Who knew that the man who was once insulted for not speaking in articulated English would build a multi crore business empire with Clients from the US, Europe, UK and Australia. Vikas started the customary safe-mode-way-of-life to begin and secured a government job but never allowed his entrepreneurial ambitions to die.
Hailing from a small town in Bihar, Vikas did his B.Com From DAV College (Delhi University) in the year 2001. His post-graduate diploma in multimedia fetched him a stable Delhi Government job. Vikas’s hardworking approach helped him quickly climb the rungs of the ladder to become a team leader. He was the Team Head of Delhi Government’s ambitious project Caltoonz.
Result orientation made Vikas the blue-eyed boy who bagged the IT Ministry’s (Government Of India) Silver Icon Award along with his team and a nomination for the prestigious Prime Minister’s award. Despite achieving everything one craves for as a young person, Vikas did not feel accomplished. He was slowly inching closer to the fulfillment of his biggest dream – a company of his own. Burning entrepreneurial desire convinced him to quit his stable job in 2008.
Vikas decided to set up a company of his own while initial research was still going on. Finally, in 2009, Vikas concluded his preparation and launched his multimedia startup Digitoonz in partnership with a few others.
Like any other startup, an enthusiastic beginning brought a half-pie revenue for Digitoonz in the first year of operations. Scaling of business devoured a lot of resources as they looked out for new clients. Digitoonz was flourishing without profit in view because scaling was the priority. At this critical juncture, Vikas encountered his first major setback. Three of their partners could not sustain the pressure and lost hope in future potential. They demanded a complete refund of their investment in Digitoonz to the tune of Rs 22 lac. Vikas had to choose between quitting the company or raising the money (difficult option). In May 2010, Vikas decided to risk everything he had and assured his partners a full refund in three months till August 2010.
Fortune Favors The Brave
Vikas had already invited a financial struggle by promising a full refund to their partners. Despite the assurance of a full refund, the pressure from their partners continued. Vikas started cost-cutting everywhere possible. He would keep his car parked and take the metro to the office. Reduced spending on office space and infrastructure and focussed on revenue. Three months of struggle ended when Vikas repaid his partners all the money before the promised deadline. By now, he had learned his lesson and emerged as a better entrepreneur. However, he had also decided that he won’t allow any such situation in his life anytime again.
We Learn Little From Success, But Much From Failure
After a bitter entrepreneurial lesson in 2010, Vikas never looked back. By 2013, he already had few notable clients and a team of 50 talented employees in his kitty. Fuelled with extraordinary energy and adequate experience, Vikas was sowing the seeds of big business. Hunger for success and intentions to do the best enabled him to stop at nothing. He framed policies to nurture his organization. Right from limiting to global clients to using the expensive yet the best software, he did everything.
In 2020, Digitoonz is one of India’s leading 2D animation companies employing 400 individuals. To harness the talent from North East India, they have set up a unit at Kolkata which employs 120 of their employees. Digitoonz is serving Global Leaders like BBC, Nickelodeon and Digital Domain. Their content can be seen in programs like Rick and Morty, Ninja Turtle, and Doctor Who.
He is also on the board of Chitkara University. Vikas’ journey is an example that your future is in your hands and that your present-self needs to break some rules to make your future self proud.
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