Twenty years ago, only rich eccentrics would have contemplated spending lakhs on custom-built acqariums with clean, temperature-controlled environments, stocked with exotic fish. Now there's a significant customer-base for these installations-cum-biospheres.
Delhi-based Pankaj Handa is a pioneer in this fishy business. He quit his career as a salesperson all of 14 years ago to try his hand at turning his hobby into a money-spinner. “I’ve been an aquarist since I was a child,” says the 39-year-old. Today, Blue Rocks, an enterprise that specialises in high-end aquariums and the maintaining of aqueous environments, churns out over Rs 50 lakh in annual turnover.
Handa’s real ambition was “to become a pilot. I was active with the NCC in school and managed to get a flying licence from the Delhi Flying Club”. However, his vision did not match up to his dreams and he ended up in a regular college. Then he joined Eureka Forbes, selling vacuum cleaners and water filters. “The incentive was that the company rewarded successful salesmen with financing to purchase two-wheelers — an object of desire for any red-blooded 20-year-old!” he quips. That was the first target he set and within three months, he owned his first bike.
Handa was a team leader within six months and when he eventually left after a four-year stint, he was assistant branch manager. Those years were a learning experience; he regularly cracked Rs 1 lakh-plus in monthly sales. His salary, including commissions, added up to Rs 15,000-Rs 20,000, a tidy sum in the early 1990s. He also doubled as an LIC agent, selling policies to add another income stream. “Selling insurance was respectable then, unlike today, when everyone despises agents,” he reminiscences.
But disillusionment set in when he realised his efforts were earning more for the company than for him. “Of course I was getting the experience but I wanted everything — money, material comforts. I figured that I’d have to do something dramatic to make it big. So, I quit,” he says. It was a tough decision for a middle-class boy who had everything going for him. “Blue Rocks was born sometime in 1992. I started with no capital. I liked pets and an uncle had given me a book on fish, and I took to the business like well, a fish to water.” recalls Handa.
The initial months were very hard but Handa taught himself the art of making aquariums at home. His direct-selling exposure led him to conclude that there was a demand for high-end aquariums and maintenance services. “People are keen to have aquariums and want to know about the fish, but they don’t have the time to maintain them,” says Handa. He set about making cold calls and door-to-door visits armed with sketches and ideas. “I wasn’t seeking favours; I was trying to sell the life-enriching experience of having fish for pets.”
The orders began to trickle in, one by one, by word-of-mouth. Handa believes that his commitment to providing total solutions was the clincher. “I do not commoditise. I deliver an aquarium; I take care of the fish, the feed, the filters, the plants, the air pumps, the whole works.” His passion keeps him involved in everything from location to the lighting, the background and the aesthetics. “It is an art form — it is not about filling a tank and releasing some fish into it.”
His aquariums are unusual, perhaps unique. He may for instance, start with a 7’x2.5’x1.5’ tank (650-litre capacity) with three to four fish species and complete aquatic addons. “Fish do well in long tanks where they have a wide span to move, there should be a lot of water and space. You cannot stock a tank with fish that start fighting.” His aquariums don't come cheap: the larger installations start at over Rs 1 lakh. “Aquariums and fish are a passion, and though the entry cost may be high, fish are low-maintenance pets.” he explains.
Handa has installed over 400 custom aquariums in and around Delhi and he caters to many corporate clients. He offers annual maintenance contracts (AMC). Under the AMC, he is on call. On field visits, he replenishes fish feeds, cleans tanks, checks filters, air pumps and the state of health of the fish. If the fish die, he replaces them, for free!
Of course, the costs are built into the AMC, which cost between Rs 10,000 and Rs 30,000 (depending on the tank and add-ons). “It was tricky negotiating, but most aquarium owners prefer it. It guarantees regular maintenance and for me it’s a hobby that pays. The fact that I guarantee replacement if the fish dies, makes them realise how professional I am,” he explains.
The AMC offers regular revenue streams and helps him to stay in touch with potential clients. “My business is not out of a shop, it relies on word-of-mouth. My satisfied customers are the best testimony.” His visits help Handa spread the gospel about aquariums not being pre-fabricated structures. His presentations are slick. “Initially, when prospective clients wanted to see samples, I would refer to aquariums I had put up at previously. Now I have audio-visual presentations.”
A key factor in Handa’s success is his ability to deliver on high service standards. Blue Rocks is a one-man army: Handa makes the tanks single-handed, hiring skilled labour only if required. “I use the same labour to transport and help me handle minor issues, otherwise I don’t need anyone,” he smiles. Most fishermen are solitary creatures and Handa lives up to that stereotype. Besides cutting costs and saving on over-heads, he prefers to work on his own. It keeps his art a secret.
