For the love of literature

The Vinod & Saryu Doshi Foundation and Literature Live! Evenings, in association with NCPA, presented yet another evening that brought together lovers of art—from the world of theatre and elsewhere—under one roof at NCPA’s Experimental Theatre.

The evening of May 11, 2015, put the spotlight on entrepreneur and social philanthropist Ronnie Screwvala, who talked at length about his entrepreneurial journey in conversation with Mini Menon, Executive Editor, Bloomberg TV. 

Pursuing your passion
Speaking largely about the need to create 10 million first-generation entrepreneurs in the next five years, Screwvala’s primary advice to entrepreneurs was to “pursue your passion”, giving his own example of how his love for theatre and media transpired into highly successful businesses. 

Being a creative catalyst
Collaboration, and not killing the competition, is the new-age mantra, according to Screwvala. He promoted the idea of being a creative catalyst and backing the visions of other people. Letting go of the “51 per cent control” as he puts it, will pave the way for success.
Among other things, Screwvala emphasised the need to identify inflection points, in addition to having a disruptive and innovative idea. He also elaborated on how important it is for a business to scale itself, given how price-conservative the Indian market is. He advised entrepreneurs to not resist the glass ceiling but to break it. 

No looking back
Screwvala doesn’t believe in hindsight as was pretty evident whenever he was quizzed about decisions that he had made over the past two decades. “Looking back is a waste of time,” he said, when asked about whether he ever shied away from making mistakes. “But be brutally honest with everyone across the board,” he interjected. This attitude has helped him set the culture and establish trust. Screwvala summed it up best when he said, “Analyse your worst-case scenario, recalibrate your brain and move forward.” He further advised against having plan Bs during crises. “Plan B is good for strategies but during a crisis, you’re the only one in charge.”

Love for theatre
When asked how theatre helped him in his entrepreneurial journey, Screwvala quipped, “Theatre taught me two things—it taught me value for money and it gave me confidence, along with clarity of thought. And, of course, dramatics help!” The author obliged to signing copies of his book post a Q&A session with the audience.