Rajan overseas: an entrepreneurial quest for growth

Abstract

On the evening of 31st May 2017, Mr. Rajan Makhija, the founder CEO of Rajan Overseas-a private company that exports soft goods like rugs, cushions, throws etc., was unusually busy working in his office as it seemed to be a special day for his company. He had just completed his largest ever order with Design Importers (DI), a supplier to Amazon-a major e-commerce company in the US, yet he was far from happy. As he sat down to enjoy his evening cup of tea, on his screen was an email he had received from the Supplier Relationship Manager of DI. As per the email, Rajan Overseas couldn’t continue to do business with DI’s competitors; else it risked losing business with DI. DI was asking for an exclusive partnership with Rajan Overseas Ltd. The email came as a shock to Rajan’s expansion plans for his business, which did not seem possible without the help of other suppliers both in the USA as well as European countries. Rajan had to decide whether to continue with DI or part ways with DI and try out new suppliers. The decision was not easy as more than 25% of the firm’s sales were being done via DI. Looking outside his window, Rajan recollected his journey as a young and enthusiastic entrepreneur. Beginning with limited resources, Rajan Overseas was able to register sales of Rs. 7.6 crore* in the previous year by exporting soft goods like rugs, cushions, throws, etc. to ten different countries. On his table was a small note that said, ‘100 crores – 2022’. Concerned about expanding his business, he was perplexed with what the future would have in store for him.