ZevaAstras CMO Shashi Kiran PV's Interview

We invited Shashi Kiran PV, CMO of ZevaAstras for an interview with Most Popular Stories to know more about his entrepreneurial journey.

Shashi Kiran PV is a result-driven professional, with over 18 years’ experience in Business Operations, Sales & Marketing, and Relationship Management. In his illustrious professional tenure, he has worked closely with major financial players like Motilal Oswal, ICICI, HDFC.

Tell us a little bit about yourself and your journey as an entrepreneur

I have been into Business Operations, Sales & Marketing, and Relationship management for about 18 years. I have been part of institutions like Motilal Oswal, ICICI, and HDFC.

ZevaAstras is my first venture as an entrepreneur. Although the ride has been bumpy with the economic slowdown, but nevertheless it’s been fascinating. It’s a unique feeling when you develop something with the knowledge you have gained over the years. This one feeling pushes me and motivates me. The inherent enthusiasm is an integral part of my journey as an entrepreneur.

Why did you choose entrepreneurship over a job?

Having worked with renowned financial institutions like Motilal Oswal, ICICI among others, I noticed that there remained a gap between the needs of an investor and the services that are offered. I always felt that somewhere there was a limiting factor that holds you back as a professional.

After much back and forth, I took the decision and became a part of ZevaAstras. The sense of freedom and the flexibility that you get as an entrepreneur is the most important aspect. When you’re good at something and you’re allowed to operate with a broader latitude you’re efficiency is optimized. I would rather be a crafty entrepreneur than a rigid professional. All of these factors drew me to entrepreneurship.

What was the vision behind it?

India is a booming economy, but the wealth management services in India largely remain primitive. With a steady rise in the number of HNIs and family offices, it is pertinent to move to more modern ways of trading. Our vision is to shift from the conventional investment policies to a more versatile and tech-driven investment strategizing. We believe investments can do better and we intend to create such a nurturing ecosystem for it.

Describe the services that ZevaAstras offer to customers and in what way they are unique?

We offer a constellation of investment options to our investors. The services offer a completely customized compartmentalization of investments for HNIs and Family offices. Our products have a strong technical background and this factor alone differentiates us from the rest. Some of our products are:

Portfolio Advisory Services: Service aimed to create Wealth and restructuring of existing portfolios. We employ our ‘L-Longevity E- Earning A– Analysis D– Due diligence’ methodology for portfolio building. The services aim to create a conducive environment for investments to thrive.
Deep Mind Learning: It’s an ML (Machine Learning) based tool, which formulates investment strategies that can leverage market movements. The system evolves as per the market fluctuations and corrects the simulations to safeguard investments. It is based on the 3 factors: Time, Price and Volume
Asset Beyond: Research-based service which helps in boosting mutual funds returns. We use the margin gained from mutual funds to implement conservative derivative strategies.
Eigen: A tool which helps in formulating comprehensive short-term derivative driven strategies for investment growth.
Ficus Funds: The product aids in creating balanced portfolios by making long-term investments.

What difficulties which you have faced or you are facing?

An individual from a sales and marketing background is pre-conditioned to see difficulties as challenges. We are at a nascent stage as a company. The economic slowdown at such a crucial stage of our organization is by far the greatest challenge. We have faith in our capabilities and confidence that we would sail through these tumultuous times.

What is one strategy that you believe has helped you grow as a person/startup?

I believe our motto ‘Keeping customers interest over ours’ has done wonders for our organization. An investor always looks out for avenues that allay his/her concerns. We as a company are dedicated toward this and interestingly it has become a winning strategy for us.

How your company is helping India to grow?

Financial Markets are a strong component of any economy. Stronger the investor stronger the economy. Our services optimize returns on investments and thus impart strength to the entire economy. We intend to revolutionize wealth management in the country. We are thus directly participating in strengthening the economic backbone of our country.

In your opinion what are the keys to success?

Success is a very subjective concept. In order to be successful one has to be honest towards his goals. More importantly, the goals should be as per his own individual scale not on the rationale of others. With the right set of goals, the right attitude, and commitment towards the goals one can succeed in their respective fields.

What advice would you give to someone starting out as an aspiring entrepreneur?

I believe an entrepreneur is more of a craftsman than a businessman. The yearning towards the craft is the most important factor for an aspiring entrepreneur. It might happen that a vision fails. One can only learn from it and strive ahead if he/she is committed to the craft.

My advice to aspiring entrepreneurs is to love what you do and be creative with your ideas. Involve people with a similar vision and give them their creative space to optimize their performances. Gone are the days when organizations were ruled by few, involve people to keep up the motivation. Remember it’s a start-up and it should be free of the rigid mindset of corporates. Aspiring entrepreneurs should always aim to create a team that would rule (the sector) rather than creating a team for him/her to rule.