Interview: Rupinder Singh, CEO of Seasia Infotech, Web & Mobile App Development Company

Interview: Rupinder Singh, CEO of Seasia Infotech, Web & Mobile App Development Company

At Sugermint Media, our aim is to bring to our entrepreneurs community some of the inspiring and motivational stories from the entrepreneurial ecosystem.

As part of this endeavour, we invited yet another passionate entrepreneur Rupinder Singh, CEO of Seasia Infotech, Web & Mobile App Development Company for an exclusive interview with us.

Tell us a little about yourself

Rupinder Singh: Hello, I am R.P. Singh, alumni of London Business School (LBS), with an MBA from the Indian Institute of Commerce and an MCA in Software Engineering from Punjabi University. I started as an executive and worked my way up the corporate ladder before finally starting my own venture.

My entrepreneurial journey revolves around helping other businesses streamline their business practices while automating repetitive tasks, creating more cost-efficient and human-error-free operations.

I am a family man through and through. Currently, I go back home to my beautiful wife and two children, who are growing too fast for my liking.

Please tell us a little about your entrepreneurial journey

Rupinder Singh: I worked in various positions for nine years before starting my entrepreneurial journey. In the beginning, I helped find and direct three companies before getting the CEO role at Seasia Infotech.

As an entrepreneur, I have seen several changes. I started working towards my own company after the 2008 stock market crash.

The situation was specifically bad at the time. The pandemic has been relatively kinder to the IT industry, but that does not mean there weren’t any issues.

Overall, it has been a rocky yet successful journey. It comes with the domain. But I would not trade it for anything.

What service(s) or product(s) do you offer at Seasia Infotech?

Rupinder Singh: Seasia Infotech has been among the early adopters of new technologies. We offer comprehensive IT solutions, from pre-made products that we can modify to meet your requirements to more comprehensive IT services.

We offer web and mobile development, marketing, UI/UX services, AI/ML, DevOps, and Blockchain services.

In essence, if you need any service related to the IT industry, we offer it. Video games, NFT wallets, application development – We do it all. And our massive team is happy to take on the challenge of creating something new for our clients.

What is unique about your label brand?

Rupinder Singh: I believe Seasia has grown so much thanks to our commitment to helping our clients reach their goals.

While I firmly believe in complete customer satisfaction, my team and I make suggestions for every project.

It is one thing to look at requirements and do as being told and another to put thoughts behind your actions. We present ideas and our reasoning behind them to see if the business representative agrees.

It is going above and beyond our clients’ expectations that have given us the opportunity to have a unique identity. It sets us apart from our competitors also.

What made you choose this type of business?

Rupinder Singh: My MCA in Software Engineering. Jokes aside, I knew I wanted to work in the IT industry. After my education, it was the industry that I primarily served.

My years of experience at the workplace made me aware of the several shortfalls in the organizations, and more importantly, it made me realize the importance of a dedicated team to create specific products.

During this period, it was also among the new fields, and I guess the fewer competitors at that time also appealed to me. The same cannot be said now. But early starters do get an edge.

What was your mission and vision at the outset?

Rupinder Singh: At the very beginning, I wanted to create an IT solutions company that helped businesses transform their operations to become more cost-efficient and highly productive.

So, initially, the mission of my organization was to offer IT services at affordable pricing and ensure maximum return on investment for our clientele. The mission hasn’t changed as much. But the fact is that our vision has improved.

How many employees in your organization?

Rupinder Singh: Seasia Infotech currently has more than 500 employees in the organization. It is a testament to our success as a team.

Of course, as we provide a range of services, each department has a different number of employees. But each team works with others to offer a one-stop solution for any client who takes our services.

What’s your company’s goals?

Rupinder Singh: Well, my goal through this company is to create a legacy for myself and my company.

I want my company to become the first step for several entrepreneurs and industry leaders who thrive in a challenging yet motivating environment.

