Half of my book is about failures: Ronnie Screwvala

One would imagine that when Stephen Covey sat down to write his best-seller 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, he was in a way scripting the story of Ronnie Screwvala. But Ronnie doesn't subscribe to any one particular formula of success.

His debut book, Dream With Your Eyes Open, is about learning different lessons, says the founder and CEO of UTV Group. "Each experience teaches you different lessons and I am trying to encapsulate that in a manner which can be a good takeaway for someone to have a new perspective," says Screwvala, who, in the upper echelons of the entertainment business, is the perfect synonym for being an 'achiever'.

The internet is currently abuzz with congratulatory stories on Screwvala's debut as an author and his accomplishments. But the man is unfazed. "An entrepreneur doesn't necessarily have a Eureka moment. It is a continued conviction that you want to do something on your own. It can either be born out of an idea or even from something that is blurry but convincing to you. Not everything can come from an idea. I did not set out to become an entrepreneur with any specific idea although I was clear that I wanted to do something," he says. He believes that the journey to entrepreneurship does not have a specific defining moment.

Screwvala doesn't discount failures, which, he feels, keeps one firmly grounded. "Half my book is about failures. People think it is public assignation, if they fail. But when I meet emerging entrepreneurs, I like to know about their failed moments."

He is quick to add: "The ecosystem in India is not supportive for entrepreneurship. Everyone wants to pull you down, the I-told-you-so mentality is high. If I don't do much, am under the radar, if I do much I am on the radar, but that is a ridiculous way to live." Screwvala believes there is incredible therapy in talking about failures.

Having had his own share of failed moments, be it his first Bollywood film, Dil Ke Jharoke Main or missing the first wave in the satellite television broadcast space in 1992, Screwvala considers trying times as a good learning period and to improve, reflect and ask fundamental questions. He strongly believes that the first step while dealing with adversities is "to acknowledge them. Be blunt with your teams and colleagues. While people are going to look at you for solutions, they are also going to look at you for the truth. Offer solutions and keep communicating. I recalibrate as to what are my worst-case situations. I ask questions—can I live with it and sleep on it? If I have already hit rock bottom, the only way from there is up."

Discussing the overall scope and health of entrepreneurship in India, Screwvala elaborates, "Everyone thinks we are a jugaad nation. Jugaad means frugal innovation—to get something done in a frugal manner so that it is applicable for most people. But in India, a lot of people look at jugaad as getting things done at whatever cost and whatever consequence."

A strong proponent of creating win-win situations, he has tremendous belief in sharing bad news first. "Good news can always wait, but when you share bad news, you are multiplying the trust factor with your partners," he emphasises. Gifted with a sharp intellect, he does not subscribe to the generation of kill the competition and survive.

Success is the end result, which you set out to do. "You have to be extremely nimble on your feet, open-minded, a strong listener and have a critical team culture," adds Screwvala whose day begins with two hours of yoga and a work out followed by spending time on working towards Swades Foundation, which he set up with his wife Zarina.

From baby steps to big leaps, Screwvala's journey is of a million miles.