Snapdeal's founder- Kunal Bahl Success Story

Kunal ko kahi na kahi vishwas tha ki usko IIT mein admission na milna, uski life ki sabse badi blessing thi. Usne JEE ka exam jarur diya tha but ye uske akele ka decision nahi tha. Kunal ke parents aur baaki sab relatives already assume kar baithe the ki woh bhi apne bade bhai Nikhil ki tarah IIT mein admission lega. IIT ki preparation aur uske exam ke failure ne Kunal ko frustrate kar daala. Itna frustrate ki ab woh kuch mahine studies ki taraf mud kar bhi nahi dekhna chahta tha.

Asal mein sachhai toh ye thi ki usse class 10th ke baad Commerce chahiye thi, but jyadatar indian parents ki tarah, uske parents ne bhi usse samjhaya ki, "Beta aage jake commerce ka koi future vuture nahi hai, tum science lo aur hum tumhare tution aane jane ke liye tumhe ek nayi cycle bhi dilwa denge."

Kunal ke father ek koyle ki khadan mein kaam karte the. Kisi manager vanager ki post par nhi, balki ek typical karigar ki post par. Jab Kunal 5 saal ke aas pas hua karta tha, tab uske father ne realise kar liya ki agar unhone koi dhang ka kaam dhandha nahi dhunda toh unke bachho ka future andhkaar mein reh jayega. Isliye woh automobile se related kaam mein chale gaye. Kunal aur uska bada bhai Nikhil kai hafto tak apne father ko nahi dekh paate. Unke father roj subah unke uthne se pehle nikal jaate aur unke sone ke baad raat ko ghar mein wapis aaya karte. Yahi reason tha ki unhone usse IIT ki preparation karwai, taaki usse kabhi bhi unke jaisi jindagi na dekhne pade.

IIT ke exam mein fail ho kar, Kunal ne fir kisi manufacturing company mein ₹6500 ki salary par kaam karna start kar diya. Usne ye kaam basically study se apna mind divert karne ke liye kara tha. Samaan mein se plastic hatana, idhar ka maal udhar rakhna, aur shaam ko 4 baje ke aaspas baaki workers ke saath baith kar chai peena. Kunal ne 1 saal yahi sab kara.

Uss ek saal mein Kunal ne decide kar liya ki woh kisi common Engineering + MBA ke roop se nahi jaana chahta, usse business education ki knowledge chahiye thi. Usne United States mein Warton School of business mein apply kara. United States mein woh only ek university thi jo ki 5 saal ke time frame mein Engineering + business degree provide kar rahi thi. Kunal ne paise bachane ke liye 4 saal mein hi apne saare exams clear kar dikhaye aur woh degree le li. In 4 saalo mein Kunal ne waha 3 jobs kari aur saath hi har semester mein 6-7 courses complete kare.

University mein Indian students ke beech cricket ka passion dekhte hue, Kunal ne ek short term business opportunity bhi dhoond nikali. 2003 ka worldcup pehli baar online stream hone jaa raha tha. Kunal ne uska subscription khareed ke ek lecture hall book kiya, aur sabhi Indian students ko free mein waha invite kara. Iss tareeke se usne poora hall bhar daala aur match ke time unke beech 5 dollar mein samosa aur Cola sell kar ke paise kamaye.

Apna college khatam karke usse finally fir Microsoft join karne ko mila. But yaha kismat ko shayad kuch aur hi manjur tha. Aur 3 months mein hi usse Microsoft leave kar ke waapis India aana pada. United States mein job karne ke saath saath waha rehne ke liye H1B Visa chahiye hota hai, but Kunal ki H1B Visa ki application reject kar di gayi. IIT ke baad ye uski life ki doosri sabse badi disappointment rahi. But jaise IIT mein admission na milna uske liye ek blessing saabit hui waise hi Microsoft mein kaam karne ko nahi milna aage jaake ek blessing hi saabit hui.

