Watch: Successful Entrepreneur: 13 Years Building Sids Farm in India After 11 Years in US

3:45 Masters you know was also working there know one F day we thought you know maybe if we move back to India you know one we would be closer to our parents both our parents you know mine as well as hers lived in Hyderabad so I thought why not move them them get a lot of help right and also you know just being there for them you know when they when they would need us it would be great right that was the sort of the thing U you know that made us always one you know one bug that I always handed you know I always felt there was something missing you know I was trying a bunch of things you know work was great you know life was set but still there is that little itch right you know why not try something back in India always loved being the the previous month I you know I drove to a Alexa showroom I wanted to buy Alexis you know and the next you know the next day you know we decided that we'll move back to India all of that happened you know my boss

4:47 Said you know this was just crazy you don't have a plan you know I you know I was crazy right I didn't have a plan honestly I mean you know I wish I was a little more planned but yeah you know I still you know wanted to sort of try it so without a larger plan I moved back to India we moved back to India as a family you sold our house and you know that's how so our journey back home started got it so yeah thanks a lot

5:14 For you know such lot of details there so just want to unpack few things so you went to us for your PhD program I think sounds like I think both you and your wife were working kind of settled you know have the homes and all that stuff do you have this idea like that something is missing all the time or is it after sidat was born like you know just curious I think you know 10 years is a long time if so curious on that part and then we can go to the next question yeah so generally it was curious that I wanted to do a lot more right I mean work was good generally had had you know some challenges right work you know but in spite of that you know I wanted to do something more some of it was always you know also materially right you know you know wanted to see I for example I did a wind turbine installation course in off the coast of Seattle one week you know I

6:14 Went and spent a week there trying to understand how you know large wind turbines are constructed or designed and made one weekend I went and spent a I did a solar solar panel installation I think a three kilowatt plant on a rooftop in Arizona Arizona desert I you know so I trying out a bunch of things I even thought about getting a real estate license you I was trying to sort of experiment do a bunch of things you know wanted to experience more for sure yeah and you know but there's always this thing also you know I always felt me you know treated as super good I different right it was never completely 100 100% at home and always had this you maybe maybe India we can do something you it was always there and

7:15 You know and that's how you know I think that seed was always there aash and and after sidar was born definitely you you know you know when you are when your parents right definitely live you know life takes a you know different turn and we definitely felt like having grandparents closer to them was it would be super nice having that support of the family would be super great yeah and you know that is that is how it it definitely shifted right maybe it was just a seed before but I think once you know kids were born it you know we felt like you know maybe we would not be able to do it later this is probably the time to do it was when it started becoming stronger closer to you know when we finally moved back got it and then you said you got the Green

8:09 Card already right yes so so yeah let's talk about I think your transition right I think you when you mentioned you you mentioned that there isn't any plan like you decided that you want to move so curious on your career part I mean you have been working wife has been working so as a part of the move was it always intention to start your own entrepreneur I know I think that kind of like P you so how did you plan or how did you transition after moving to India yeah I mean so one of the things you know I I you know without a larger plan you know I took a you know before I moved back I took a three months Break okay so I you know went to Michigan state did a week long course on food processing visited few farms in California and you that was one I was exploring I also worked with you know one of the manufacturers in electronic you know one of the suppliers in electronic manufacturing I thought maybe I'll do something you know

9:11 In Consulting for these guys bunch of thoughts I was always I was also interested in education you know so I thought I could try something there I I Invision doing something like practical engineering education so that is something that I wanted to maybe do courses in nanot technology maybe do something you know whatever I learned at Intel you know a little bit of what experimentally right engineer in engineering doing engineering you don't study a whole lot of experimental thing I mean I know there's things that you learn but I thought I will do I'll do a mix of these things yeah you know when you work you know it's given right I mean what is given is you know the money comes to you you have a certain amount of knowledge but earning that as a business is so much more difficult right when and especially the first few years is you know definitely difficult so I experienced that you know you know once I got into it getting Traction in something is not easy and it takes time you have to be

10:13 Patient and I you know I learned that after moving back I experienced that so yeah so let's I think talk about

