California Gold Rush

Met up with one of the foremost entrepreneur of Eastern Indian state of Odisha.
It is officially the poorest state in India. And not many enterprises overall apart from mining based PSUs.

25 yrs ago, this gentleman, after having a Electrical Engineering Degree from IIT and an MBA from IIM, did not head to US for a comfortable life.

Went back to the native place to find out, if he can do something on his own.

Around the same time, Odisha was seeing a private boom in Prawn agriculture and processing and was steadily capturing world market of tiger prawns.

This gentleman jumped in to that. Had a exceptionally successful few years. And then a wave of internal jobs and bad fish-deseases wiped it all away for him.

He was struggling to get back on his feet - and then ( he recollects) he saw this program on discovery on "California Gold Rush".

In California Gold Rush, not every one struck gold. The ones who smiled all the way to the bank were the ones who built and supplied shovels instead.

That was it for him ! He went back - knowing all he knew about Prawn industry and the contacts in that industry, to re-building his business around making shipping boats and nets specifically for prawn agriculture.

And 10 yrs on, he is counting his chips and success with a smile. The prawn has seen its cycle. Not the boats and nets so much with a bit of diversification in products.