Germ of an idea: How Zetwerk pivoted to write its Make in India story

Note to Readers: Germ of an Idea is a series about the entrepreneurial idea — how it was conceived, shaped and launched, detailing the early days filled with uncertainty and apprehension, the bold steps taken and the eventual success. The series hopes to inspire thousands of potential Indian entrepreneurs who are on the cusp of starting up or have ventured recently or are in schools and colleges dreaming of turning founders

There is something about pivoting and Acharyas. In his early 40s, Arabinda Acharya left his insurance job in Bhubaneswar to chase his dream to get a doctorate. The mid-career shift to academics proved to be hugely beneficial. At 58, Dharitri Dwivedy started her non-profit which is thriving.

Years later, when their son, Amrit Acharya, had to design a business pivot, it was a case of history repeating itself, and also the beginning of a billion-dollar journey.

Zetwerk, originally thought of as a software as a service (SaaS) business, needed a pivot to succeed. Amrit and his co-founders decided to turn into a B2B manufacturing marketplace. Today, the company is at $2.7 billion