Balancing Steady Topline

A BE and IIM student, Kolkata-based Shiv Modi believes in getting his
business basics right. He prides in having a flexible product portfolio and has
no qualms about discontinuing brands that give lower margins and adding new ones
which offer better profits.

Coming from a family with jute textile manufacturing business, Shiv noted
that this industry was stagnating and entered the IT industry with Trisita
Corporation in 1986, with his brother Ashutosh. He tied up with Amkette for
selling its floppy disks and later with Godrej Boyce for its DMPs.

Soon, he started building up a bigger basket of products and brands and
signed with HP. "We were the first resellers in the city to sell HP
printers in 1991, when a monochrome machine would cost Rs 48,000," he
recalls. But Shiv was careful that he only added those products to his kitty
around which he could add some value.

SERVICE IS KEY

Shiv decided that the best way to add value to products is by providing a
comprehensive service package around it. He built a strong service
infrastructure and leveraged on it to improve business.

At the same time, Shiv was decisive that he would not venture into gray
market sales. "In fact, we had not sold a single PC during the first five
years of business, as the only machines available in the city were from the gray
market," he says.

EYE-CATCHING ACTION

Sold products with service as value add Stayed away from the gray market business consciously

Shiv was also clear about keeping his business focus in the city of Kolkata
alone. "There is not much scope for offering high-end technology in the
east. We knew that if we ventured into this business, then soon we would have
the infrastructure in place, but no business would be coming in," he
explains. At the same time, Trisita does offer need-based solutions outside
Kolkata, if the customer asks for it.

VINITA BHATIA