In the world’s most populous country, where the youth ratio is far higher than the ageing population, success can’t be served on a platter. It needs more than capital to build a business that becomes a legacy and household name, a trusted brand.

Everything that begins comes with its own set of hits and misses. Success isn’t a 2-minute Maggie and failures are learning grounds. Harsh Pamnani’s book, From Unknown to Unforgettable: Strategies and Stories to Transform Your Start-Up into a Trustworthy Brand, simplifies the process for those who dream of becoming successful entrepreneurs, generating jobs, creating new markets and changing the game for the Indian customers.

Taking a 360° approach to business, Pamnani has divided the book into four sections, namely Investors’ Perspective, Foundational Pillars, Market Research and Opportunity Analysis and Brand Development. The way up the ladder isn’t an easy journey. It requires fortitude, vision, network, agility and much more passion to sustain the brand than dreaming about it. He takes the reader into India’s unique ecosystem and markets, which show a different trend from the Western counterparts.

With a MBA from XLRI, Jamshedpur, Harsh Pamnani has worked with unicorn start-ups such as FirstCry and Icertis, think tanks like World Bank, and corporates like Deloitte and Cognizant. A brand consultant and business storyteller, he is the author of best-selling book series, Booming Brands, and co-author of the national bestseller Booming Digital Stars. He has also penned articles on brand building for CNBC, Forbes, Economic Times, Financial Express and more. A seven times TEDx speaker, Pamnani has shared his views across forums such as Josh Talks, IIT Bombay and IIM Ahmedabad. He has also taught start-up branding course at MICA Ahmedabad and business storytelling at IIM Indore.

In this book, Pamnani shares insights from some of the famous new-age brands and their success stories. To name some, CaratLane, Big Basket, Zepto, Stage OTT, Epigamia. Strategies to navigate the fast-paced, highly competitive markets are customised to suit individual brands and the markets they want to capture. In-depth research, mentorship, switching tracks on time are some of the pillars to keep the business thriving.

He delves in the financial capital scenario as well, giving the reader insights into what venture capitalists and financiers look for when investing in your product. It’s not just good practices catering to customers that establish a brand, it’s also practices to keep the employees happy that make for a long-lasting corporation. Every legacy brand was once a start-up which filled a need in society. Thus, being up to date on the market dynamics is an important criterion for business owners.

Pamnani’s book gains importance in the current business environment, as there is extensive branding literature on international brands, but not enough on Indian brands. Young India’s new brands need more work and more pull, as India’s diverse and evolving market presents unique challenges. Pamnani lays emphasis on honesty, authenticity, humility and good service, along with right tie-ups and distribution plans.

Loaded with case studies and tips, the book is a perfect read for all those who dream of standing out in 21^st century India. There are many government schemes promoting entrepreneurship as well. So, if you are on the road to forming a start-up or need to switch gears with branding and marketing, and have a long-term plan, then this book can be your guide. 

Book Details
Imprint: Penguin Business
Pages: 256
Price: INR 399

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