He may belong to the famous Budhia family, but Vishnu Budhia has carved a niche for himself purely on his own merit.

Ask the ace businessman about the secret of his success and pat comes the reply, ?Good behaviour and interpersonal relationship is the most important aspect of any business. Young entrepreneurs should remember this before starting any business.?

Though born in the Budhia family, which once owned Ranchi Electric Supply Company, Vishnu made it big on the dint of hard work and grit. He runs a successful business that deals in industry parts, mining, spare equipment, electrical fitting, generators and pump sets. He also has a agency of Kirloskar and Crompton.

?Business runs in my blood. My great grandfather, Ganpat Rai Budhia, came down to Ranchi from Churu in Rajasthan and started a small business. Since then all my family members have been into business,? says Budhia, who made it to the list of most successful businessmen in t he city by dint of his hard work.

?A combination of good behaviour and self-management gives one the edge over others. I have always believed that a businessman should be well-behaved. In fact this is applicable to any field. I also believe that a positive attitude goes a long way in building a positive image,? says Vishnu.

Vishnu learned the tricks of the trade hands on. There was no management degree from universities abroad to back him.

?I never pursued any course in management before starting my business. But I used to attend short-term courses in total quality management organised by Larsen & Toubro, when I had its agency. That helped me a lot in understanding the importance of behavioural and effective communication vis-a-vis clients as well as staff members.?

Vishnu strongly believes that there is no alternative to hard work, commitment and honesty to succeed in a business. ?In fact these are the principles which are universal and equally relevant for any profession. There is no short cut to success in life,? he explains.

But has he been fully honest in his profession? Vishnu has the courage to admit that it is not possible to be ?hundred per cent? honest in business.

?But one should try to be honest as far as possible so that the other person suffers the minimum loss,? says the businessman with a difference.

Sipping tea at his office, ?Budhia Machineries?, near Hanuman Mandir on Main Road, Budhia looks satisfied and relaxed.

A honest and positive image is what his forefathers had built over the years and Vishnu says, he has been following the family traditions. ?My forefathers? honesty has paid off. It stood us in good stead. A good name always take you a long way.?

?There have been many occasions when people from remote areas have asked me ?Rai Budhia ka dukan yehi hai? (Is this the shop of Rai Budhia?)? referring to my great grandfather. I think this is the greatest reward a businessman can get. I am feel honoured to be part of the Budhia family,? he says.

Vishnu feels that earning money should not be the only criteria for a successful businessman and that he should always do something for the society. ?That is the reason why the Budhia family is actively into social work,? he says.

As president of the Federation of Jharkhand Chambers of Commerce and Industries (FJCCI), Budhia has successfully championed the cause of the business community.

Budhia and his two brothers run a dharmshala at Daltonganj. They also run a Sanskrit school at Harmu in Ranchi.

But how has been his experience of doing business in Ranchi? ?There has been no any major problem. But there was some trouble during the Jharkhand movement days as there was incidents of violent very often,? he says.

?That was the time when my brothers and I felt that we should leave the place. But slowly the situation improved and then Jharkhand was formed. Now there is normalcy. We are thankful now that we did not take the hasty decision to leave Ranchi. It paid off,? added Vishnu.

According to him, the new state has a lot of potential and the government must encourage young entrepreneurs.

?I am sorry to say that the expectations with which the state was formed has not been fulfiled. The government must show its commitment towards industrial growth for the overall prosperity of the state. Unfortunately, no concrete steps have been taken so far in this direction,? he added.

But what about some useful tips for young entrepreneurs. ?To begin with youngsters keen on starting a new business should invest in small-scale industries as these are easier to handle. They should start units, which can be run from their houses with minimum labour and money,? said Vishnu

He further points out: ?The government should also implement the state industrial policy in letter and spirit. It is unfortunate that no new investment has been made in Jharkhand ever since the state came into existence. I think poor law and order situation and bad infrastructure are the reasons for this sorry state of affairs in Jharkhand.?

?The government has also failed to show initiation in promoting industrialisation. It started the single window system here but it has done nothing so far. Nor has any industry been set up through this system. The government must act now to encourage new entrepreneurs set up industries in the state,? he says.

Navtan Kumar