Pranav and his father in their office in Shaoxing Photo: Daria Fominykh
Story
By Daria Fominykh
As generation Z is increasingly seen at workplaces, do they behave differently from the previous generations, say, the millennials and generation X? Do they really bring a new perspective on work that can boost a business?
There are no scientific answers, but let me tell you the story of 19-year-old Pranav Bhatia who is preparing to take over his father's family business which has been run for over 20 years.
I met Pranav at 8:00 am on Dec 8 at the Founders' Breakfast, a weekly meetup connecting the local and foreign startup founders in Hangzhou, where Pranav was sharing his experiences of running his family business.
The young man turned out to be a decent, experienced presenter. His previously casual voice was switched to "a TED speaker mode" as soon as he started his speech. According to Pranav, there are three companies under the name of his family: Molsen Textiles, Try fit Fabrics, and ArmsFit Industries. They produce fabrics for fashionwear, sportswear, and army garments in Shaoxing, where their family is based now. They export monthly fabric products to six stores in India that are run by his uncles and to above 12 other countries. In India, relatives, and close family friends are all called uncles and aunts.
His key point was how he found a suitable place for himself in a big yet quite traditional family business. He dived into the business matters wholeheartedly a year ago with an unpleasant beginning. Immersed in a well-established business routine, he did not know what he was striving for. His aimlessness made him doubt whether this was what he wanted.
"Why don't you do something you meant to and mix it with what you like?" hinted Deepak Bhatia, Pranav's father. The father intentionally did not give any specific directions to him, hoping he could figure out his destiny on himself in time. "I like technologies and hope to find out how AI and software are applied to the business", Pranav began to understand. In less than a year, he brought some impressive changes to the family business.
Previously, "inventory and accounting were done on a paper-and-pen basis", said Pranav when he demonstrated a few pictures of handwritten notes shared by his uncles in a WhatsApp group. His father used to collect that data and then save them on his laptop. He also would call a warehouse manager and ask how much of a certain item they have, which took almost a day to tell. "It was nearly impossible to keep track of our stock because our warehouses are huge", said Pranav.
Thus, he took the initiative to bridge the technological gap in the company. Recognizing the challenges of introducing technology to a generation less acquainted with it, Pranav adopted a strategic approach. Instead of directly teaching his uncles, who were not technologically experienced, he focused on training the employees. After acquiring a comprehensive knowledge of the ERP software, he traveled to India for a 16-hour training program to teach the employees and create a comprehensive playlist of instructional videos in Hindi, hosted on an open-source platform like YouTube.
In these videos, Pranav shared insights on utilizing the ERP software, keeping them succinct and accessible. He encouraged his colleagues to watch the videos and reach out if there are any questions, fostering an environment of learning and collaboration. This approach not only streamlined the training process but also empowered employees to adopt the new technology at their own paces. Pranav trained a core group of 10-12 individuals, who then taught other workers.
Pranav's capabilities as a resourceful young man were also recognized at his high school. Fursey Gotuaco, the Upper School Principal at Hangzhou International School, noted that he "has an analytically mind with a vision for the future and the tenacity to focus on his targets. I have an incredible amount of faith in him".
Where is Pranav's passion derived from? A few days after my initial meeting with him, I gained a deeper understanding of his passion when I had the chance to meet his father. In our conversation, Mr. Bhatia shared a heartfelt insight, saying, "You don't teach a kid; they learn after you." This wisdom profoundly captures the spirit of their family's business ethos, emphasizing the natural transfer of knowledge and values through generations.
Mr. Bhatia recounted the evolution of their family business. Mr. Bhatia also learned from his father, who initially started a small trading business, buying from nearby sources and selling to local communities. Each generation built upon the experiences and insights of the previous ones and contributed to the success and growth of their companies.
"I plan to retire when I'm 50 years old," delightedly said Mr. Bhatia, leaning back in an office chair, "I always remind my son of treating our achievements as we did at the beginning stage of our business." Pranav was not surprised at all, as they must have discussed it multiple times. Since the age of 14, he has been dreaming of contributing to his father's work. Now that he has done it by spearheading a sustainable transition to digital processes, he starts thinking of some other, if not greater, plans.