Structured interaction with PGPFMB alumnus Mr. Keyur Mehta

Friday arrived with a sense of anticipation—and for participants of the PGPFMB Batch 38, it truly felt like a First Day, First Show. The screen lit up at the ‘Family Friday’ session with business hero Mr. Keyur Mehta, alumnus of PGPFMB Batch 21 and Managing Director of Savvy Care and Cosmetics Pvt Ltd. The opening scene wasn’t about glamour or overnight success; instead, Mr Mehta began with an honest trailer of the setbacks, struggles, and hard decisions that shaped his journey.

‘Family Friday’ is a signature PGPFMB initiative that brings students face-to-face with alumni who are active contributors to the industry and the family business ecosystem. These structured interactions offer real-world insights, lived experiences, and practical wisdom that textbooks often miss.

Mr. Mehta took the audience back to when he was just 17 years old, when he was asked to begin his journey by managing the store department, which is where he learned the business from its very foundations. Taking over the third-generation family enterprise in 2012, even before completing his graduation, he emphasised the importance of grounding oneself in operations before aspiring for scale. He shared simple yet powerful fundas—from realising the non-negotiable need to sell 20,000 units every single day, to identifying who truly matters in the organisation, recognising bottlenecks, and reducing time delays to drive efficiency.

A pivotal moment in his journey came during his time at the FMB programme, when a professor asked him a seemingly simple question: What is the problem in your organisation? Initially convinced there was none, Mr Mehta carried the question back to his business—until he uncovered a critical risk. The company was overly dependent on exports to a single country and vulnerable to price volatility. Addressing this, he diversified exports to six additional countries, significantly strengthening the business.

He spoke about applying frameworks like the 5 Whys—adding a few of his own through introspection—and learning all aspects of a business: banking, debt management, and the importance of fully understanding every document signed. His advice was clear—business owners must know exactly what they are committing to. Looking ahead, he urged students to think futuristically: stay informed about global trade, imports, government regulations, and the laws of the land. In today’s interconnected world, every policy shift has a ripple effect on local businesses.

He concluded with a thought-provoking adage: in business, one must be a jack of all trades and master of none—understanding credit, GST, imports, exports, duty structures, technology, and customised systems to truly stay in control. The session unfolded into an engaging Q&A, with students eagerly raising questions on taxation, GST recovery, navigating downturns, and sustaining businesses through uncertainty. Mr Mehta listened patiently and responded with depth and clarity, ensuring every doubt was addressed. This was a Friday hit with lessons worth carrying back to the real world.