We Need To Fortify Ourselves In Different Ways: Ronnie Screwvala

The lockdown was porous and it had insurmountable effects on the world. In such grave times, people run helter-skelter for dealing issues related to uncertainty and business, but guidance from leaders on the ‘Action Plan’ can help them cope with.  

To amplify and answer the queries of various people, BW Disrupt in Association with BW Businessworld & BW Education organised a webinar ‘BW Dialogue on Entrepreneurship’ series Episode 2. 

Founder of UTV, Swades Foundation and Unilazer Ventures Ronnie Screwvala is a first-generation Indian entrepreneur and philanthropist. His niche in entrepreneurship is commendable. He has been named on Esquire’s List of the 75 Most Influential People of the 21st century. 

When asked about how working from home in the last 70 days has worked for him, he said: “The mantra which stays with me is ‘Less is more’. ‘Less is more’ has worked well for the team and the community. Though, the work from home is not ideal for every person because not everyone has the best infrastructure.” 

On talking about his ability to spot business opportunities ahead of time, he shared that the grass is never greener on the other side and he is the living testimony for that. “As a first-generation entrepreneur, I have been through rough and tough times,” he said.  

Adding on to his point, Screwvala further said, he is very passionate about he does, but not emotional. “If you can segregate between the two that allows you to make decisions in a different manner,” he said.  

Ronnie Screwvala is of the opinion that in future, demand will struggle because the supply will be too much.  

On question about top qualities, he finds imperative before investing in a venture. Problem solving, attitude and approach, and communication skills are some of the few qualities. He strongly believes, communication skills are one of the important qualities in the 21st century. He also commented that the sector which he would be interested in to invest other than Ed Tech would be Health Tech because it is humongous.

 Answering to the question on what keeps him busy, he shared that the work Swades Foundation is doing for rural India keeps him busy. “Swades Foundation is a lifetime commitment. Reverse migration is the biggest problem we can face and other sectors as well. We are making opportunities for the migrant population to stay back,” he said. 

On giving his opinion on how the cinema industry will pan out in the days to come, he said,” Cinema window will have problems. There will be a substantive shift in the economics of cinema but not in the storytelling.”