A veteran in One97 at a young age, Rahul is a “unique brand ambassador of the company” and is the one responsible for creating the brand of One97. “Though I always like to work behind the scenes, my main focus has always been to make the One97 brand more visible and visually stronger. Overtime, our designs have evolved into something hip and sophisticated.”

Rahul’s workday is anything but typical. He flashes a smile and says, “ I like to start my day with the last thing I did the previous day. But otherwise, I take things as they come and we don’t have any set routine. Sometimes we keep changing designs and sometimes it just clicks.”

Rahul is the kind of a leader who is unflappable and believes in inspiring his team to come up with original ideas. His strategy with his team is very simple – he gives them the necessary freedom and encourages them “to stay two steps ahead of competition”.

“I am very pleased that my team doesn’t copy designs and tries never-before-done things. All of us keep going back and forth in terms of drafts so that we only retain the best designs. We have an encouraging atmosphere here and we support one another even when things are not working out with someone. We are like one big family and we find success together.”

Hailing from Delhi, becoming a lead designer was a happy accident for Rahul. “I am blessed to have finally found my way into this. I had the right mentors in the early stage of my life who became my torchbearers. Since I was connected with the finest designers in India, I had to be part of the designing world.”

Without a doubt, Rahul seems totally in sync with what he has achieved for One97 and for himself. But it was his interest in mobile technology that proved to be the turning point in his career.

“Now looking back, I can say with confidence I was meant to do only this. For me, it is all about improvement and innovation. One97 as a company has provided me with the right working environment. We don’t rest until we achieve what we set out to – and that has resulted in One97 becoming the number 1 player in the mobile Internet space in India,” he says proudly but quickly adds, “At the end of the day, it is all about incubating creative ideas through trial and error. Vijay Shekar Sharma (MD of One97) is the one who pushes each one of us beyond the envelope and makes us achieve bigger things.”

With his brand-new innovation, VideoPind, he has indeed done that. As an early stage start-up incubated in One97, Rahul is the brains behind this fascinating app which has already become one of the most popular apps on the AppStore.

Talk about VideoPind and there is a sparkle of conviction in Rahul’s eyes. As he walks me through his new product, I can sense his sincerity and passion. “VideoPind intends to give its users the best videos with the finest user experience. So essentially, it acts as a filter that removes all the clutter and provides an incredible platform for browsing videos on your mobile phone.”

To say the least, Rahul’s job goes well beyond just developing new apps – he is involved in creating environmental graphics within One97 and is also responsible for all their offerings to the end user. In addition to the above, he has also initiated (and created) the iconic One97 calendar series. Since its launch four years back, the calendars have become such a roaring success that every year their numbers are increasing manifold.

When Rahul is not playing with design and technology, he is absolutely at peace rock climbing with his friends. “We are a group of people who love this sport. I think rock climbing is similar to life. One has to be aware of what is ahead or else you lose it,” he says matter-of-factly.

Apart from rock climbing, Rahul enjoys participating in everything in One97. He believes, “the culture of One97 is so vibrant and colourful just like their off-the-office events. We celebrate many things – right from the annual function and rafting trips to music events and festival days. For instance, Diwali is spectacular here, all the teams decorate their workspace as they please. Like any game, one team is chosen the winner. It all adds to the fantastic team spirit we have at One97”.

That is one of the many things that Rahul is proud about in One97. But if there is one thing that Rahul Saini doesn’t understand at all, it is mediocrity. For him, it is all about striving for excellence, setting a benchmark and attaining insurmountable heights… as a team! Connect with Rahul on Facebook

Things are looking very bright when it comes to women’s status and empowerment in the One97 company. While they may still not be at the top of the hierarchy here, many wonderful things are happening around them.

Echoing Tajesvita Chopra and Snigdha Bhattacharjee’s thoughts, “The working environment at One97 is super friendly – the team spirit is fantastic, people are helpful, management is supportive, one has the much needed space for oneself. No gender discrimination is ever done and there are almost an equal number of ladies as men in Vijay Shekhar Sharma’s (MD of One97) immediate cabinet.”

Undoubtedly, One97 is a great place for women according to Manasa “as here women dignity is respected high and they have the liberty to express their views in all respects”.

