Ravi Ranjan's Unparalleled Journey From A Naxal-hit Childhood To The Pinnacle Of Startup Ecosystem

India has one of the fastest-growing startup ecosystems in the country and one of the youngest populations in the world. The startup ecosystem of India is a culmination of ideas and inspirations. The story of Ravi Ranjan is one of the unparalleled inspiring tales that has enriched India, particularly its booming startups. Ravi Ranjan has taken up multiple essential roles as a Startup Evangelist and various initiatives that benefit them; quite recently, he was anointed as the Director of Strategic Partnerships to head operations for India by the Private Office of the Shiekh Seed bin Ahmed Al Maktoum. This journey looking back from where he started, is extraordinary.

Difficult Childhood & Finding Purpose In Life

Japla, Ranjan's village in Jharkhand's Palamu district, was one of the highest Naxal-affected areas in the country. Ranjan's childhood was stained with traces of violence, terrorism and hardships. Yet, the young and bright-eyed boy from Jharkhand made it big in the startup ecosystem with several accolades to his name. Recently, he has also been appointed as the Director of Strategic Partnerships for the Private Office of Sheikh Saeed bin Ahmed Al Maktoum.

While sharing anecdotes of his childhood with The Logical Indian, Ranjan shared that he studied in a government school, which was often shut off due to Naxal violence. He often had to study privately and pass his exams. He shared, "Before my class 12 exams, I moved to Chandigarh for a few months because conditions near my village worsened. It was my first exposure to city life. The first turning point was when I met a young woman journalist in that city. She patiently explained to me how she became the voice of the poor. That day, I felt like I had found a purpose in my life".

However, Ranjan's dreams required him to sweat and toil. Despite having above-average grades, he could not move to Delhi or other big cities for his college. Therefore, he finally decided to pursue his graduation in mass media from St Xavier's college in Ranchi. While studying, Ranjan explored his horizons and started working as a freelancer with several newspapers. He had two primary reasons for working while studying: to make ends meet and, to learn as much as he could with the available resources. He said, "I have always looked at challenges as privileges that inspire me to work extensively".

An Inspiring Professional Trajectory That Helped Millions

After his stint in Journalism, Ranjan left the media industry in 2010. With a little experience in event management, Ranjan landed himself a job opportunity as the event manager for an angel investment company. Seeing his passion for work, the company offered him to run an incubation centre for startups. However, even though oblivious to the idea of incubation centres and startups, Ranjan agreed to take up the role.

As he progressed, he learnt about entrepreneurship and how famous companies like Zomato, Flipkart and Paytm were trying to make a mark. Then on, he worked in the field of entrepreneurship and developed an expertise in startup incubation. Startup incubation refers to when advisors guide and mentor budding companies and help them make it big in the market.

Today, Ranjan has climbed up the ladder and has become a renowned name in the startup ecosystem. He curated Shark Tank India on behalf of Venture Catalysts Group, which became an instant hit amongst the masses. Moreover, he has also worked with the government at several levels to encourage the idea of startups amongst the youth.

Ranjan further polished his skill and started training young entrepreneurs as time went by. Eventually, innovative entrepreneurs began turning to him for professional and strategic advice. He has trained more than 1,90,000 students and nearly 10,000 faculty members. Apart from that, he has worked with the government to spread awareness about the opportunities in the startup world.

Nonetheless, Ranjan highlighted the two contrasting pictures of India. On the one hand, startups are entering the Unicorn club quickly; secondly, entrepreneurs are choosing to become job creators instead of job seekers. Believing that entrepreneurs would be the next biggest drivers of the economy.

While speaking to The Logical Indian about the massive demographic dividend, Ranjan highlighted," Even though India has one of the largest startup ecosystems in the world, millions of people still choose 'stable' and less risky jobs to start their careers. Entrepreneurship enables individuals to alleviate from being a job-seeker to being a job-provider, while simultaneously contributing to the nation's wealth and development".

Latest Accomplishment Of Becoming The Director Of Strategic Partnerships In India

Ranjan has recently been tasked as the Director of Strategic Partnerships to head operations for India by the Private Office of the Shiekh Seed bin Ahmed Al Maktoum. He is responsible for handpicking promising startups conducive to the environment in the Middle East. As part of its strategic expansion plans, the Dubai-headquartered Seed Group will be opening its official representative office in the south Indian city of Bangalore. As the official representative of the Seed Group, Ranjan would be responsible for identifying the potential businesses in India that have a product or service conducive to the UAE and Middle Eastern market and are exploring opportunities to expand their operations in the region.

While speaking about the opportunity, which added another feather to Ranjan's hat, he said, "India is currently the third-largest startup ecosystem globally, and this unmatched opportunity would help the entire environment take advantage of the know-how of Seed group".

Lastly, while speaking about why he does not shift base from Jharkhand even though he has achieved several professional milestones, Ranjan said his connection with his roots is the driving force behind his actions. In a message to the youth, Ranjan highlighted that today's youth has a 'magic box' called the internet, which offers them endless opportunities. He said, "If I can, anybody can."

The Logical Indian wishes Ravi Ranjan the best in his future endeavours. People like him drive young and talented individuals to carve their own destinies and motivate them to be the changemakers of society and eventually lead to its development.

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