Kunwer Sachdev- The power man of India
Top Position: The Power man
A true risk taker and visionary, Kunwer Sachdev set his sights on the power back-up sector, leaving behind an already established business. He did not let the absence of a degree in technology come in the way of his ambitions. Today, the founder and Managing Director of Su-Kam Power Systems, Kunwer Sachdev is an unrivalled force in the power back-up sector, who has proven that an idea is bigger than a degree. He speaks to Corporate Citizen about his career growth and success
You began your journey by selling pens and moving on to the business of cable TV. Tell us about the struggle you had to go through during those days.
At the age of 15, I joined my elder brother in selling pens. Little did I know that this small entrepreneurial experience would sow the seeds for what I was to do later in life. We used to buy pens from wholesalers and sell them to retailers around Delhi, riding a bicycle. It was a taxing job but for a 15-year-old boy, it was a rather exciting experience. Now, I feel those were golden days as I learnt so much at a very young age. I remember I used to dream of starting my own brand of pens.
After completing my education in Mathematical Statistics from Hindu College and LLB from the University of Delhi, I joined a cable telecommunications company in Delhi as a sales executive. But I was never satisfied with my work as the entrepreneur in me wanted to start something on my own. But it was a big risk for me. Coming from a middle class family, I did not have rich parents or fancy degrees.
But I somehow took the plunge and after working in the job for two years, I left it to start my own cable TV business. With seed money of Rs.10,000 mostly borrowed from friends, I started Su-Kam Communication Systems from a small office in Delhi. I had a few employees who were not very qualified in the traditional sense but were extremely hardworking, and most importantly, they believed in my vision. I started with installations of CATV and MATV systems in hotels and multistorey buildings. As I was unaware of the nitty gritty of the installation process, many people conned me. After being swindled several times, I learnt my lesson and started going with people and began installing the equipment with them. This not only gave me hands-on experience, but also helped me learn more about the process and equipment.
I tried to gain knowledge and clear basic concepts by reading voraciously. I even read school physics books! Luckily for me, in the 1990s, cable TV became a necessity in every home and my business took off. By then, I had thorough knowledge of the subject and even I tried to gain knowledge and clear basic concepts by reading voraciously. I even read school physics books! Luckily for me, in the 1990s, cable TV became a necessity in every home and my business took off. By then, I had thorough knowledge of the subject and even trained my staff. We manufactured cable TV equipment like directional couplers, amplifiers, and modulators.
When did it first dawn upon you that India’s solar power market had great potential and you could capture it? How convinced or apprehensive were you when you shut down your cable TV business to follow a different route altogether?
An entrepreneur’s journey is full of risks and mine was no different because after setting up a profitable cable TV business, I saw a lot of potential in the power back-up industry and ventured into it head on. In the 1990s, power was a constant worry in every Indian household; prolonged blackouts and unreliable power source was dampening the ambitions of the growing middle class.
