Bhupendra Gaur High On Enthusiasm

One adage that best describes Bhupendra Gaur is, 'Success is the ability to
go from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm.' Coming from a humble
family, his journey, from a small district (Orai) in Uttar Pradesh, to Bhopal,
where today he has created an indelible impression on the IT sector, was not an
easy task. But his strong will power and determination kept him going and at
present he is heading one of the most well known companies in the city, Latest
Infotech.

How it began Born in UP, Gaur always wanted to do something different in life
and earn a name for himself. As a child he gave his best to everything he did.
But he realized that if he had to succeed in his life he would have to look
beyond his hometown.

Therefore, he traveled all the way to Madhya Pradesh to chase his dreams.
Like any other aspirant, he had to undergo a lot of struggle to just make an
entry. After completing his graduation in commerce and acquiring an MCA degree
from Bhopal University, he started out as a software developer in 1993.

Initially he landed up with a job in a small educational institute but soon
quit to open an institute of his own.

However, the above venture did not provide him with the potential to grow and
experi­ment. But Gaur was not disheartened and the entre­preneur in him directed
him towards a different format all together. Gradually he drifted towards
selling IT hardware products and by 1997 he was completely dealing with hardware
products and solutions.

“In the beginning no one supported me. All the major players in the field
disregarded me and did not extend their support. But this never discouraged me,
and through my sense of judgment, coupled with hard work and determination, I
managed to set my firm foot in the industry,” stated Gaur.

At first, he faced the problem of arranging the right kind of material for
selling. He would travel all the way to Delhi and stay in the city for at least
a week till he had procured the required material.

However, Gaur soon realized the tricks of the trade. Dealers in Delhi did not
want to support a new entrant and the price at which they used to sell the
products to their customers was very much similar to his purchase price. Gaur
understood that the only way out of the situation was to improvise on purchase
and volume, so he started distributing material to other dealers in Indore who
were facing similar problems.

This became a stepping-stone towards success. He not only established a
strong channel base but also started strengthening his retail business. Several
dealers from Bhopal and upcountry started connecting with him and within no time
he started expanding the channel base.

Currently, Gaur has a channel strength of 200 partners. Unlike his fellow
businessmen who think only about their profits, Gaur has a soft corner for new
entrants as well. The memories of his days of struggle are still fresh in his
mind and he ensures that if there is a new aspirant on the look out for an
opportunity, he provides them with all the support he can. “Our policy is to
provide them good margin so that they grow and expand as well,” stated Gaur.

Turning point

Next, on his target was chasing the corporate and government segments to
push forth the revenue figures. But at the very onset, he suffered a major
setback in the form of a cancelled order. This left him with 250 desktops at a
time and it became a Herculean task to stock and maintain them.

But like a true winner he bounced back with aggressive strategies that helped
him earn a share in this segment as well.

Gaur believes that his decision to step into the IT field was the turning
point in his life. Had he not taken up the step at an early stage, success would
not have been his.

This aside, there was another deciding moment in his life, where like a
soothsayer he predicted well before time that the retail boom was going to
capture the market. Gaur wanted to capitalize on the idea at his earliest and
without further delay he tried his hands in the retail sales.

The decision turned out to be a huge success and within a couple of years
Gaur was able to double his profits and garner huge accolades.

Perfect example

As a child Gaur never thought that he would someday grow up to become a
businessman, and that too in IT. Instead he had thought that he would become a
programmer. Out of school, Gaur had almost called it quits but for his mother
who supported him. It was her blessings and good wishes that gave Gaur the
courage to leave his hometown in search for greener pastures.

“My mother always prayed for me. She wanted to see me achieve greater heights
in life,” mentioned Gaur. Undeterred by the financial difficulties and with a
desire to turn the world upside down, he moved to Madhya Pradesh.

After the initial hurdles, he completed his studies and then went on to
create a history of sorts, for himself and his family. Today, he is the perfect
example for his family who want to follow in his footsteps.

'Latest' venture

Today, Latest Infotech is present in the corporate, government and retail
sector and channel sales. This apart, Gaur has created a loyal customer chain on
the basis of his personal networking, and he proudly admits that the business
partners in the chain are now supporting each other and expanding their
businesses.

Buoyed by the huge success, Gaur plans to expand his business and is now
planning to come up with his own brand and open retail showrooms across MP. He
has also given a suitable name to his dream venture. “The showrooms will be
called Latest E-mart and will strengthen the company further,” exclaimed Gaur.

Recently, Latest Infotech was also appointed as authorized service provider
for Lenovo consumer PCs and laptops and APC online and offline UPS. Gaur feels
that diversifying in the product line has given the business the perfect
momentum and he wants to keep it going.

A firm believer in God, Gaur feels that the all mighty has always been hugely
responsible for all his success. He also feels that his family has been a great
source of inspiration. A team player, he acknowledges his team's efforts and
contribu­tions to his business as well.

POOJA SHARMA

poojas@cybermedia.co.in