Entrepreneurs’ success story

From Rags to Riches...

Pyara Singh Saini, Chairman and MD of Satnam Roadways, aged 60 is enjoying the leisure for the hard work in Logistics he did years back, started in late 1940’s.
Pyara Singh at the age of 20 with his couple of friends started with absolutely nothing, which in a way encouraged him to take tremendous risks in life. “No matter what I did, I knew I had nothing to lose. While I was studying in college, my father had a government job, have seen him slog, work all day, all his life. That time I decided, business I will take up, work day and night for years but I will be in a position one day to only relax and spend my money. And well that is what I am doing now past 4-5 years, enjoying the leisure with family and sons look after the business I developed,” reminisces Saini.
“We were four friends who decided to commence the logistics business. It wasn’t easy, had no money and no family support. All four of us planned everything about the business till 6 months and in that period worked as newspaper sellers on the streets. Enough money we earned to kick start to our work. 100rs per day per head, so in 6 months we had, 18,000 per head! Multiply 18000 by four. Blessed!” continues with a satisfactory smile.
Ask him after completing graduation how he managed to work on his project with no family support and he replies, “Initially we purchased one truck because of financial difficulties, but that single had a lot of outcome. We kept it on hold for some time and worked under a logistics firm to earn as well as to know how to run this business. All of us worked at different places for a year and came up with different experiences to develop our project. Now we were financially stronger. I finally realized that if you have the passion and belief in whatever you do, you can achieve anything. I knew that if I continue to work under somebody, I would be fulfilling his/her dreams - and not mine. And from that day on, I started dreaming big and never stopped.”
How he managed to run a bigger set-up and Saini replies, "Of course, as the organization gets bigger, the responsibilities also increase. But I have always believed that if you are great at people management, nothing is too difficult in life. My family was happier with my work by the time I was 30. With every bigger step, we set bigger goals for ourselves and that is how we've never had to worry about the present.”
Talking about the ups and downs, the wrinkle faced man constringe and says, “The budget had affected immensely, earlier not being financially strong, the petrol diesel price hike was like a halt to our business, not knowing how to react, what to do, we only sat back and waited for some miracle.”
Asking what he advises his young sons developing his business, the old man says impatiently, “I want ‘Satnam Roadways’ to transport goods even via shipping, also develop itself in as many cities possible. I am sure it will be one of the best, in generations to come.”