Success Story Of Dot Com Infoway, Co-Founder & CEO - Venkatesh C.R

Please introduce your company and give a brief about yourself.

Dot Com Infoway (DCI) is an I.T. company that offers multiple web and app solutions. I founded the company in the year 2000 so that tallies up to exactly 20 years of leadership on my part. I’m a tech-fanatic, to say the least, with an equally inexhaustible passion for the mysterious and the magical. 

How can you describe your company?

Dot Com Infoway, to me, fits the description of a multi-faceted I.T. company. While we admittedly are recognized more for our main services like app development, app marketing, and web development, we never really settle for just providing them to clients. For one, we also take the initiative of developing and presenting our own software to tackle immediate challenges in numerous sectors. There’s always something more that you can get from DCI, in short. And I believe that’s what makes us unique. 

What were you doing before?

I’ve always been in the tech field essentially. Before I started Dot Com Infoway, I was running a boutique web development company called CRV Infotech which offered web design and development services. I also served as President of Internet Users Community of India in Madurai, which aimed to promote Internet use in the region  in the late ’90s when the technology was still widely unrecognized.

What is your inspiration behind your company?

To learn what and how innovation can transform and ultimately improve our daily lives. I ardently believe that we are only just tapping on the bare minimum of what modern-day technology can offer us, and that’s undoubtedly what primarily drove me and others involved in DCI to establish it. It’s safe to say that it continues to do so at present. 

Describe Your Organization Name, Why you are using this Name?

There’s really no profound meaning behind it. The few of us who decided to form Dot Com Infoway (DCI) in 2000 simply brainstormed names and we settled for what it is now. Perhaps, in a way, it pays tribute to one of our original goals of spreading Internet use in India. Looking at the state of Internet usage in the country, I think we can confidently say that we have achieved that goal and our brand can become an enduring testament to that.

What was the idea behind starting your company?

DCI was actually formed with the merging of CRV Infotech and GNG Internet. It’s a product of the combination of experience, in short, and that’s definitely one factor that gave us a boost back in those days. It set us up for more room for growth, reduced competition, and better profitability. Of course, even back then we already had the goal of becoming a top I.T. in India. 

What are the services you offer to your clients?

Mobile app development, web development, and digital marketing are our three main strengths and what we are recognized for. However, we also offer a host of other services that fall under the general categories of app and web solutions. These include UI/UX design, app consultation, business consultation, managed services, and education solutions. 

What are the factors which influenced you to start the ‘Organization’?

I saw a lot of promise and potential on the Internet. In the ‘90s, many businesses were still having a lot of doubts about the potential of cyberspace as a primary environment for business. I wanted to convince them otherwise, that’s definitely one of the big factors that fuelled me. Add to this my innate love for technology, and it’s pretty much the perfect marriage for any entrepreneur, so to speak. 

How did your journey start towards your organization from planning to funding?

The early years were rough, like most startups. I remember when there were just five of us in total. Those were definitely the times when adopting a sound strategy to go forward was nothing short of crucial. The same can be said for the company’s finances. You have no other choice but to have a tight grip on everything, and you have to be ready to look for opportunities. It was definitely a lot of hard work that required putting in the extra hours.  I owe DCI’s success largely to the previous leadership experience I acquired and the entire team’s perseverance and industriousness during those rocky years.

What is your stack on the competition? Who are your competitors? How are you overcoming them?

I prefer to just say they’re many. Practically any mobile app development company in the world is our competitor. It’s easy to say that what makes us different is that we are “customers first”, but it takes availing of our services to really know what that means. 

It’s better to say that we just go all the way in providing high-quality service to people, and our lineup of services and products readily showcase this. Without a doubt, our extensive experience also gives us an edge and the myriad clients we have worked with in the past, one way or another. 

Is your organization growing at a good phase according to your plans? What are the upcoming plans from your end?

It would be a stretch to say that we were only minimally affected by the coronavirus pandemic. There were hiccups but we’re fortunate enough to still be in a situation that is not as dire as the ones experienced by other organizations. So I can still confidently say that we’re at a good phase. 

As for future plans, we’re looking into getting more acquainted with the technologies that will shape the future like AI, IoT, and Blockchain, which we have already begun to incorporate into our services. Besides this, we are also promoting our learning management system and education solution called EduKool, which can help ease up the COVID-19 burdens on schools. Also, we have developed a video conferencing software named Zingallo that connects, collaborates with others in real-time from anywhere. We hope to continue providing direct solutions to these extremely relevant problems in the future. 

I think everyone has some inspiring person in their life and some taglines? Who are they, what is their role in your company ?

Cricketer Dhoni - is my inspiration. He is a cool person and I have learnt a lot of things from him.

What is your experience as an Entrepreneur?

I’ve basically been an entrepreneur since entering the I.T. field and that was way back in 1996 up to now. 

Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

I see myself still continually being awed by the wonders of technology, hoping that I also contributed as much as possible in bringing them to reality. 

What do you suggest people who are interested in starting their own business do?

Stick to your passions, never give up, and always strive to better yourself and others around you. Come up with solid business goals and do your best to make decisions that will always take you a step closer to achieving them; it doesn’t have to be a leap every time. Prepare to grind it out. 

These may sound like banal sayings we usually stumble across, but we really don’t need to look elsewhere for inspiration other than from the living proofs of successful people and enterprises who took these sayings to heart and were driven to act because of them.