Sarad Bawri: ‘Lifeline’ of Shillong

Diligence and interest are the two words that best describe the success story and journey of Sarad Bawri, from being a science student to owning one of the top known IT companies in Shillong, today.

EARLY DAYS

Born and brought up in Shillong, Sarad Bawri is a commerce graduate who passed his 12th in Science stream. He then went for a 4-years apprenticeship, which he treats as his post-graduation, at a plywood manufacturing industry for learning the tricks of trade. " I wanted to become a doctor but destiny had planned otherwise since I went for apprenticeship after my college. I had not even heard of a PC before my graduation, leave alone seeing one," recalls Bawri.

THE BEGINNING

Bawri shares, " The company I was working with, had procured a PC and I got fascinated by it. Thereafter, when I was 23 years old, the entrepreneurship bug bit me, and I started out on my own."
Bawri further reveals that since he had no technical training, he started with the marketing of the products before getting into the actual business.

BIRTH OF LIFELINE ENTERPRISES

Since Bawri studied science in his school, he had the option of choosing a career in medicines besides information technology. But he chose the latter. "I finally opted for IT business in 1989. I have to thank my friend, the original operator of the PC in the company whom I was working with, who finally convinced me to opt for computers, citing that it is a sunrise industry, and is assured to grow in leaps and bounds," he says.

ACHIEVEMENTS

"Having the first mover's advantage, we have generated a lot of goodwill over the years, and Lifeline Enterprises is definitely on everybody's radar who likes to purchase a PC/laptop in Shillong," claims Bawri. Besides being acknowledged by Meghalaya government and various trade associations, the company has been awarded a number of times by various trade publications. "We take pride in the fact that we are always the first choice by any company that plans to do business in Shillong. We have also grown in this period from being the pioneer, and can claim to be the premier IT shop in Shillong. We are a grass-root level firm, with our fingers firmly placed on the pulse of the customer, and catering to their all IT related needs," says Bawri. Lifeline Enterprises, which considers itself as ‘The One Stop Computer Shop', assembles and markets PCs under the brand ‘Hallmark'.

CHALLENGES AND ROADBLOCKS

Bawri shares that being the pioneer in the state, his company has to always struggle to live up to the expectations, which is sometimes a daunting task. Further sharing his obstacles, he said that Shillong being a small city, his company has not been able to grow large to its potentials, like their contemporaries in the metros or the larger cities. Besides, he also shared one of the incidents that proved to be a major roadblock for him. "One major setback was when in 1995 the entire shop was gutted in a massive fire, and we had to start from scratch," Bawri states.

RULE TO SUCCESS

Bawri firmly believes in, and fervently practices, Rotary International's ‘The Four Way Test':
Of the things we think, say or do
l Is it the TRUTH?
l Is it FAIR to all concerned?
l Will it build GOODWILL and BETTER FRIENDSHIPS?
l Will it be BENEFICIAL to all concerned?
Besides, the man firmly believes in the basic tenets of the Bhagwat Gita- Do your duty to the best of your abilities, and do not worry about the consequences, for success is bound to follow.

ADVICE TO BUDDING ENTREPRENEURS

"Give the customer honest prices, good products and flawless service, and he is a confirmed repeat customer for life, not only for himself but for his family and friends," is what the man has to say to the young minds.

ON THE PERSONAL FRONT

Born in 1966 in Shillong, Bawri hails from a business family. Happily married to Ritu, he is blessed with a son Bhavesh (17) and a 13-year-old daughter Ashmita. An active member of the Rotary Club of Shillong and the president of the Meghalaya Information Technology Business Association, Bawri is associated with a number of other business, social and community groups. Bawri is also an ardent reader and a health freak. "Reading is my first love and I am very conscious of my health, which I maintain by swimming daily," he shares

FUTURE PLANS

Besides aiming to grow by 25% y-o-y, Bawri is also looking forward to opening a spanking new showroom in one of the major marketing centers in the town. Manufacturing is another sector that the man is eying. "We also hope to get into some manufacturing activity which will use the raw materials available locally," he shares.

Poornima Bajwa

(poornimab@cybermedia.co.in)