10:20 It right I think once you have like I think you had some idea so you kind of explored these options while in us so immediately after coming like did you go Direct into the diary side or in the agriculture you tried few things and then how did you land up in the diary side yeah yeah so I so I explored definitely agriculture so my family was doing some agriculture my father-in-law was doing it my so that is what we started first I also started doing this Consulting you know a little bit also rented a place and started taking G toil classes you know you know I didn't know what would work right so I was trying a whole bunch of things also did some you know practical engineering workshops you know we were exploring all of these things yeah so started with agriculture so I was in Karnataka you know trying to pitch you know worked with a consultant who would help U with this and started growing babycon

11:23 First the babyon was my first Venture so started growing luckily baby con was just a two Monon CR right you would grow baby corn gross in two months so you take the produce try to sell it to supermarkets in Bangalore didn't know the language didn't know Canada you know so trying to figure out in the midst of middleman how to sell baby Conn you know super crazy you know and did that for four months then realized you know I was traveling right I just moved back from the US now I'm you know three days in you know had a young kid at home but I was traveling three days I was it was outside and and so and U through as I was doing that you know one figured out that there was just no margin in doing Bavon you know growing vegetables trying to sell it there's absolutely no margin as I was doing that that area where you know we were working colal area did a lot of dairy farming right lot of dairy farms and and I

12:27 Was then started looking at this as a sector Hyderabad then you know there's a lot of interest in Hyderabad at that time on Dairy farming as a business a lot of people were talking at Hightech U had a lot of you know for example exhibitions on Dairy and and accidentally right that is how I sort of got into di is it's crazy right just imagining how I got into it itself is a little crazy but what started also happening simultaneously other things right other and and you know I was trying to explore I was you know doing some courses there was some traction that was getting there I bought some animals trying to produce milk you know started selling it somehow Dairy felt like I had a lot more control right because I was doing all of it right you know I was selling it you know I was getting feedback from customers the other field I was dependent on other people right you know we working with colleges where there was a lot of convening to do you know it was

13:28 Had a lot of dependence on others in the other fields that I was trying to do but Di seemed at that point to me though that I was fully in control I could control my own destiny and you know that is how I slowly started getting into it you know and started you know doing you know liter by ler that is how I started getting more and more into Diaries so it was read everything from a book right you know how to pick an animal naar there was one book by NA that said how to pick a cow read it you know talked to few visited few dairy farm is entirely you know just you know just bookish I would say yeah so I think

14:06 Sounds like you are an entrepreneur at heart and you wanted to try a few things and you know just the destiny leads to it I think you know to what you want to do I think that's what happens the sounds great so I think you know when you look at your journey with SIDS Farm and especially for someone who has lived abroad and who are thinking about starting their own entrepreneurship you know their own thing in India based on the situation right now in India like based on your experience what are the advice or insights that you would give for them to be aware of you know when they're planning to take that Journey yeah so definitely one thing I would advise is come spend some time right I would say don't jump into anything there are a lot of opportunities in India a that that I will say next 25 years I think there's a lot of growth that is going to happen in India I think you know it's a great time I would definitely say but

15:07 Know India has to happen to us slowly I was I was trying to rush it right I you know I wanted to jump into something and I wanted to feel you know missing missing missing I want to do something I would definitely advise to take a little bit of time soak up a lot more of India observe it you know even if it takes a little more I mean even if you're 40 even if you're 45 even you're 50 doesn't matter it's a small you know this thing you don't we don't take a take that one year observe right the lot of incubators a lot of accelerators in India today right observe what is happening in the ecosystem you know observe a few areas spend time you know I they'll always reach to jump into something you know talk to as many people as you can soak it up and then I know take take that informed call as to what business what to get in there's a lot of oport you can take up anything in India do it well and there's a market for it

16:07 Is what I personally think but yeah take the time what fits you talk to bunch of people the entrepreneur ecosystem is just is just getting built I know the software ecosystem is very strong the rest of the ecosystem is also getting built I think meeting a lot of people just taking their time talking to them and I think yeah yeah definitely taking the time I think give some

