Ideas are stress busters for this workaholic

BUSINESS WOMEN OF GUJARAT/ Ruzan Khambatta

I do not really need an alarm clock, the phone is my alarm, says this businesswoman, who has tried her hand at almost everything connected with information technology "" software programming, multimedia, webpage and website designing and even an Internet service provider.

That's Ruzan Khambatta, director, E-Comm Opportunities, who works until midnight and finds it difficult to get up early next morning. Khambatta says her day begins with the phone ringing, but she always makes it a point to go through as many newspapers as possible.

"Even while I am doing other things, the thought process about my work is always on. I always work on plans to improvise, to do something different," says Khambatta.

Her day at the office begins only after noon, but she sometimes makes it earlier if there is some urgent work.

"Normal office work continues until around 10 pm, and it is for the next two hours or so that I am left to do my own work. In fact, the only time I can speak leisurely to people is after midnight," says Khambatta.

However, amid all these pressures, Khambatta takes time out for meditation and working out. But she prefers not to call the strenuous work hours as pressure.

"Work is a passion. Coming up with new ideas constantly is a hobby of sorts, so I have never really felt the pressures of work," she says.

Khambatta was born into a family of businessmen and that has always helped. Since she was in class X, she has been regularly visiting the Rasna factory when it was first located at Asarwa in Ahmedabad and even after it shifted to Kalol.

"I saw my dad work real hard and was groomed that way. These were positive pressures of sorts," she recollects.

Her first stint in a business of her own began in 1991 when she took up computer programming.

"Programming at that time was a craze and I always considered myself to be a great programmer. In fact, I also made some HR software. Then I took up multimedia, but that passion did not last too long, as a compact disc was not too common and a CD drive usually cost Rs 12,000 upwards.

"The multimedia thing did not quite work, as one among hundred computers had a CD drive fitted on to it," she says.

Ruzan then set up a company called Wizotech, which got into webpage designing and subsequently into website development.

"That was a real good patch in my career, as we developed good contacts with companies at Vatva GIDC in Ahmedabad. In fact, many rival companies too gave contracts to us, as they were sure that we would not share information," she said.

Commenting on the E-Comm project, Khambatta says that she deliberately decided not to adopt the unlimited usage model, and instead went in for the schemes model.

"Yes, we lost a few unlimited usage customers, but gradually we made huge sales, as many users at that time used the Internet merely for checking mails," she says, adding that she loves it when other ISPs imitate schemes initiated by E-Comm.

On her future plans, she added, " We will expand our reach to more areas although there are 'last mile' connectivity problems. We are confident to sort them out." Interestingly, Khambatta is also thinking of starting an NGO for animal welfare.