The skill of public speaking is a must for any entrepreneur, believes the founder of the Rs 93-crore telecom and security solutions company Matrix Comsec. Not a natural orator, he confesses, he has had to work consciously at becoming comfortable when speaking at business conferences. We put him to a quick wit test with our rapid fire questions.

What company do you not want to start but wish someone else would?
A company for designing and manufacturing medical devices. Health care is a huge market in India and it is high time we leverage our own potential rather than import medical equipments.

Describe your power outfit:
Formal shirt and trousers with a dark-coloured blazer

What’s the toughest part of being in charge?
When you are running your own company, there is always something new happening. You have to be agile and adapt to changes very fast.

What part of your job would you gladly give up?
Deleting spam mails from travel companies and banks everyday in the morning.

What was the hardest lesson you learnt during your first year in business?
I started Matrix at the age of 26. I was quite over enthusiastic and believed I could run the company with my own skills without investing in infrastructure and resources. That obviously didn’t happen and it slowed the company’s growth in the first few years.

Who gives you the best advice?
Good advice can come from anyone irrespective of their background, profession or age. You just have to keep your ears open and listen.

What is the best advice you have given your children?
That the world may seem to be unfair but there is no need to be sceptical and guarded all the time. Be trustworthy and trust people and it will be easier to form genuine relationships.

Whom would you trade places with for a day?
Tennis player Roger Federer. I would love to play tennis like him.

What’s the best motivator for employees?
Continuous learning and growth—professional and monetary, both. If these two things are in place, people are mostly satisfied.

If you could time travel, where would you be right now?
Watching the 2014 Grand Slam in New York