Lessons from an Entrepreneurial Journey
“Every successful journey begins with a first step. Mine began with a monthly salary of just ₹75.”
When people meet me today, they often know me as an author, environmentalist, founder of Green Mall, or researcher of Indian civilization.
Few know the journey that came before all of that.
It was a journey that began not in boardrooms or international conferences, but with a modest salary of ₹75 per month.
Looking back after more than five decades, I realise that those early years shaped every important decision I would later make.
The lessons I learned in business became equally valuable in environmental conservation, research and writing.
Success, I discovered, follows the same principles regardless of the field.
Humble Beginnings
I was born into a middle-class family in Kolkata. Like countless young Indians of my generation, I did not inherit wealth or a ready-made business. At the age of eighteen, I entered the working world with enthusiasm, curiosity and a willingness to learn.
My first salary was ₹75 per month. By today’s standards, it seems almost unimaginable. Yet I never considered the amount to be important. What mattered was the opportunity. Every job teaches something. Every responsibility builds confidence.Every challenge becomes an education.Those early experiences taught me punctuality, discipline and accountability—qualities that would remain with me throughout my life.
Learning Before Leading
Many young people dream of becoming entrepreneurs immediately. My own journey followed a different path. Before leading others, I first learned to work under others. I observed experienced businessmen. I watched how decisions were made. I learned the importance of relationships, trust and credibility. Business is not built only through numbers. It is built through reputation. People may invest money in a company. But they invest confidence in a person.That lesson became one of the foundations of my professional life.
Looking Beyond Borders
As opportunities grew, so did my horizons. Business gradually took me beyond India. New markets opened in Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Singapore and Bangladesh. Every country taught me something different. Different cultures. Different ways of negotiating. Different business practices. Different ways of solving problems. International business expanded my understanding of the world. It also taught me humility. No matter how successful we become in one country, there is always something new to learn from another.Travel became my classroom. People became my teachers.Experience became my greatest qualification.
Building with Trust
Over the years, I became associated with numerous companies engaged in international trading.Eventually, I served as Director in more than twenty companies.Looking back, I do not consider that achievement to be the most important part of my career.
The real achievement was earning trust.Business agreements may begin with signatures.Long-term partnerships are built upon integrity.I discovered that honesty is not only an ethical principle.It is also good business.Customers return because of trust.Partners remain because of trust.Reputation grows because of trust.Money follows trust—not the other way around.
Lessons from Failure
Every entrepreneur experiences setbacks.I was no exception.Not every decision proved correct.Not every opportunity succeeded.Markets changed.Policies changed.Economic conditions changed.Failures can become painful if we see them as
endings.I chose to see them as teachers.Each setback improved my judgement.Each mistake made future decisions wiser.
The willingness to learn is one of the greatest assets any entrepreneur can possess.
More Than Business
As the years passed, my business responsibilities expanded.Yet another thought slowly began growing within me.Was business the final purpose of my life?Or was it preparing me for something larger?That question refused to leave me.While travelling across more than sixty countries, I found myself increasingly drawn towards nature, horticulture and environmental conservation.The more I learned, the more I realised that success should ultimately serve society.Business had given me experience.Perhaps it was now time to use that experience differently.
A Different Definition of Wealth
Society often measures success through income, assets and expansion.My understanding gradually changed.True wealth includes knowledge.Experience.Health.Meaningful relationships.Time.Freedom.And the ability to contribute something valuable to future generations.Once I began thinking in those terms, many later decisions became easier.Including the decision to gradually simplify my business interests and devote increasing attention to environmental work.That journey eventually led to Green Mall, Prakriti Bandhu Trust, my books on gardening and environmental awareness, and later my research into the civilizational heritage of Bharat.
What Entrepreneurship Taught Me
People sometimes ask whether business and social service are different worlds.I do not think they are.Business taught me planning.Environmental work taught me patience.Research taught me humility.Writing taught me reflection.
Together, they became different expressions of the same purpose—to create something that remains useful long after we are gone.Every phase prepared me for the next.
Nothing was wasted.
My Message to Young Entrepreneurs
If I could offer one piece of advice to young people beginning their careers today, it would be this:Never underestimate small beginnings.Do not become discouraged by a modest salary or a humble position.Focus instead on building character.
Learn continuously.Protect your integrity.Treat every customer with respect.Honour every commitment.Success built upon shortcuts rarely lasts.Success built upon values becomes a lifelong asset.Most importantly, remember that wealth is a powerful tool—but it should never become the destination.Let it become the foundation upon which you build a meaningful life.
Looking Back
When I received my first salary of ₹75, I could never have imagined that one day I would travel to more than sixty countries, establish businesses across national borders, help build one of India’s unique horticultural institutions, and eventually dedicate my life to research, writing and environmental service.
The journey was never planned in detail.It unfolded one step at a time.Every opportunity opened another door.Every challenge offered another lesson.And every lesson prepared me for a mission greater than business itself.
“My first salary was ₹75 a month. The amount was small, but the lesson was priceless. Never measure the beginning of a journey by the size of its first step.”
