FAILING TO SUCCEED: The Story of India’s First E-Commerce Company - Hardcover

In 1999, when hardly anyone in India transacted on the Internet, K. Vaitheeswaran co-founded India's first e-commerce company. Yet, years later, when e-commerce was exploding in India-despite enjoying first-mover advantage-Indiaplaza shut down. What went wrong? Lack of funding? Wrong strategies? Or was it 'something else'? For the first time ever, Vaitheeswaran reveals that it was indeed something else-a set of inexplicable events that destroyed what could have been a profitable business (an extreme rarity among technology start-ups). He bares his extraordinary trials and tribulations while dealing with business failure and the impossible pressures that can threaten entrepreneurs in India. Coming at the back of stories of young start-ups raising billions of dollars in funding and creating unicorns in just a few years, as well as the recent setbacks in the e-commerce industry, Failing to Succeed delves deep into the dark side of starting up and its myriad pitfalls. Filled with interesting anecdotes, tongue-in-cheek observations, amazing customer insights, hard-hitting predictions and behind-the-scenes industry happenings, this book is an extraordinary unravelling of the challenges facing technology start-ups in India. It is a must-read for aspiring entrepreneurs, investors, industry professionals or business school students, and anyone interested in India's start-up ecosystem. A powerful narration, Failing to Succeed is eventually about finding ways to move forward and succeed despite failures...

K. Vaitheeswaran, widely hailed as the father of e-commerce in India , co-founded India s first e-commerce company Fabmart.com (later rebranded Indiaplaza.com) in 1999. In 2001, he co-founded the Fabmall supermarket chain which was subsequently acquired by the Aditya Birla Group and re-branded 'More'. Vaitheeswaran has advised global brands, including Deloitte, Diageo and Tata, among others, in their digital initiatives; mentors several start-ups; and is well known in the Indian start-up scene. He is a popular speaker on entrepreneurship at industry forums and institutes, including IITs and IIMs. He lives in Bengaluru with his wife and son.