I am a family man, and my team is nothing short of family. So, I firmly believe that my company should give my employees the perfect conditions to learn and grow.

Other than that, frankly, my company’s goal is to see happy clients. In my experience, money will follow if your business focuses on creating 100% customer satisfaction.

What was the inspiration behind turning an entrepreneur

Rupinder Singh: I loved my work when I worked with others. It was nice not to worry about the decisions.

While I was always interested in giving specific viewpoints, I wasn’t responsible for any outcomes. I guess it was a blessing and a curse.

I am a person who wants to give my best, and when the decisions lie in the hands of others, sometimes, you cannot make that true. So, yeah, I wanted to be responsible for my successes and failures. Hence, I turned into an entrepreneur.’

Also, my insight into the world of business through my education and years of experience made it the most logical next step in my life.

What have been some of your failures, and what have you learned from them?

Rupinder Singh: The pandemic was an eye-opener. There wasn’t a situation as bad as the past two years.

The need to change the operations entirely in such a short time was challenging and also very telling of our shortfalls. I know that need is the mother of invention, but we should have been better prepared.

I learned from it that businesses must consider all possibilities and be prepared for the worst. Also, the fact that several of our team members thrived in the work-from-home situation while others struggled was very telling of the different needs of different people.

Key things to consider before starting a startup

Rupinder Singh: In retrospect, you can find many things that you could have done better at the beginning of your business. Some parts of the trade that I think everyone sees are budgeting, place of operations, the current situation of the market, current demand, expected demand, etc.

In my opinion, the two most important decisions that you make in a business are:

The budget you create for the initial year of work. It is the aspect that will decide if your business will have time to grow or shut down without even taking off.

The place of operations for your business. It can be where your product is made or stored or where your employees come to provide a service.

This is my take on starting a business, be it in the IT industry or some other; these are the steps to follow.

Firstly, decide on your industry. Health, IT, food, etc., are a few options. Generally, it is among the easier decisions if you have appropriate education and experience. You can always do something related to the industry you are already familiar with.

Afterward, it is time to start zooming into the industry-specific product or service you want to offer. Then, the budgeting and logistics start.

And you might think that you know every aspect of costing, but personally, you don’t. So, ensure that you have special funds for unexpected overhead costs.

If the air conditioner stops working, or you need an employee for a job, hiring will cost you money. These are some things that aspiring entrepreneurs do not consider while making a plan.

And do not expect a profit right out the gate. Businesses take time to build and a lot of investment. It is only after some time that you will experience gains and results.

What are some of the biggest mistakes you’ve made?

Rupinder Singh: I personally do not believe in regrets. So, no biggest mistakes in my life. I am successful today, and that is incentive enough.

But if I could change something for the better, I would have budgeted everything better and started working on the new technologies sooner.

In the IT industry, changes are sporadic, and you do not want to invest time in a trend that does not last long. So, if I had the foresight to determine what technologies are here to stay, that would be great.

If you had one piece of advice to someone just starting out, what would it be?

Rupinder Singh: Running a business means that you are your own boss. And from afar, it might look easy, but it takes discipline and can become challenging quickly.

While I strongly believe in the power of positive thinking, you need to be realistic. Your decisions will affect other people’s livelihoods, which is a huge responsibility.

So, practice caution, try to stay prepared for the worst while hoping for the best, and learn to work on a budget.

Also, if you are going to hire people, be the boss you wanted to work under when you were an employee. The emphasis on ‘work.’

Your success tips for young and aspiring entrepreneurs

Rupinder Singh: There is no one-size-fits-all in the world of business. To become a successful entrepreneur, you first much start.

The thing is that while many people aspire to lead their own company, very few put their money where their mouth is. And starting the business is half the battle won for aspiring entrepreneurs.

But it does not mean that running a business is easy by any stretch of the imagination. For success, you need appropriate planning.

I have found that the most successful entrepreneurs are the ones who are calculative about their decisions.

Website: https://www.seasiainfotech.com

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