Kuch time baad jab finally Kunal ne apna business setup karne ko decide kara toh family mein se kisi ne usse kuch nahi kaha because woh sab samajh chuke the ki ladke ne poori jindagi apne father ka struggle dekha hai, khud 1 saal apni graduation ko chod ke factory mein kaam kiya hai aur fir US jaake 5 saal aur kadi mehnat bhi kari hai. Toh ab woh uss layak hai ki apna bhala bura samajh sake.

Republic day ke din Kunal aur uske dost Rohit ne, ek coffee shop mein baith kar kuch business plans discuss kare, aur 8 ghante ki straight discussion ke baad un dono ne ek naam aur business plan decide kar liya tha. Woh naam tha SNAPDEAL, aur unka uss time ka business model tha online coupons and deals provide karna.

Kunal Bahl (left) and Rohit Bansal (right)

Unki meeting ke kuch hi hafto ke baad SnapDeal live aa chuki thi. Snapdeal koi pehli coupon website nahi thi, infact uske jaisi 6 aur sites pehle hi launch hui thi aur uske 6 months ke baad 50 aur aisi websites market mein aayi. But, surprisingly SnapDeal ne race mein sabko peeche chod diya. Jaha baaki companies demand generate karne mein lagi padi thi, wahi Snapdeal ne supply hi itni jyaada create kar di, ki demand automatically bhaagti hui chali aayi.

1 saal ke andar andar Snapdeal ke paas market ka 70% share aa chuka tha. Unki iss growth ko dekhte hue investors bhi inke saath aaye, aur 2011 mein Snapdeal ko more than 60 crores ki funding bhi mili.

Sab kuch acha hi chal raha tha ki fir unki iss online venture ki journey mein ek turning point aaya. Ussi year Kunal aur Rohit ne China visit kara tha, aur waha woh Alibaba ki success ko dekh kar dang reh gaye. Unhe tab realise hua ki iss e-commerce ke sector mein kitna jyaada potential hai. Woh India waapis aaye aur unhone analyse kara ki unki deals ke through ho rahi transactions ka graph ek point par aake stuck ho chuka hai. Unhone apni website ke kuch most trusted merchants ko bula ke kaha ki ek experiment ki tarah aap deals chod kar kuch products list karo aur hum unhe analyse karte hai. And obviously unke iss experiment ke results kaafi achhe nikle.

December mein Kunal aur Rohit ne apne sabhi investors ko inform kar diya ki Snapdeal ab apne coupons and deals ke business ko completely shut down kar rahi hai aur isse e-commerce ke platform mein convert karne jaa rahi hai. 2011 mein logo ko Cash on Delivery jaisi service ka kuch jyada pata bhi nahi tha, aur na hi unhe iski aadat thi. Company ke employees ko lagne laga tha ki ye founders ab pagal ho chuke hai, aur ye iss achhe khaase business ko barbaad kar denge. But still investors ne unpar trust banaye rakha. Aur Snapdeal ne fir ek aisa platform create kar dikhaya jaha unke naam ke under har tarah ke sellers aur consumers ek doosre se jud gaye.

Ek time tha jab Kunal ne kaafi follow up ke baad DPS RK Puram ke principal se meeting rakhwayi aur unse request kari woh usse week mein bas ek din de, students ko entrepreneurship​ ka course karwane ke liye and kisi bhi class ka student isse attend karna chahe toh woh kar sake. But principal ne baat ko ignore karte hue usse next year aane ko kaha. Kunal ne kuch time baad principal ko fir se call kiya, but principal ne fir se usse next year aane ko kaha. Fir finally usne school ko fund raising offer kari, but principal ne haste hue jawab diya "Bhagwan ki daya se bahut paisa hai hamara paas". Main bas imagine hi kar sakta hu ki Kunal jaisa banda unhe kitne valuable lesson sikha sakta tha.