The DREAM of a Small Town Girl

JOB
PROFILE:

Being the
CEO
of Cache Technologies, Prarthana Gupta is mainly responsible for the
most critical business operations of the company which are sales and
finance. Having 2 decades of experience in the IT industry, she has
proved her mettle in the male- dominated industry. Today, with sheer
hard work and self-confidence, she is all set to take her business
to new heights. Aiming to touch Rs 100 crore turnover next year, she
is expanding her business oversees. Prarthana believes that her
strong and committed relationship with her end customers has made her
business a success.

BACKGROUND:

Born and
bought up in the holy city of Banaras, she did her BTech from
Amravati University, Maharashtra in 1989. Prarthana then moved to the
capital of India, Delhi. Hailing from a service-class family, her
father was against her going alone to work in other cities. “When I
came to Delhi I faced lots of struggles. My first job was at
Delhi-based QuantM Net Technologies as a service and support
personnel. I used to do soldering and desoldering and hardware repair
etc. I brushed up my skills and moved on,” recalls Prarthana.
Later, in 1991, she was approached by her engineering college mate,
Alok Gupta, who is now her better half. They both decided to startup
their own company Cache Systems and that day was a milestone of her
life.

FAMILY:

In 1992,
Alok
and Prarthana converted their business partnership into a wedding
lock. Prarthana is blessed with 2 lovely daughters. For Prarthana,
both her daughters are her key strengths. Running business and
family is a 24x7 affair, hence balancing the 2was quite challenging.
I am a proud mother as both my daughters are so understanding and
cultured in nature.

CHALLENGES:

Prarthana
has
been fortunate to have a family that has been a strong support system
in her life especially for her business. She asserted, “My grit and
determination never discouraged me to give up. However there were
some instances when people questioned on my ability being a female.
I have a never-say-die spirit, which makes me take up challenges that
come my way.”

STRENGTHS:
She believes that her passion towards work is what keeps her going.
But she feels the need to work on her time management skills, as she
wants to be a self-disciplined person. To follow that she reads books
on time management. According to Prarthana, “There are no
substitutes of hard work and honesty.” Maintaining a balance
between her family and professional life is her greatest strength.
She firmly believes that career despite being the top most priority
in her life; family should also be given proper attention and
importance. This apart, it was her belief in herself that made her
recognize her potential and hold the challenging position of the CEO.

HOBBIES:

Prarthana
loves to travel, besides chatting with her friends. Reading books on
Osho gives her immense pleasure. Despite her busy schedule, she is
fond of being with her daughters and spending quality time with them.

FUTURE
MAP:

According to
Prarthana, the company has gained valuable projects from segments
like education, telecom and corporate. “With plans to go global. We
are looking at hiring 200 technical employees for our managed service
business by March 2012,” she concludes.