Q…How did you step into this field and are you a first generation entrepreneur?
Moqierish: Although I am not a firstgeneration entrepreneur, I am one of those 1% that didn’t chooseentrepreneurship, but entrepreneurship chose me. My mother is a self-createdand established woman, but I was bestowed with an idea and a journey that gaveme an opportunity to impact people’s lives. India Assist is a product that hasthe potential to make a huge impact, this alone was reason enough for me toleave my previous career and embark on the journey of entrepreneurship. Nowthat I have begun this journey, I do not see myself being anything else but anentrepreneur. Regardless of how difficult the journey is, I would chooseentrepreneurship over a corporate career every time.
Q…What is the nature of your business and how did it come into existence?
Moqierish: India Assist is a start-uprevolutionizing the way people travel, specifically working on improving travelexperience of foreigners visiting India. It is an on-call solution providing’Assistance & Distress Management’ service to the foreign tourists. Ourcore product offering is the assistance and distress management service via asubscription-based phone app. We provide help to travelers in India whichincludes verified information and personalized assistance through our on-groundteam in medical emergencies, theft, loss, altercation and transit.
The model of our product is on-groundassistance and human interface and we offer assistance by allocating personnelto the tourist at their live location. We are also constantly working with ourteams to ensure they are compassionate and their moto is to “Help First” andensure the subscriber is put at ease and comforted. The idea was conceived bythe founder of India Assist Harish Khatri when he identified a serious gap inthe current travel and tourism landscape, that of security and activeassistance. Together we founded IndiaAssist to bridge the gap created by lack of a centralized system that couldprovide foreigners in India with a platform that provides verified informationand trusted assistance.
Q. Tell us about your early days and what inspired you to start a venture?
Moqierish: I studied in Delhi throughout my schooling and undergraduate years.After graduating from Sanskriti School with Commerce background, I studied BAMathematics Hons from Miranda House, Delhi University where alongside I pursuedmy passion in sports. My passion however took over my life decisions. During myfirst job at the Commonwealth Games Delhi 2010, I decided to pursue my furtherstudies in sports. Thereafter, I graduated in MSc International SportsManagement from Northumbria University in Newcastle, UK to initiate afull-fledged career in big ticket sports events. My love for sports made merealise that I would do anything to follow my passion and in doing so loveevery minute of hard work and energy put into building something I wanted. Thiswas the epicentre of my inspiration. Once I got associated with India Assist itchanged my outlook towards life. It was easy to leave behind my establishedcareer to start something new that I believed in.
Q..What are your thoughts about women empowerment especially vis-a-vis Kashmir?
Moqierish: I always believed that Kashmiri women are a force to reckon with. I havegrown up watching and looking up to such remarkable women who have made theirmark, with their undeniable resilience and strength, not just in society but inthe world. In today’s day and age, we are seeing women stand up and move to thefrontlines in business, politics, as well as all spectrums of publicspace. This is especially true inKashmir, where strength is born with the women’s movement and consciousness.Women’s empowerment is valuable to me because not only does it allow women totake up space that is constantly denied to them, but also because it gives riseto love and solidarity amongst women.
Q..Entrepreneurs in Kashmir continue to strive despite hurdles. What’s your mantra to success which you would like to share with them?
Moqierish: My success mantra has always been ‘to dream it and do it’. Great leadersare innovative. They look at things differently, and they teach us to look atthings differently. They are also energetic, they can see the whole picture,they have great foresight, and they understand people and business. They arepeople with ethics, integrity, and honesty—and they’re decision-makers. Oneshould learn how and when to say no and delegate. Enjoy what you are doing, andmake sure you are having fun. And don’t be afraid to bring new ideas forward.
Q. Kashmir is also a tourist hub and considering nature of your venture would your company ever be keen to have a presence here?
Moqierish: Absolutely. We aim to cover all corners and parts of India. Kashmir hasso much to offer in terms of tourism, and a product like ours once implementedwith proper care and precision would help increase the tourist inflow into theValley and boost the tourism based economy.
Q….What are your key hobbies apart from work?
Moqierish: I play basketball and other outdoor sports during the week. I enjoy anactive personal, work and social lifestyle and intermediately takeopportunities to roll back from technology and rejuvenate and work on myself.Reading during off time is a great way for me to keep the mind active. There isno better feeling than the one of constant growth.
Q…What are your future business plans and how big do you see yourself making it in India’s corporate sector as a woman entrepreneur in next 5 years?
Moqierish: Our near future business plans entail creating an eco-system forforeigners arriving in India and becoming a most reliable information andassistance platform for them while they travel within the country. They shouldbe able to enjoy the better side of India and just in case they get into anydistress, we are there to help them and make their trip stress-free.
At micro level we want the states to adoptthis model (UP Assist, Rajasthan Assist etc) and at a macro level we want toventure into other countries as well.
In the next 5 years I see India Assistgroomed and built into the next unicorn start-up from India, making pathbreaking advancements in the service industry through technology enabledsolutions. Alongside, India Assist, I hope that I would have built myself andgathered enough knowledge and experience and still have courage to keepinnovating and challenging myself.
Q…Be a job creator and not a seeker.. How much do you believe in this?
Moqierish: A job seeker means working for others dreams, being satisfied with whatis given, following process instead of thoughts, not challengingself-capabilities enough and being taken care of rather taking care for others.But when you become job creator, you define many things. You create jobopportunities for others. You bring innovation and try to make that innovationrelevant to people and create an impact on community development. You bringeconomic integration of outsiders and create global environment and in a wayenhance the standard of living for society at large.
Job creator also promotes research anddevelopment which help mankind to be prepared for future challenges.