Creativity and ambition are indispensable virtues for the aspiring entrepreneur, reckons Future Group CEO Kishore Biyani. Hailing from a family of textile traders, a young Biyani found an outlet for his creative energies in his immediate surroundings. “I studied typing, created some unique yarns, and invented disco dandiya, an improvised version of the dance form which became popular in my building,” he said in a podcast.

Biyani’s creative bone has helped him craft successful strategies to consolidate and expand his retail business, precariously wedged between domestic rivals and deep-pocketed multinationals. The Future Group pivoted to digital, albeit reluctantly. Biyani insists he is not opposed to e-commerce but is wary of the costs involved, especially given the heavy discounting of goods by online marketplaces. “I am a member of the physical era. That does not make me a critic of e-commerce. I am apprehensive of the fact that the costs can be prohibitive,” he said.