First thank Alibaba Admin for choosing me for this week's member spotlight. It is always pleasure to know that there is an opportunity to present myself to about 300,000 people (Am I wrong with this number?) who will be visiting the site for the next one week.

 

The uniqueness of Alibaba is the community and the knowledge that is available through it, is phenomenal. Without the community, it will be just like any other B2B site. And I don't go to other B2B sites daily, unless I get a trade alert. But to Alibaba, I keep coming. I am getting new friends. There is this providential magical spell of Alibaba around me. My membership is only 3 months old and I can tell all new members that if you are learning and contributing from this community, it will be beneficial to you for personal growth and business growth.

 

For people who are frequent visitor to Global Trade Policy and English Corner forums, I would have been familiar.

 

I have been contributing to Global Trade Policies and English Corner forums and in a small way in other forum and in that process I got more points.

 

I was born in a place called Trichy, a city in Tamil Nadu, a Southern Indian state. I had studied Economics in graduation and then I did Masters in International Business Adminstration from Banaras Hindu University. Then I had a stint in banking sector in retail asset financing for four years. Later on, I started my own business. I did not want to lose out on the boom that was happening around me.

 

I did not get into international trading straight away. I dabbled in trading within India and I was also producing ad films for some clients for some time before I got into international trading. I also did modeling for some ad films. My father was having his own export company called Sri Guru Exports. So I joined it and revived it. And I also started my own company called Sanadhanaa Trade Services Pvt Ltd. We currently deal in various products ranging from packed food items, paper, beverages and agricultural commodities. We are doing it as agents to buyers in Middle East and some suppliers in India. We source materials from India, China and South East Asia. We will be exporting goods on our own in the near future. We would also like to represent more foreign companies in India. We will provide professional and transparent service to potential buyers and suppliers.

 

I am really fascinated at what is happening in China and South East Asia and I would like to have strong business relationship with Chinese suppliers.

 

For me, being a businessman is ultimate human existence. I think it is better than being a philosopher or a scientist. It represents freedom to be on our own. We decide our own destiny and in the process responsible for buyers, suppliers and for the society at large.

 

I think a successful businessman requires Trust, Execution and Profit. 'Trust' refers to trust per se and all emotional aspects of the business relationship. 'Execution' is inclusive of capacity (What we have...), capability (What we can...), speed and discipline. Profit is fundamental for survival and growth of business.

 

And successful business depends upon on Value Creation. As long as we are creating value to our customers and suppliers, we can survive and grow in business. My former boss used to say that even a conversation with a potential customer should be informative and create value to the customers. So I should be well versed in my business as well as his business.

 

Apart from being in business, I would also like to contribute to society in a different way either through writing in media or through NGOs. We need to be something more than we are. We need to be heroes in our life. I don't like ordinary existence. We need to rise above monotonous day to day regularity.

 

On a personal note, I like English language, creative writing, driving and traveling. I will be getting married in October 2007. I am looking forward to a great life with my life partner. It will be great because she is also having a great attitude to life, like me but in a different way."

 

 

With regards,

 

C.Ganapathie Iyer.