SUNILKUMAR PANICKER
A businessman with an attitude to stretch beyond
Sunilkumar Panicker, Managing Partner of Ortus Biz Ventures LLP, has been through a lot of ups and downs in his early days of life. But his determination to succeed and hard work earned him a fortune. Now, he is a successful entrepreneur from Kerala who has made a reputation for himself as an honest and dedicated businessman always looking to give his best.
In a freewheeling chat, he revealed how he became a successful businessman and what budding entrepreneurs should follow to make their ventures a success.
“I did my schooling in Irumpanam, Tripunithura where I was born. But I moved to Mumbai along with my cousins after my SSLC in That decision completely changed my life. A bustling city like Mumbai threw open a big world in front of me. While continuing my graduation studies, I did small-time business es to fund my expenses,” Sunilkumar said. Though he got a Central government job while his graduation term itself, he left it after three years chasing a dream job in the Gulf.
“I flew to Muscat in 1988 where I worked in Sales and Marketing department of an automotive dealership. From Muscat, I moved to Abu Dhabi and worked in different companies in the automotive field itself. Over 27 years of sales and marketing experience in the Gulf turned out to be a big learning curve for me, he said adding that it was in 2015 that he returned to Kerala and launched Ortus Biz Ventures LLP to market thinner and primer manufactured by a chemical firm in Kerala.
“As my experience was totally in the automotive sector, I was onfident that I could manage a business in that vertical in Kerala. Initially, I had a plan to start a chemical manufacturing firm but due to paucity of funds I had to drop it and decided to go for a distribution business specifically focusing in automobile segment,” he said.
However, in the year 2018 his business witnessed a turn around when he could develop a polyurethane based product, as an import substitute for a manufacturing unit at CEPZ and entered into a long term supply agreement with them who are also a joint venture unit of a leading US firm.
“In fact, that deal with the US firm helped me grow my business. When the pandemic and subsequent lockdown pulled the market down, it was this manufacturing unit that helped me sustain without bleeding financially,” he said.
Issues and obstacles are common in any business. But we need to face it bravely and move ahead. We should not surrender to the problems
Year 2021-22 again was for rapid changes for the business. Sunilkumar, who has carved a niche for himself in the car care and car detailing sector has entered a new business area of distributing high quality imported products. Feels that though there is competition in the market the demand for quality car care products has grown exponentially in the last few years. “Car detailing and car care products will remain in the market as long as automobile industry grows. We are doing better in the market because our products maintain good standards and we offer prompt after sales service. We only offer products of international quality. Our customers are really happy with the products which give us an edge over our competitors in the market,” Sunil Kumar said. His firm currently distributes a wide range of car care global brands that includes “RainX”, “Slime” and “Gumout” from USA, “Abel” from France and “Everfresh” from Spain. Car care range includes polish, wax and coating products like ceramic, graphene. Many other doit-yourself (DIY) range of products that enable car owners to take care of their vehicles on their own.
As an entrepreneur, he says that his quest to learn more and with an attitude to stretch beyond had helped him to stay afloat when his Thinner/Primer business vertical very badly during Covid. “I am always passionate about automobiles and its allied products. So decided to look at other business opportunities that came in my way and decided to push the boundaries. We are also planning to launch an export business soon of “PU Foam Mats. Post Covid, a lot of foreign companies are looking up to India as a sourcing/manufacturing hub. We have entered into a collaboration with an Australian firm for export of PU based comfort mat. If everything goes well, may even look for an independent manufacturing unit for it,” he said.
Contact Mr. Sunilkumar Panicker Mob: +91 9072361026
