Leveraging the Gray Cells- Success Story of Kshitij Kotak

Mumbai -based Kshitij Kotak has developed an indigenous storage device.

Born in a Gujarati family of highly educated professionals Kshitij M. Kotak, CEO Fortune Grecells Pvt Ltd, Mumbai had a classic middle class upbringing despite being born with the proverbial silver spoon. After schooling, and subsequently going through cultural shock of St. Xavier’s College (for a Gujarati) followed by a Bachelor of Engineering degree in Computers with a lot of dithering ‘to B.E. or not to B.E.’,  he was pleasantly shocked (not surprised) when his  final year project, English Language understanding by computers was sent for publication by his professor to the prestigious Massachusetts Institute of Technology for his uniquely developed Artificial Intelligence algorithm on recommendation of the then authority on subject, Professor Raphael. His innovative streak had been recognized for the first time in 1991.

Early days

Despite stellar project credentials and recommendations, he did not get a job at the reputed software companies – they rejected his grades.

“In India it matters more to rote learn and vomit ad verbatim on answer sheets than write an innovative software that enables people use computers in MSDOS”, he mocks the education system, “I was good at understanding, analysis and application, not at rote learn. Probably examiners were not good at understanding beyond model answer sheets”, Kshitij M. Kotak expressed.

He started as hardware engineer in a small firm, still not sure if that was more out of lure of quick money or rebellion out of frustration. He was the only graduate engineer at the first three firms he worked at before being picked up by Zenith Computers Limited.

“Working at Zenith I completed first level computerization at The Reserve bank of India amidst stiff opposition from Workers’ Union and threats of physical harm. I remember walking into union office at RBI to negotiate with a senior union leader to allow our team to install their first 315 computers walking out after 50 minutes with a smiling lot of union members. I had convinced them that they would have to work less and can also play pac-man and space invaders in their free time” he added.

He got immediate salary hike for smooth implementation at RBI but could not enjoy the increment for a long as he had to quit Zenith for personal reasons.

About His Company

Fortune Grecells Private Limited is a professionally managed IT infrastructure system integrator with qualified management and technical team of over 20 well trained and certified professionals. They have won several accolades for over 2 decades implementing data protection and business continuity solutions.

“Our product BLACKBOX DATA SAFE has won 6 awards in less than 2 years including the prestigious DQ Channels ‘Make In India’ solution champ award in 2016” Kshitij expressed.

Focused on data safety, security, servers and firewalls, Fortune Grecells has been implementing BLACKBOX Linux servers since 1996. Atul Chitnis, head at Cyber Media Labs helped us build first Linux file server in 1996 from PCQ Linux 2.0 (?) of PCQuest magazine, a sister publication of DataQuest.

Having named the product BLACKBOX after aircraft black box that keeps flight data safe, company also wanted to make it look like BLACKBOX – in those days there were no black computer cabinets – only white. He would carry computer cabinets to a decorative wall-piece manufacturing factory and get them painted black.

“BLACKBOX, our flagship zero cost server software and backup is license free for unlimited number of users. With 300+ implementations since 1997 across the country to ensure servers keep running, data is protected and for disaster recovery even in the times of 64Kbps internet speeds, BLACKBOX DATA SAFE is a viable alternative to traditional server software that runs on frugal hardware and needs no server software license and a license (CAL) for every user on the network”, he added.

How did he get into entrepreneurship?

According to Kshitij, he was forced into entrepreneurship. “I left Zenith in 1994 as my father had suffered severe health episode and a 9 to 5 job was impossible as I had to be by his side. I had no option but to be an entrepreneur. With computer hardware and services being immensely profitable and my stint at Zenith a tremendous learning experience, we started off with computer services and later setup computer assembly unit on the outskirts of Mumbai”, he shared.

Services business was profitable but Fortune Grecells suffered huge losses in PC assembling business. Being firm on ethics, Kshitij neither evaded Excise, nor indulged in unscrupulous business practices. “I could never entertain corrupt government officials for concessions and approvals”.

The only thing that kept Fortune Grecells floating was BLACKBOX, their Linux servers and data recovery services. A huge learning: Data is indispensable.

