How an aspiring entrepreneur made his mark and become India’s ‘Water Hero’

When as a sixteen-year-old boy from Chandrapur, Maharashtra, Vedant Goel decided to become a young entrepreneur, little did he know the journey he was about to embark on? Born in an Agarwal community, Vedant Goel had his goals set from a very young age. He was not interested in jobs and working for other people. Brought up in a close-knit community of businessmen and women, Goel grew up to have a penchant for entrepreneurship. At the tender age of sixteen, he decided to open a start-up.

Called ‘Har Aadmi Online’, Goel’s company intended to provide internet access to everyone – “…from a paan shop to a 5-star hotel”. The idea was quite simple but for a young boy to be sensitive enough to the needs of the world and to take on this role, it was inspirational. Goel had proved himself to be a visionary already. The plan was to create a package of 3,333 rupees and use it to build a website. This money was used to handle everything from web design, content management to the logo design.

The company was fortunate enough to attract more than 500 customers in the first six to seven months of operation. However, unforeseen issues started arising. The management was weak and unstable. No one was skilled enough to manage all aspects of the company or hire a technical team. No sooner did that happen than the company was forced to shut down.

For better or for worse

Vedant Goel was not one to lose hope or get discouraged in the face of failure. He had come to Pune from a small town to complete his education. He graduated from the esteemed Sir Parashurambhau College in Pune, Maharashtra. He attributes his drive and spirit to his parents who supported him at every turn and guided him through the crossroads.

Goel decided to open another company with a fresh idea. The purpose of ‘Start-up Café’ was to help start-ups and provide mentorship to young entrepreneurs. Unfortunately, the company had to be closed. Undeterred, Goel went for another venture; this time in the field of distribution. ‘Ekveda Superfoods’ was a supplier for dry fruits in Pune. But the young businessman was set up for failure. He tried again. He created his own brand of snacks called Taraji Namkeen and began manufacturing. But as fate would have it, the name didn’t hold.

After a series of failures and disappointments, Goel paused and contemplated what was leading to these results. Finding the answer, he set a company again. Neo Mega Steel LLP soared the sky with wide-open wings; and for once, the flight did not result in a crash landing.

Successful Venture

Goel’s company is one of the largest suppliers of raw materials in India. The company deals in the supply of raw materials to automobile component manufacturers that are used in JCBs, boiler parts, etc. The clientele includes a staggering 400 major companies. The company is not just a major distributor in the city of Pune but has also reached the rest of Maharashtra and the states of Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, and Gujarat. Some of the new projects include supply to the ongoing project of the Pune Metro and iron for the bogeys for the Indian Railways.

At a young age of 25 years, Goel is the Managing Director of his own company and the board member of one Alphalogic Techsys Limited, the first company of India of its kind to be listed in the Bombay Stock Exchange.

“What Goes Around Comes Back Around”

“My aspiration is to do something great,” Goel said in his interview with Machine Maker. Just building a successful business from scratch was not the only ambition that Goel had nurtured. In his hometown, which is considered one of the most backward towns in Maharashtra, the lack of water is a perennial problem. In order to relieve the people somewhat, Goel devised a unique idea.

The students are asked to empty their bottles in the drums before heading home. This water is then used to clean the schools, water the plants, clean the buses, etc. More than 50 schools in Chandrapur now use this technique to save and reuse water that would otherwise have been discarded. Almost 10,000 liters of water are saved every day in the town, which makes it almost 3,00,000 liter a month.

The children have fondly named him ‘Water Dada’, News18 named him ‘Jal Rakshak’ and the Government of India initiative for water conservation has named him the ‘Water Hero’.

Goel did not only help save precious water but also decided to educate children on the importance of dental health. “Countries like the US and the UK have placed importance on the health of people but we don’t see that in India”, he says, disappointed. In order to change that, he decided to campaign in schools with the tag ‘My Teeth’ and make the students aware of dental health. He would distribute toothbrushes, toothpaste, and water to them afterward.

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