Gaurav Sharma is a force to be reckoned with. Born into a lower-middle-class family in the tier-4 city of Khatauli in western Uttar Pradesh, he epitomizes the quintessential story of struggle and ultimate success. His early life was far from easy; with a family of seven to support and being the only son, he had to start working at the age of 12.
Gaurav’s early jobs were humble, he delivered newspapers in the morning, worked in a public STD PCO, and spent his lone day off laboring in a fruit wholesaler’s market. Despite these difficulties, Gaurav managed to complete his graduation by the age of 35, a testament to his determination and resilience.
Gaurav’s first break came when he joined Palco, a manufacturing firm, as a warehouse storekeeper. This was where he started to shine, moving from a storekeeper to the firm’s best-selling Area Sales Manager in just a few years.
His stellar performance didn’t go unnoticed. Through his childhood friend Shrey Joshi, Gaurav secured an interview with Sony India for the post of Regional Sales Officer, a position he not only secured but also excelled in. During his stint of three years at Sony, he shattered all LED sales records and developed a robust distributor network in western UP.
Gaurav’s next move was to join Amazon, where he made significant contributions in establishing IHS stores throughout UP and the NCR, building a capacity to handle 15,000 packages per day. After a successful three years with Amazon, he ventured into the startup world, joining the early phase stealth startup Wheelseye, where he achieved multiple top performer awards.
But Gaurav had a larger vision for his life. He launched his own company, Road Vision Pvt Limited, that scaled up to monitor 1,000 vehicles. However, the advent of COVID-19 posed challenges that led to the company’s downfall.
Undeterred, Gaurav channeled his entrepreneurial spirit into a new venture – ‘Apni Bakeri.’ Launched in his hometown of Khatauli, ‘Apni Bakeri’ offers 100% eggless and many sugar-free products, maintaining a product line of 21 SKUs with exceptional quality, backed by FSSAI certification.
Today, Gaurav is looking to expand his bakery chain to 25 physical touchpoints within the next six months. He’s inviting investment with starting amounts ranging from 35K to 99K, promising impressive margins and returns. His focus is now on expanding within the northern states of India.
Gaurav Sharma’s journey is a shining example of how grit, determination, and perseverance can turn even the toughest situations around. From the streets of Khatauli to the boardrooms of multinational companies and finally at the helm of his own business, Gaurav has truly proved that the spirit of hustle and hard work can lead to success, irrespective of one’s background.