Professional achievements

According to the company, Fortune Grecells was the first to make formal business of Linux servers way back in 1996/97 and creating a brand out of BLACKBOX. It was to help businesses that could not afford NT server to not indulge in piracy.

In 2013, company built a custom installer for partners to setup full-fledged BLACKBOX server and mirror failover server for high availability cluster. This was to accelerate BLACKBOX DATA SAFE implementations from 3 days to under 1 day.

“Our first commercially available High availability clustering through failover mirror server in 2001 with 2 BLACKBOX servers became our major USP, delivering data on-demand to keep businesses running without interruption when one server fails. Extending this, we built Windows high availability clustering adding virtualization stack (it was known as box-in-box then) for business continuity for SQL server users” said, Kshitij Kotak .

“We won 3 year contract to support DollarStore, Inc. in 2004 only because we could demonstrate that the chain of discount stores would never stop running due to server failure. We setup entire operations of DollarStore, Inc. USA master franchisee in India when organized retail chain concept was still in infancy. It was extended for the 4^th  year, and never once did billing and operations fail at any location in the country in our entire 4 years of IT operations” he added.

Recent Developments

Company has recently launched BLACKBOX Pro delivers active directory features to even further protect businesses with forced data centralization, USB DVD drive blocking of use computers to secure against virus, data theft and piracy. Fortune Grecells has a sandbox backup to safeguard against hackers while allowing users to work outside office while connected or even without being connected to BLACKBOX Pro.

Success mantra

“Pursuing dreams is easier than giving up; running is always easier without excess baggage of regret for having given up – keep trying till you see there is hope”.

“Success makes you everyone’s best friend but your worst enemy – be good to all when going up the ladder so that they extend you a hand when you slip from the top”.

“Give up when you know there is no hope. Don’t make it an ego trip – it will hurt but you will survive to chart a new course” Kshitij Kotak.

Advice to young entrepreneurs

“Start business in a vertical with great business ‘potential’, not in a vertical that is doing great business”.

“Make money your purpose till you find your higher purpose”

“Take calculated risks – calculate what you need for safety of family and set that aside –you will need that money to get back if you break your back”

“If you want to do it right, don’t try to do it perfect. Make excellence your goal, not perfection, perfection is illusion. There is always a version 2”

“Live your own life, and live the life you own”

Personal life/hobbies

To feel happy making businesses reliable with BLACKBOX is also equally personal life for Kshitij as going on a drive to Ladakh. His hobby is to enjoy the satisfaction of bringing cheer to Indian entrepreneurs with simple and affordable BLACKBOX technology as much as playing cricket for his club and running faster on the field than boys 15 years younger to him.

“I am like my father, my inspiration, role model, hero; committed to family and work as the demand of time. He would wake up at 4 to work on his arguments in court; I sleep at 4 after work. He was by my side alone for 3 months when I underwent a health threat, I did not migrate to US after graduation because I wanted to be by his side when he lives and not just come to light his pyre”, expressed Kshitij.

Married for 22 years his wife is lucky to survive, According to Kshitij , it is quite a roller coaster ride to live with a man possessed with impossible goals to achieve before he turns 50. She is a tough person. He is blessed with a daughter, is a gold medalist throughout, she held world number 1 rank in IGCSE. “Though I am not really excited on-top-of-the-world to see her golds because I feel she works too hard, stresses out. I want to see her happy more than successful as a father of course her success makes me proud, but it is her happiness I want. I wish she was less studious and not so fiercely competitive, an unfortunate family trait” he emotionally expressed.

Kshitij has a passion of public speaking and happy to be blessed with opportunities to speak on professional expertise on data protection and security in digital world as IT guru and get frequent invites to conduct thought leadership seminars.

He love travelling and writing. His first book is on thought leadership told in form of story of a professional who suffers mid-life crisis.

Future plans

The only plan he has for future is to not think about the future, and that plan keeps failing miserably. He had planned to release his first book: ‘Swear By The Deep Sea’ in Dec 2015. It didn’t happen. Planning for future is so prone to failure, so now days he just wishes and dreams; for plans fail but dreams and wishes survive.

“I want to study The Holy Gita, I want to work till I die, and I want to die while I can still work”. Quoting Allen Saunders he signs off with,

“Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans”