The new Indian businessmen

Gopal Krishnan
Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Ad2Pro

Business: Pre-press design and production services for print and online media publishers in an offshore model

Its main markets: US and UK

Whats makes it different: Speed, low cost, low-touch solution that offers high quality creative outputs with minimum investment and operational concerns

Customer base: Has 25 customers, including some of the top publishers in the world

Breakthrough: First order in June 2007, for just $924

Total income: Close to $10 million

Tapaas Chakravarti
Chairman, and CEO of DQ Entertainment

Business: Animation

Its main markets: Europe, US and rest(mainly Asia, Australia, New Zealand and others)

Whats makes it different: Diversified client base and a low-risk model

Customer base: Three in the first year, 2002-03. A little over 100 today, including Disney

Tilak Shetty and Munjal Shroff
Shetty is Co-founder and CEO of the firm and Shroff is Chief Operating Officer

Business: Creating original animated content that entertains, educates and engages the audiences

Its main markets: US, Europe and rest(Asia and others)

Whats makes it different: Create intellectual property, or IP, by coming up with an idea, writing the script, developing the story board and screen play and finally doing the animation

Customer base: Several TV and mobile networks across the US and Europe

Breakthrough: In 2005

Arun and Sonal Baid

Business: Making fabrics, yarns and textiles using a herbal dyeing process where no chemicals are used at any stage

Main markets: US, Europe, Japan and Australia

Whats makes it different: Patented herbal dyeing process certified by Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS)

Customer base: 500, talking to a US fashion brand for co-branding

Breakthrough: In 2004

Total income: $900,000 in 2009-10

Akkshay Mehta
Managing Director of health products company Mission Vivacare

Business: Exports pharmaceutical and nutraceutical products
Its main markets: US,Africa, Europe and others.

Whats makes it different: Innovative formulas, strong branding and aggressive pricing

Customer base: Products are sold in pharmacies in most developing countries and in health food stores in the US and other countries

Breakthrough: Third quarter of 1992 of just $15,000

Total income: Rs 305 crore for the year ended June 30, 2010

Manish Sinha
Founder

Business: The product helps clients globally in deriving actionable intelligence from masses of patent data

Main markets: US, Europe,  Asia Pacific and domestic%

Whats makes it different: Its flagship product stands out with core algorithms, which go deep into the text and bring out relevant insights. And it is
customisable

Customer base: Research & Development and legal patent professionals

Breakthrough: In 2007

Total income: Not disclosed

Kumar Patel

Business: Exporting cut roses

Its main markets: Japan, Europe, Australia, New Zealand

Whats makes it different: Has a strong focus on quality owing to which their roses are sold and respected as an Indian brand

Customer base: 30

Breakthrough: 20,000 cut roses in April 2004

Total income: $900,000

Neil Sequeira
Founder

Its main markets: US, Asia and Europe

Whats makes it different: Builds and manages a content ecosystem for social media marketing

Customer base: Diverse sectors, from apparel makers and investment banking companies to a spiritual magazine

Breakthrough: In 2009

Total income: Rs 25 lakh

Bimal Thakkar
Managing Director of ADF Foods

Business: Exports & retails pickles, ready-to-eat & frozen foods & snacks under popular brands such as Ashoka, Camel, Aeroplane, Khansama and Truly Indian

Its main markets: US, Canada, Europe, West Asia, Asia Pacific and India

Whats makes it different: First to offer options such as ready-to-eat whole-wheat parathas and Indian pickles in virgin olive.

Customer base: Present in ethnic stores as well as in major retailers.

Breakthrough: Mid 1960s under Camel brand to West Asia, Ashoka brand in late Eighties to the US

Deepan Chakravarthy

Business: Social gaming

Its main markets: Asia Pacific and Central American gamers

What makes it different: Speed of game development, focus on puzzle and trivia gaming

Customer base: 100,000 active users a month, 1.5 million in total

Breakthrough: Online Sudoku, which got 2,000 users