Sandeep  Arya is known for his IT acumen.  An Engineering post graduate in Microelectronics from University of Hull, UK, Arya has led his company Amtrak to enviable heights. In less than two decades he could see the company grow and expand manifold and could introduced new product range like ‘My Buddy, a uniquely designed tablet of an affordable range for the Indian market. Arya explains his business success to APN News. Excerpts:

What motivated you to take up business as a profession?

I am a Science graduate from Cambridge School, also holding an Engineering degree in Electronics and Telecom from Jawaharlal Nehru Engineering College and M.Tech in Microelectronics from University of Hull, UK.  So I decided to find my fortune in business and my decision proved right.   I have been a part of the IT Sector for over two decades now. I have acquired fairly good experience in dispensing critical advices when it comes to solution selling, virtualization, pricing strategy and stakeholder analysis.

How hard was it to make the first million in your business?

Honestly speaking, it was not very hard. As they say, money multiples money, and I was blessed to be born in a family which was financially secured. So I could be able to raise enough funds for investment. This helped me in great ways in the successful conduct of my business and it was not that difficult for me to make my first million.

What were the hurdles you had to confront in your business path?  Who were the sources of inspiration for your upward journey in the business?

There came up a couple of obstacles that came up while moving the path of this business. To name a few: no credit from parker; IT industry has seen lot of frauds and fly by night operators; High interest rates from banks and borrowing was not so easy; Import was almost closed.

I have always gained inspiration from two people in my life: My father Mr. Perm Parkash Arya, whom I grew watching, and secondly Mr. Ashok Soota, who used to be the vice-chairman of Wipro in those days.

How do you feel about the success of your present business?

It feels great to be able to bring about an innovation in the industry of such great possibilities. We are a two-decade old company which is a customized solution provider incorporated in 1991.

Amtrak Info Systems Ltd. is a recently initiated wing of Amtrak Group, carving a niche for itself in India’s tablet industry by introducing My Buddy- a tablet that offers the functionality of a premium tab at a price that is far more affordable.

Was there any failure in your business journey? If yes, what have you learned from them?

There are always ups and downs in the road to success. We as an organization have always tried learning from the experiences at various instances. Certain downfalls helped us categorize our areas of interests and understand our core competencies.

Has the hectic business life any way hindered your personal engagements with the near and dear?

There is always a time kept for personal engagements and socializing. Business life and professional engagements do take maximum time of your day, however, I do make sure that my near and dear ones are given attention and my important personal engagements are fulfilled.

What do you feel is the best way to achieve long-term success?

While planning for a long-term success, one need to plan carefully and think ahead – planning for the near and distant future, as well as taking care of your present business concerns. Most business plans will be set for the coming one to five years, but when thinking of achieving long-term success, a longer plan may be needed. Selection of a business structure and strategy is important while planning for a long-term success. It is required to make sure that there will be sufficient flexibility in your business to take advantage of its future success.

What is your greatest fear and how do you manage that fear?

My greatest fear is that there should never be a day that I cannot honor the words I speak. I try to manage this fear by never over committing and thinking at least twice before I speak.

What do you do when you’re not on job? What is your typical day like?

I like to unwind with a game of golf in my leisure time with friends and associates.

My usual day starts early morning with getting my kids ready for school and dropping them off. I then like to spend an hour’s quality time with my wife and then it is work till I drop on the bed at night.

What is your attitude towards the society, particularly the downtrodden?

I believe all men equal and god has given a blessed life to all. I don’t like to differentiate people in terms of their monetary capabilities. I always like treat and respect all as equal.