16:33 Time and have some patience and you know there's things happening yeah absolutely so if you compare in contrast like you know when you moved in 2011 to where India is right now how do you see the changes like in a positive okay neutral like you know anything that you can share you know India now versus India when you moved definitely positive right lot more from you know 2012 to 2024 lot more things are moving I would say a lot more things are accelerating I would say the Advent of quick Commerce right is a big you know it's a large industry that is getting created you know I would definitely I mean you know that is you see there are traditional segments also there are businesses that are getting created there are bands brands that are getting created and and doing well doing extremely well right I think so you know semiconductors is something the segment is just picking up

17:34 Pretty much across the board across Industries I see this one Revival of Manufacturing Services is anywhere strong in India products are getting built you know I think that I see is the potential definitely positive momentum is there right I think but by 194 2047 will be 100 years I think there are a lot of positive things in the next 20 20 years or so that that are going to happen that momentum is there in India yeah I think a lot of happen things happening in the space sector also in India so the a lot of you know I I definitely see a lot of positive entrepreneurial ecosystem getting built right now no thanks for sharing that and confirming their you know on ground like someone who spent close to 13 years in that domain and see the differences I think that's a key thing so I'm not saying problems are not there

18:35 Right I think but it is us that has to you you talk about it you trying to brave it out you're positively impacting that and but we have to fix them right you know we have to fix them and it'll happen you know growth is inevitable I think you know India is going to grow we just have to be part of it and you know and get first yeah so like switching Gates a little

19:10 Bit I know like kind of building a business is hard right I think as you said you know with the job you're sharing the knowledge you're getting money it's a little bit much more easier I think some of the points that you mentioned you know getting the traction the patience soaking up have you ever felt like as a family like did you made a wrong choice you know you know if the life would have been different if you have lived abroad versus India just curious has the thought ever occurred or you missed anything from us see us is definitely nice peaceful set life right if you know you have to sort of appreciate that right it's so it's so it's so set and straight like that right India is like this today still right but I I'm hoping that you know for our future Generations we build a country that you know becomes as structured and as organized as us is materially there is everything in the US right I mean everything it's just a I think but you know Americans worked hard and built their country right I I I

20:11 Think that is what is beautiful about it it's you know so you know set in many ways right you can have such a beautiful life if you do if you do certain things right right you can have a very very organized set life India has to be built right we have to put in that hard work we a young country lot needs to be built and and yeah so but no regrets right I actually never traveled you know outside of India last year as the first year when I went to Thailand to participate in United Nations program but you know I just stayed focused on what we are trying to build never you know sort of ever thought of going back you know even when the going was very tough because for me you know we made the journey you know whatever it is make it happen whatever it is figure it out make it happen yeah but you know I think both life is you just purely look at you know from Life point of view I think it's it's

21:13 Absolutely okay right us is super great I know I enjoyed thoroughly you know what you know what what US means what US is Right deep appreciation for what US is yeah amazing country by means I think similar has to be built here as well and got it so I have like maybe few

21:35 Questions that I wanted to ask like which is much more like you know direct and you know would love to get your feedback so what's one thing you wish you knew before moving to India yeah at Intel I never felt like you know Intel had when I was working Intel had 100,000 people I never felt it was possible for me to go to the top of the organization to today with what I've learned building sitam I definitely feel if I had a little bit of this knowledge I definitely would have tried to get there right that was definitely missing right you know it happens I think we can give I don't know how much of it I'm able to personally give to my own kid but having them experience different problems right having having a a larger look at a problem right see one of the things that I was I was always looking what I felt was missing was you always look at a in larger companies you always look at a small problem you don't I mean even though you know how you are impacting the whole thing you don't

22:37 Really feel that you are you know the the larger thing that you're trying to do in the organization you don't feel it though you know it knowledge wise that hey I'm building this product there's going to be a future product is going to change you know competing this way or that way you don't really feel it right that larger purpose somehow gets somehow lost right so yeah what I learned building you know building the startup is that purpose of why I'm doing it it's always there right so know you know I never had a dull day dull life you know dull moment in the last 10 plus years always crazy it was always intense it was never boring right I think this is what I learned right this is what if you can if you know our kids can see it much earlier I think they can be part of building something big at a very very young age is what I feel yeah cool maybe the next one is how do you deal with bureaucracy

