Who is the New World For?

 My friends,  

You’ve come this early morning of the New Year to listen to a talk. my heartfelt thanks for that.  

The topic given to me is “Who is the New World For?”

As the founder of Arthamandapam and a consultant for several businesses, I wish to share my thoughts on who the new world truly belongs to.  

You may have read the case study of an American company that sent two people to Africa to study if a shoe business could succeed there. Both saw the same situation. most people there didn’t wear shoes. One said, “No market here.” The other said, “Huge opportunity”. Both told the truth. One saw a ‘problem’, the other saw ‘possibility’. The new world belongs to those who can see “opportunity hidden inside every problem” 

As the great Vijaya Publications owner Mr. Velayudham, who rose from a grocery store boy to winning the Town Hall, once said:  “Opportunities float in the air; only the capable breathe them in.”

After World War II, many new millionaires emerged in America. Big houses, cars, gardens, and pet dogs became status symbols. One large company launched dog food with a massive ad campaign. The first month it sold well. The second month, half as much. By the third, barely anything. When they studied the reason, it was simple: “dogs didn’t like the food” 

We businesspeople often keep shouting for people to buy what we sell. But people don’t like being ‘sold’ to; they like to ‘buy’. If salesmen in a supermarket push us too much, it ruins the joy of shopping. Selling is not forcing someone to buy.  Sales is understanding the customer’s need, helping them make the right choice, and solving their problem. In this century, those who help others buy will win, not those who only try to sell.  

If you look at Indian companies that are over a hundred years old, one common feature stands out that is “business with ethics”. Profit alone can’t sustain success. Empires like Greece, Rome, and Great Britain rose and fell. But Arabs, Jews, Jains, and Tamils still thrive in business, rooted in moral values. As our literature says, “Business has limits; business ethics do not.”

Starting a business should mean more than survival. If survival is all you want, a salaried job is enough. True entrepreneurs build institutions that grow and outlive them. Problems come in every size of business. We must still go out and face them bravely.  

I have seen friends in Tiruppur who were pioneers in mobile shops lose out to newer companies that invested in people, technology, and marketing. The reason? No scaling mindset, no adaptation, and no ambition beyond comfort. The moment we say “This is enough,” we start locking our own business growth.  

The ‘power of compounding’ is well known. Related to that is the science of paper folding.  If you could fold a newspaper 42 times, its thickness would reach the moon! Similarly, when you multiply your resources and people wisely, possibilities expand beyond imagination. Look at brands like Hot Breads, Naturals, Adyar Ananda Bhavan, SSVM Institutions, Aladipattiyan — examples of how continuous reinvestment brings growth. A well from which you draw keeps flowing; one that’s neglected begins to rot.  

As parents, we all wish to give our children what we didn’t have and hope they reach heights we couldn’t. But do we have the same level of expectation from ourselves?  

Our ancestors lived in the License Raj. We live in the Startup Era. We have moved far beyond times when caste and background decided one’s business. Today, justice, education,technology and banking are accessible to everyone. We have tools our forefathers never dreamed of - smartphones, the internet, infrastructure, transport. Yet we have not achieved even half of what they did with so little. Remember, our ancestors traded Elephants, pottery, and silk with Greeks, Arabs, and Chinese thousands of years ago. They are now watching us and wondering how far we will go standing on their shoulders. 

The world renews itself every day. When we study what endures over time, the answer is always ‘Excellence’. Products and organizations that pursue excellence in every detail last long and serve humanity. Mediocrity fades away. The rule is simple - deliver the best quality at the right price.  

So, the ‘new world’ opens its doors to those who:  

• See every challenge as an opportunity.  
• Understand customer needs.  
• Do business with ethics and integrity.  
• Aim to grow and expand.  
• Commit to excellence in everything we do.  

And this is my daily prayer:  

“Lord, give me eyes to see the reality, wisdom to understand it, and strength to break through it to create a new history.”

May God grant you that strength too. Thank you.

#selventhiran #Business #Arthamandapam #Scale #marketing #Advertising #Entrepreneurship 

(Guest lecture at Action Taker Community on 01-01-2026)