MSME Briefing Bureau

At CII Gujarat’s Aarohan 2026, successful founders shared a common belief: entrepreneurship is less about timing the market and more about recognising opportunities that others fail to see.

Ask most aspiring entrepreneurs when they would prefer to launch a business, and the answer is predictable: when the economy is booming, consumers are spending freely and investors are writing cheques.

The entrepreneurs who addressed Aarohan 2026, organised by the CII Gujarat Chapter, offered a completely different perspective.

Their message was refreshingly counter-intuitive: a recession is often the most rewarding time to build a business.

Not because recessions are easy, but because they offer advantages that disappear when markets become overheated. Equally important, they reminded young founders that entrepreneurship is not a profession for those afraid of failure. If rejection discourages you, business may not be your calling.

Build When Others Are Waiting

Leading the discussion, Premraj Keshyep, Managing Director of Conment Heavy Industries Pvt Ltd and former Chairman of CII Gujarat, explained why economic downturns create opportunities for entrepreneurs willing to think beyond conventional wisdom.

When businesses slow down, the cost of building a company falls.

Industrial land becomes easier to acquire. Machinery manufacturers are more willing to negotiate. Prices of raw materials soften. Skilled manpower becomes more readily available. Even service providers become more competitive.

For a start-up, this means lower capital investment, reduced operating costs and a longer financial runway.

“Your business begins with a lower cost base, making it easier to survive until demand returns,” was the essence of his advice.

Keshyep was not speaking from theory.

During the global financial crisis following the collapse of Lehman Brothers, when companies across the world were postponing investments, he chose to invest aggressively in technology and manufacturing capacity. While others focused on surviving the downturn, he focused on preparing for the recovery.

When markets revived, his company was already equipped with modern infrastructure and stronger capabilities.

His experience carries an important lesson for today’s entrepreneurs: the best time to prepare for growth is often when everyone else is preparing for decline.

Listen to Your Heart Before Your Spreadsheet

The second lesson was equally thought-provoking.

Modern entrepreneurship often begins with spreadsheets, valuations and revenue projections. Keshyep believes the sequence should be reversed.

His advice to young entrepreneurs was simple: listen to your heart first and your mind later.

Passion, he argued, creates the energy required to overcome setbacks, while purpose sustains founders through uncertainty.

“If you follow your passion, profits eventually follow. If you chase profits alone, your mind will eventually convince you to stop.”

Business plans may attract investors, but conviction keeps entrepreneurs moving when markets become difficult.

If You Fear Failure, Entrepreneurship Is Not for You

Every start-up founder dreams of hearing “Yes.”

Reality, however, usually begins with dozens of “No.”

That was the candid message from Sahil Shah, Vice President at Petpooja and founder of Hungrito.

Despite building ideas that impressed audiences and generated interest, Shah repeatedly struggled to secure investment.

Instead of treating rejection as failure, he learned to treat it as part of the entrepreneurial process.

According to him, founders should expect investors to reject proposals—not because the ideas lack merit, but because venture capital follows its own assessment of risk, timing and market priorities.

His experience also revealed an important insight into investor behaviour.

Venture capital firms generally show greater comfort with Business-to-Business (B2B) businesses, even when profit margins are relatively modest. Consumer-focused (B2C) ventures, despite offering stronger margins, are often perceived as carrying greater execution risks.

For entrepreneurs, understanding this distinction is crucial. Raising capital requires not only a strong business idea but also an appreciation of how investors evaluate opportunity.

India’s Next Opportunity May Be Flying Above Us

Entrepreneurship is also about identifying sectors before they become crowded.

That opportunity, according to Parag Jobanputra, Co-founder and CEO of Iindepro Dynamic Pvt Ltd, lies in India’s rapidly expanding drone ecosystem.

Around 800 companies are already working across various segments of drone technology in India. Yet the country’s manufacturing ecosystem is still at an early stage.

India has so far designed only around 15 to 18 drone motors, while Chinese companies have developed nearly 150 variants that supply global markets.

The Russia–Ukraine war has further demonstrated how rapidly demand for drone technology can accelerate. Ukraine’s annual production capacity reportedly increased from around 5,000 drones before the conflict to nearly five lakh units after the war began in 2022.

With India’s government actively promoting indigenous drone manufacturing, Jobanputra believes entrepreneurs should look beyond today’s popular sectors and position themselves where tomorrow’s demand will emerge.

Entrepreneurship Rewards Those Who Think Differently

Although the speakers represented different industries, they shared remarkably similar beliefs.

Successful entrepreneurs do not wait for ideal economic conditions.

They invest when assets are affordable.

They remain committed when investors refuse.

They pursue purpose before profits.

And they continuously adapt as technology and markets evolve.

Perhaps that is why the biggest lesson from Aarohan 2026 had little to do with raising funds or preparing business plans.

It was about developing an entrepreneurial mindset.

Because businesses are not built by predicting the future with certainty.

They are built by recognising opportunities that others fail to notice—and having the courage to act before everyone else does.