Pankaj sunwar has now been an entrepreneur for 10 years. In the past few years, Sunwar has been actively involved in creating awareness and a conducive environment for entrepreneurship in North-East India, especially in Nagaland and Manipur. Sunwar believes that the youth of North-East states aspire for government jobs and disregard entrepreneurship. One of the prime reasons for this disregard is the nature of uncertainty with businesses and entrepreneurship in general which has accelerated after the Covid-19 pandemic.
Minimum Investment: Sunwar is a seasoned entrepreneur with Amway. His childhood was spent away from his father as he was in the army. He spent his early years in Nagaland. At that young age Sunwar decided that he would grow up and become his own boss rather than aspiring for a government job. Why? With government job comes the element of transfers and postings that keep away fathers from their family.
“I was looking for an opportunity and that is when my uncle introduced me to Amway and shared with me the idea of how I can make a career as an entrepreneur and start building my own business with minimum investment. It gave me the confidence to start my entrepreneurship journey and decide what I want to do and how I want to do it by being my own boss,†says Sunwar.
Gig Economy: The fast rise in the popularity of gig economy and entrepreneurship around the rest of the country can also give the much-needed boost to the youth of the states in the North-East region of India, says Sunwar who is also doing his bit through Amway India to inspire the youth to become their own CEOs. “At times it becomes difficult for me to let people understand how important it is to start their own business at this juncture in the 21st century but I’m seeing some progress as well. Many have started to understand the potential of the direct selling industry and have taken a step towards being financially sound and having their own business,†states Sunwar.
Leveraging Technology: Highlighting the challenges businesses at remote places faced during the lockdown, Sunwar says he was able to leverage technology to scale his business and reach customers through virtual mediums. “I am bullish about technology and rapid connectivity that have brought in unthinkable levels of innovation, efficiencies, and customer reach. It has not only made way for newer businesses to prosper but has helped the Indian economy as a whole to recover at a swift pace,†he adds.
Sunwar also lauds several Central government initiatives such as Skill India, Startup India and Prime Minister Modi’s Covid induced pitch for self-reliance. He says that these initiatives have been able to seamlessly synchronise with Amway India’s efforts such as “Build Young Leaders†to enthuse the youth with that entrepreneurship zeal. He says that BW Businessworld’s Young Entrepreneur Award is a big blessing for him and his team at Amway. He says he is proud to dedicate this award to the people of North-East. He is confident that this award will give entrepreneurship a renewed focus in the region and inspire the youth and women to start their own entrepreneurship journey.