TiE My Story Session v2

My Story Session v1.0 : 

My Story Session v1.0 Mahesh Ramachandran 31 March 2010 TiE Chennai Chapter 75/24, First Floor, Spur Tank Road, Chetpet, Near RTO Bus stand, Chennai 600 031

Traits of an entrepreneur : 

Traits of an entrepreneur The question is not if the glass is half empty or half full.. ..but how to take the water to those who need it and make money out of it! – Warren Buffet Are entrepreneurs born or made? Some are born entrepreneurs… .. …especially when their father owns the business! ..but how to take the water to those who need it and make money out of it! – Warren Buffet

Becoming an entreprenuer… : 

Becoming an entreprenuer… “ Life is what happens when you are busy planning other things…” Don’t expect things to fall in place in an orderly fashion as in the business plan. You don’t plan on becoming an entrepreneur by design – it happens when you are passionate about an Idea and willing to take the risks in achieving it! Write what would be your dream job two years from now. A week later write Your Own Eulogy as if you are dead and your friend is reading it… Is there a disconnect between the two? Follow what you are passionate about. Being an entrepreneur (esp. a start up) is very tough! You are the Founder, CEO, Director and the Tea Boy/Girl. There is no substitute for hard work. The only place where Success comes before Work is dictionary

About Mahesh ramachandran : 

About Mahesh ramachandran Place of birth: Thanjavur, India Family background: Well grounded family – Importance on value system – Independence to pursue one’s goals and ideas – High thinking, Simple Living. School: In Thanjavur at St. Peters and then at a Govt. School College: Bachelor of Commerce at University of Madras with focus on Commerce, Finance, Accounts & Economics Master of Business Administration at University of Westminster Sloan Fellowship in Strategy & Leadership - London Business School Corporate Experience: Dun & Bradstreet, Ford Motor Company, Tata (UK) and Commonwealth Business Council Interests: Carnatic Music, Chess, Reading, J&T, Travel, Mentoring Start Ups and Social Service Family: Pavithra (M.A in Music), Veena and Carnatic Musician, Daugher:Maanasa and Son: Shivakumar

Serial(!) Entrepreneur : 

Serial(!) Entrepreneur First Start Up – Anti Virus programme (1984) – Best Learning - Technology is NOT necessarily the key Second Start Up – Adticker™ - Targeted Advertisement (1995) – Best Learning – Ideas ahead of time is not necessarily a good business. Fast Second (eg Lotus vs. Excel) Third Start Up – Net Solutions (1998 - 2001) – Best Disaster – Dot Com Boom and Bust Commonwealth – Projects & Finance Ltd – First Social Entrepreneurship FxAuction (ebay for Forex) – The eBay of Forex – Best Exit Savoir Faire – Best Way of Structuring – Application of theoretical concepts for business concepts Currency Derivatives – Covered and Uncovered Interest Parity Commonwealth (Uganda) Ltd - Emerging Markets - Africa

Making of the Making the Commonwealthier™ : 

Making of the Making the Commonwealthier™ Making Money and Solving a Social Problem are not contradictory Business Model that does not have economic viability will not scale or survive Micro Finance – Social Good (or) Economic Profit – Why can’t it be both? A good company is one that delivers good product and services – a great company is one that does the same while making the world a better place to live…! Lets make the CommonWealthier™

Micro finance – What is it? : 

Micro finance – What is it? Microfinance is the provision of financial services to poor and usually unbanked communities Micro Finance is NOT only Micro Credit It encompasses Micro Savings, Micro Payments, Micro Insurance, Money Remittances and also Micro Credit

Indian Scenario – Transition to Future of Banking : 

Indian Scenario – Transition to Future of Banking May I ask for a Kilo of Sugar, 500 grams Toor Dal… May I ask for a Kilo of Sugar, 500 grams of Toor Dal and deposit 400 Rupees?

Indian Scenario – Transition to Future of Banking : 

Indian Scenario – Transition to Future of Banking May I ask for a Kilo of Sugar, 500 grams Toor Dal… May I ask for a Kilo of Sugar, 500 grams Toor Dal and deposit 400 Rupees? By the way can you also recharge my mobile and accept payment of electricity bill & School Fee?

Overview of Commonwealth Micro Finance (India) Ltd : 

Overview of Commonwealth Micro Finance (India) Ltd Use of Mobile for Micro Payments Winner of the best Regional Language Advertisement for 2009/10 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A_4dxgORgfA Who we are and What we do? (Youtube Video) Corporate video on who we are and what we do athttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z7Id8HQfSik

Commonwealth Card Touch & Take : 

Commonwealth Card Touch & Take On a crowded bus in a rural India, a "sophisticated" user makes a call. He cuts the call after few seconds worried about rocketing call charges. Now, our hero ("a country fellow") makes phone calls to a person within the bus, does m-commerce transaction, does mobile payments. One wonders how..?

Commonwealth card – Corporate Overview : 

Commonwealth card – Corporate Overview

Books that could help : 

Books that could help Getting to Plan B (John Mullins) Portfolios of the Poor – How the world’s poor live on $2 a day Fortune at the Bottom of the Pyramid (C.K.Prahlad) Future Files – A brief history of NEXT 50 years (Richard Watson) Thirukurral (Tamil Verse circa 200 B.C – English Translation by Rev.G.U.Pope – Oxford University) I am OK – You are OK (Transactional Analysis -Thomas A Harris MD)

Contact:Mahesh RamachandranManaging Director & CEOCommonwealth Microfinance (India) Ltdwww.commonwealthmf.com | CEO@commonwealthmf.com : 

Contact:Mahesh RamachandranManaging Director & CEOCommonwealth Microfinance (India) Ltdwww.commonwealthmf.com | CEO@commonwealthmf.com