’s introduction doesn’t end here. Surpassing his friends and batchmates who are yet to take their first step towards their goal, he is already living his dream.
“Where there’s a will, there is a way. But the most important thing is to believe in self,” says Sharad who went through all the hardships a boy of a middle-income group family faces but realised his dream of setting up a firm that produces eco-friendly lifestyle product.
A futuristic
After obtaining a diploma in mechanical engineering from Nirma University in 2010, Sharad lapped up a job with IFB at Pune as service engineer with a Rs 2.4-lakh package. “But I quit the job in three months because I couldn’t convince myself for it. Family and friends, all ridiculed my decision.
But I was unmoved because I was determined to pursue what I believe in. As I was interested in renewable energy development since college days, I decided to start a venture on the technology of my college project ‘design and fabrication of parabolic through collector’. I had asked two of my friends to join me in the venture, but they didn’t agree,” says Sharad who always wanted to make it big in life.
Incidentally, when Sharad first proposed his project to his teacher, he didn’t encourage him much. “But this failed to deter me and I continued working on my idea. Finally, when I presented the model, the same teacher looked at it just for a second and gave me A+. Since then, there is no stopping,” says Sharad.
Start-up with Rs 8,000
While Sharad was working on his formula, an MNRE report on “Future of Solar Water Heater (SWH) by 2022 in India” inspired him to focus on solar water heater. “I found that the total installed SWH in china is 66 per cent of the world. I visited china and I studied their working strategy and other aspects of the trade,” he says.
His year-and-a-half-old firm that manufactures solar water heaters has 25 dealers and distributors in the state. “I imported a sample from the China and started further research on the technology to produce an Indian-market driven product. My motto was: efficient, economical and easy. But convincing investors was a difficult task and one of the reasons was my age. I started my company with start-up capital of Rs 8,000 only,” says the techie. “We are planning to expand our business. As an innovator, I have developed thermal-based technology and have patented it,” says the entrepreneur.
GTU guest speaker
Three IIT scholars have been doing technology research for Sharad’s firm. “I have a staff of 10. I am also pursuing my BE. So I am juggling between studies and work. But I am happy because I am putting my effort where my soul is,” says Sharad whose father is into transport business.
On February 25, Gujarat Technological University has invited him to deliver a lecture at the varsity to encourage students. “GTU Innovation Council has called me to share my experience as an entrepreneur and motivate students to take up their own ventures,” he says.
Yogesh Avasthi
Posted On Tuesday, February 21, 2012 (http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/article/3/2012022120120221193846122c874b5df/A-green-entrepreneur-at-18-.html)
A diploma holder, 20-something and an entrepreneur. Sharad Parekh’s introduction doesn’t end here. Surpassing his friends and batchmates who are yet to take their first step towards their goal, he is already living his dream.
“Where there’s a will, there is a way. But the most important thing is to believe in self,” says Sharad who went through all the hardships a boy of a middle-income group family faces but realised his dream of setting up a firm that produces eco-friendly lifestyle product.
A futuristic
After obtaining a diploma in mechanical engineering from Nirma University in 2010, Sharad lapped up a job with IFB at Pune as service engineer with a Rs 2.4-lakh package. “But I quit the job in three months because I couldn’t convince myself for it. Family and friends, all ridiculed my decision.
But I was unmoved because I was determined to pursue what I believe in. As I was interested in renewable energy development since college days, I decided to start a venture on the technology of my college project ‘design and fabrication of parabolic through collector’. I had asked two of my friends to join me in the venture, but they didn’t agree,” says Sharad who always wanted to make it big in life.
Incidentally, when Sharad first proposed his project to his teacher, he didn’t encourage him much. “But this failed to deter me and I continued working on my idea. Finally, when I presented the model, the same teacher looked at it just for a second and gave me A+. Since then, there is no stopping,” says Sharad.
Start-up with Rs 8,000
While Sharad was working on his formula, an MNRE report on “Future of Solar Water Heater (SWH) by 2022 in India” inspired him to focus on solar water heater. “I found that the total installed SWH in china is 66 per cent of the world. I visited china and I studied their working strategy and other aspects of the trade,” he says.
His year-and-a-half-old firm that manufactures solar water heaters has 25 dealers and distributors in the state. “I imported a sample from the China and started further research on the technology to produce an Indian-market driven product. My motto was: efficient, economical and easy. But convincing investors was a difficult task and one of the reasons was my age. I started my company with start-up capital of Rs 8,000 only,” says the techie. “We are planning to expand our business. As an innovator, I have developed thermal-based technology and have patented it,” says the entrepreneur.
GTU guest speaker
Three IIT scholars have been doing technology research for Sharad’s firm. “I have a staff of 10. I am also pursuing my BE. So I am juggling between studies and work. But I am happy because I am putting my effort where my soul is,” says Sharad whose father is into transport business.
On February 25, Gujarat Technological University has invited him to deliver a lecture at the varsity to encourage students. “GTU Innovation Council has called me to share my experience as an entrepreneur and motivate students to take up their own ventures,” he says.