Smita Rajan goes a step further and adds, “One97 gives good vibes as soon as you enter the door. People are nice and the positive energy floating around makes me feel quite happy at work. The sounds of laughter and music – all add up to the whole experience that One97 has become.”

Being a woman is Nature’s greatest gift and as a modern-day woman I can empathise with all of the above comments. I think one of the biggest motivations to work in a company is the level of feasibility it allows its women counterparts.

Smita reaffirms my thoughts and says she is ecstatic about One97’s flexibility especially towards women. “Over the last five years, if there is one thing I can point to, it would have to be flexibility. When my son was younger, there would be things such as vaccinations and sickness; I have never felt One97 going tough on me, the only thing is work should be done. They wouldn’t dictate how it has to be done.”

Manasa couldn’t agree more, “ I am a Bharatnatyam dancer and One97 has only encouraged me to grow. Whenever there has been stage shows, I have never felt work has been a hurdle. On the contrary, they have bent backwards to accommodate to keep my passion alive.”

Adding more credence to this are Kanika Bains, Liza Gogoi Marandi and Deepa Tandon.They believe that the culture in One97 is “simply brilliant, vibrant and totally something else”.

“People are young and ready to learn new things, they are creative and very transparent. We are given the freedom to make mistakes and learn from them rather than just follow blindly. This makes us not only grow as professionals but also as people. And, very importantly, this is a happy and safe place to work. ”

From all of the above, my understanding is these remarkable ladies at One97 are responsible for a lot of fun quotient in the company. They all concur together, “Celebrating Women’s day and birthday bashes require a special mention. We participate in spellbinding and rejuvenating activities and that is what blends into higher productivity and happier workplace. We have events round the year including the annual function and frequent outings which allow us to take charge and drive things within One97.”

So the question now is since most women at One97 are happy and assertive individuals, what more can be done to empower them even better? Kanika and Liza believe, “There’s a need to hire more women and place them in responsible positions. It will be great to look up to women leaders within One97 as they can bring such colourful ideas to the table.”

Agrees Deepa Tandon, “I think women play their role very efficiently and effectively here. Further enrichment would be toppings.”

To sum this all up, women are natural leaders simply because they have a lot of patience and are great multitaskers as well. They exactly know when to exercise firmness and when to be kind. Because they are sensible and sensitive to other’s needs, any organisation has to have women leaders in their company.

Great women trailblazers and pioneers such as Mother Teresa, Indira Gandhi, Indra Nooyi of Pepsico, Dr Sudha Murthy of Infosys, Dr Kiran Bedi are all superb role models for generations of women to come. Here’s hoping that many women from One97 follow their passion and realise their grand dreams.

Harinder Takhar is a man with a mission. Armed with his weaponry – unflinching passion and a decade of experience in strategy and product management – he is the one with “audacious goals” for Paytm.

His workday starts with a customary “chai” before he goes for his morning ritual of meeting his people. “I love to spend most of my time communicating with my employees, to remove any hindrance that they face,” he smiles, but quickly adds, “ I guess I am here to ease everyone’s job so that we can inch closer to achieving our big dream for Paytm.”

Harinder represents a new league of CEOs who combine the business of e-commerce with the astuteness of sound people management. “My employees are my strength. They are agile, restless and hungry for innovation, and maniacal in a good way,” he cheerily confesses.

“I would like to single out one particular incident that happened sometime back. We all know at 211 degrees, water is hot, and at 212 degrees Fahrenheit it not only boils but also becomes steam (and with steam you can power many things). At Paytm, we were struggling at 211 degrees and were not able to launch the brand-new website, and needed just that extra degree to create ‘magic’. We were so close to being truly excellent and yet far away – then all of a sudden we arrived at the magical 212 degrees and a massive state change happened,” he says proudly.

There is something splendidly candid about Harinder and his style of leadership. In his own words, “ I am not the stereotypical kind, never go for the run-of-the-mill stuff. I may not have grand dreams for myself now, but when I am there, I will have it in my stride.” A determined man, Harinder believes “Paytm is in a stage where everyone is doing much more than they are capable of and there is this positive energy that synergises one and all”.

Talking about synergy, Harinder emphasises the importance and impact of music in the One97 family. “Right from the morning till the end of the day, you can hear music in the background ranging from an Amitabh Bachchan song of the 70s to the latest retro and fusion number.”

