Vinod is an entrepreneur who has carved his niche after a lot of struggle against the system. He believes that the path of entrepreneurship is not easy; you have to earn your place through hard work, determination, and commitment.

Vinod Kumat is the founder of Corporate Channels India Private Ltd. in Udaipur. He is also a former President of the Udaipur Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Vinod Kumat is an entrepreneur who likes to explore things as well as human beings. His firm, Corporate Channels India Private Ltd., manufactures contraceptives like copper-T and tubal rings.

Vinod was born and brought up in Udaipur. He did his schooling at St. Paul’s School, and after completing the twelfth grade, he went to IIT-Delhi. He completed his B.Tech. in Textile Engineering from IIT-Delhi. For some time, he went to ISM, Dhanbad, but within two days, he realised that it was not his cup of tea. So he came back to Delhi.

Talking about his journey, Vinod says that after completing his undergraduate from IIT Delhi, he joined Garden-Vareli in Surat and worked there for two years as a project manager. Later on, he went on to do an MBA at IIM-Ahmedabad. Suddenly, he lost his father, which was a very depressing moment for him. He feels blessed to have such supportive parents in his life who taught him the importance of education. He then joined Blow Plast Ltd. in Mumbai and worked there for one and a half years.

Vinod shares that once, in a conversation with a senior person from IIT-Delhi, he came to know that the Government of India was interested in buying indigenously manufactured tubal rings and copper-T, which were being imported at that time. That’s when he decided to take the plunge into this line under the guidance of G.L. Jain. He started manufacturing tubal rings and copper-T.

Vinod came back to Udaipur for his family after losing his father. He got into this field at the tender age of 21. Initially, he sent his brother to IIT for a meeting along with a small sample of the product. But there, they did not get any appreciation because of the regulatory barriers. Then, in 1993, he spoke to his brother-in-law, Inder Singh Mehta, about his idea and sought his support. Their main motive for starting a manufacturing unit in Udaipur was to support her mother and grow together. He quit his job and, supported by his brother-in-law, set up a unit in Udaipur with very little capital in hand.

Vinod says that in his entrepreneurship journey, he also got the support of his wife’s brother, Mukesh Modi, in order to start a manufacturing unit. He also faced many struggles in arranging the funds for the unit. He arranged funds from the RFC and Bank of Baroda after much difficulty, as it was a greenfield project and even the officers had little knowledge about the product.

When asked about his challenges, Vinod says that he had to face a big setback when the health ministry refused to give him an order for his products, citing a lack of clinical trials, and instead imported the product from the USA. Fortunately for him, the imported goods failed the quality tests. But he had to fight a legal battle by engaging a top lawyer in the Delhi High Court before he could get an order. His company made its first profits in 1994. Since then, he has never looked back.

Vinod’s advice to youngsters is to always remember that the Indian entrepreneur is not supposed to fail because of the system, but find ways and be committed to carving out his place by fighting against the system. He advises that to be successful, one must filter out the non-essentials and be away from distractions.

Vinod thinks that one should not be deterred by ups and downs in life, as they are a part of life. He says if you are able to face both sides of the coin, you will enjoy the journey. Have faith in your abilities and strengths, and never lose your faith.