23:38 Back in India right so how do you deal with that it is like this or any other thing I mean it is just part of any problem that you have to solve right see today you know that is the the the that is what it is right whatever it is that we have it is what it is you have to go forward you have to figure it out right yeah and I mean you get a lot of help if there is no help you know you still have to figure it out you still have to figure it out and if you work through it if you're patient I think all of that alignment will happen right so I would I mean I would look at it as any of these things as you're trying to build I mean there a problem that you have to solve you know I mean I I I get this sometimes people say you know in traditional Industries is probably a little more tougher you know but in Industries like it and stuff like

24:38 That they see a lot of people don't understand it right so you know there are less challenges so I mean maybe the the challenges between industry and Industry could be different definitely even now bureaucracy there's a lot of support we get there's a lot of help if you ask for help there's a lot of great help that we receive I think the governments are being very very Progressive there are always some elements but know I think a lot of young people young bu Bureau bureaucracy even young you know young old doesn't matter I think people pushing to do the right things across India I think the numbers are only going to grow I think that support is going to happen more and more right I I definitely see positive you know momentum there of course here are there small problems always exist AV and we have to solve it but so if you

25:32 Could sum up your experience moving back to India in one word what would it be loved every moment of my life in the US I think you know but and you know took a bold step you know said that you know we will you know jump and do this know and that's how I mean I it was an important I mean if you have not done it you know I would not have liked it so that is how I describe it you know I had we had to do it I think it was somewh written for us you know so we had to do it we did it yeah so great so I think is there anything that we haven't covered or any advice that you

26:16 Want to give to the Future aspirants who are considering about moving back to India or staying abroad you know from your journey what is that advice that you would give you know definitely a I would not want people to hit themselves hard right I mean I I sometimes get you know questions from people from the US also sure I want to do this I really want to do this I mean it has to be a thought out and and obviously it is a decision that your entire family has to take together right you know that alignment right there's probably that guilt feeling that I'm not you know as close to my family as I should be there is this distance all of that do what you feel is right I mean it is okay you know in the end it is okay if you're able to do it you know under the circumstances great if you're not able to do it also it is okay right I think I mean Indian Community anywhere has done a

27:17 Wonderful job of you know you know nras are sometimes more Indian than Indians themselves right I would say they they hold on to you know what they love up in India a lot more dearly than what sometimes in India we hold dear so I think it is okay right if you want to take it off if you want the ride and the challenge you know do it right as long as there is alignment within your family if not it's still perfectly okay it is it is perfectly okay India is definitely you know I would say growing next 25 years is going to be exciting time in India you but it is a really really individual decision and it is a a family decision so so you know look at it think about it and you know plan it and do it is what I would suggest aash there's nothing called right or wrong decision right it is what what what we do it is absolutely okay exactly I think you know based on your own circumstances what's your key

28:19 Priority and that drives the decision because no place is perfect and you just need to decide which one would be better conducive for what you're really looking forward in the life I think that's a key thing absolutely wonderfully put yeah absolutely agree with yeah yeah so thanks a lot Mr Kishore for taking the time and especially giving the insights in terms of the developments in India right somebody who is an entrepreneur for the last 13 14 years how it has evolved the opportunities that you see from your eyes how things are getting done you know some of the challenges are there it's always like solving the right problems and you know and people are willing to help I think there are some of these key things that I think I take away from our discussion that would help people you know maybe people have a wrong notion that hey you know the bureaucracy or there could be some of these hurdles that makes an impact you know if I want to start my own Journey as an entrepreneur right I think sounds like things are evolving things are changing yes it's not going to be smooth you have

29:19 To handle those as a problems or task or hurdles that you have to go through but it's going in the right direction I think that's my key takeaway and this is coming from your own experience that gives me more confidence that you know we can convey to our audience here yeah yeah U thank you for beautifully summarizing it aash yeah thanks a lot for you know talking to me interviewing me and you know talking about what we do at sit far as well yeah so really appreciate and thanks a lot again