In fact, he thinks “music and spontaneous off-the-office activities like river-rafting trips (within the One97 family) enhances productivity and rejuvenates employees in a big way”.

With a sparkle in his eyes, he says, “I am enthused about everything – right from blending my personal space with my office to spending alone time doing nothing. During my free time, I enjoy running to music and outside just to keep my sanity.”

For someone with that top-ranked status, Harinder is humility personified. Having lived in different countries, ‘being adaptive’ comes naturally to him. But, when you ask him what he feels about the One97 family, he says nonchalantly, “ all of us are happy, always challenging the status quo and not fixated with assumptions – this place is definitely not for everyone.”

Of course, Harinder is not just anyone. He’s the one who’s calling the shots and treading on uncharted territory… forever!

Their basic premise ‘loan a little, change a lot’ has found its way into many lives including some of One97 employees’ – who have taken this brave initiative for supporting the entrepreneurial ecosystem in rural India. Through such loans, the employees are not only shaping some real lives but are also encouraging the aspiring entrepreneurs to be enterprising and resourceful.

Above all, when one starts making a real difference in the lives of people they touch, the maximum impact is felt by the person who starts it. Just like some of the employees here who are slowly but surely building on the culture of ‘doing the right thing’ at the right time. This cycle of change has impacted at least nine lives and given them an opportunity of a lifetime.

Of course, the idea is to touch as many lives as possible. That is exactly what Milaap has in mind. Because it’s a loan and not a donation, the same amount that is lent to a borrower can be repeatedly used to fund more borrowers as soon as it is fully repaid. Thus, a small loan goes a long way.

Well, Milaap is one of the many initiatives that One97 (as a company and its people) will be associated with. Now, many employees are understanding that doing one bit’s can result in a sustainable social change in the community. Yes, the future does look very bright.

There are ways for some companies to offer coupons to users, which can be downloaded to their phones and can be scanned at, check out (e.g. A redeemable coupon of x brand if printed out on a paper, which can be scanned at Big bazaar outlet for a freebie at the counter)

Some key advantages marketers can gain through mobile couponing are:

Instant gratification

The users can download mobile coupons on the move (Users can SMS or dial a number or click an option on mobile website/app) and the offer can be enough for the customers to take an action, which can be a visit to the store to avail an instant purchase discount or a redeemable offer like mobile topup, content, download from the website etc.

Saves time & money

Downloading and printing out vouchers requires customers to plan ahead, but mobile couponing means that marketers can appeal to customers’ impulses more easily

Mobile coupons remove all the fiddly work and the advance planning involved, and thus appeal to more customers yet offers precision tracking

Measurability in real time

Coupons can be an effective add-on to any multichannel marketing campaign, and can allow marketers to measure the effectiveness of their campaigns. Using coupon redemption methods like SMS code to a number, online redemption, IVR based system, app based redemption and bar-coded coupons, marketers can capture the identity of the customer making the purchase, location, the promotional code and the amount of the transaction.

All this can be tracked like a heat map in real time online while the activity is in progress offering real time analytics and insights

 Scalable and mass appeal

Let’s face it, just about everyone has a mobile phone, either feature or smartphone with Internet access. This means that the potential target market for mobile coupons is massive, and growing all the time

Power of 3x: create multiply effect

Most marketers can create a multiply effect on their campaigns, if you can smartly combine download, redemption of mobile coupons & integrate it with various high potential mediums like social, mobile and Internet for contests or promotions (e.g. a discount coupon can be given to a facebook user once he makes a purchase or wins a contest on the brand page. He can immediately pick the phone, SMS the code to a number to win a instant coupon which he will redeem once he come to the nearest store convenient to him)

 mCoupons can be a great learning method

While some marketers are yet to launch a mobile website or app, issuing/redemption of coupons via mobile is one way to test the waters, and see how your hard to reach target audience responds to mobile offers, what kinds of phones they are using, and so on

Gain an edge over competition

Mobile coupons provide a more compelling way to give value to customers with ease thus creating an ability to yourself to launch, test and measure results optimally. While manual methods work in some instances, mobile can be creatively used to your competitive advantage if executed well

- Srinivas Mothey

Ask us what mobile can do for you?

Born-mobile @One97