Navin Gupta MD and CEO, IEC Softwares

A child is like wet clay; it should be given the right shape before it hardens. Three factors that play an important role in shaping a person are family, education and inspiration,” says Navin Gupta, MD and CEO of IEC Softwares, an ISO-9001 company in the field of information technology and education.

Gupta started his journey as director (operations) at a young age and has specialised in personal relations, franchise operations, business administration and management. “Education gave me a perspective on life. I learnt to look at things with an open mind,” says the entrepreneur. His father R.L. Gupta and his friend Anand inspired him. “I did set a goal at a very young age. I am working hard towards this goal and hope to achieve it in the near future.”

Gupta studied at P.D. Public School and is an alumnus of St Stephen’s College, New Delhi. He took up the mantle of leading the IEC Group at 22. Born into a business family, Gupta aspired to surpass the achievements of his father, whom he idolises. “My father gave me a launch pad and it was up to me to add a new dimension to the existing business.”

“Don’t wait until everything is just right. The time will never be perfect,” believes Gupta . With each step a person takes, he grows stronger, more skilled, increasingly self-confident and more successful. “What is important in this world is not so much where we stand, as the direction in which we are moving.” Gupta feels that there are no limits to growth, because there are no limits to human capacity for intelligence, imagination and wonder. Since its incorporation in 1994, IEC has built IT solutions for massive and complex infrastructure projects. It moved into verticals such as formal and non-formal education recently.

“P.I.G” is Gupta ’s motto in life. P stands for persistence, I for integrity and G for guts. These are the ingredients for a successful life. He believes that all business operations can be summed up in three words — people, product and profit. Unless one works with a good team, he can’t do much with the other two.

The teachings of his spiritual guru and the support of his friend Anand have helped Gupta in setting up his enterprise. “I am grateful to them.” Gupta is optimistic about his new initiative. India’s education sector could see long-term growth with rewards for early movers. He believes that a lot of money is required for educational infrastructure to cater to the needs of industry. “In order to achieve this, the curriculum needs to be linked directly with bachelor-level classes.”

How does he view competition in this industry? “Organised private initiatives are gaining momentum in India’s lucrative education market. Despite regulatory ambiguity in some areas, exciting prospects lie ahead for firms that have already boarded the bus.”

What does Gupta do to unwind after work? “My daughter is my biggest stress buster. I like to spend quality time with my parents, wife and friends. Movies, music and knowledge-based channels on TV interest me a lot.” Playing golf and hitting the gym keep him fit. Gupta also believes that stress can be eliminated through five easy steps — exercise, a healthy diet, regular sleep, moderate to minimal alcohol intake, and no smoking.

“Man is a social animal and we all owe something to society in whatever little way we can contribute. My endeavour towards this is by way of offering scholarships to poor and needy students.” As and when the opportunity arises, the IEC group participates in social causes — for the Spastic Society, orphanages, the Blind Relief Association and homes for elderly citizens.

What is the secret of his success? “Life is really simple as far as I’m concerned. There is no such thing as luck; you work hard and study things intensely. If you do that for long enough, you’re successful.” What are his strengths and weakness? “My strengths are god and my family who do not let any weakness come my way.”

Based on a conversation with Devlina Ganguly in Calcutta