Asian Journal of Management Cases, Ahead of Print.
This case describes a situation where Vivek Vyas and Vimal Popat, first-generation entrepreneurs, started their venture shradhanajali.com in June 2011 by bootstrapping with an initial investment of ₹1.5 million. The monthly revenues ranged between ₹65,000 and ₹80,000. Shradhanjali.com garnered customers from major parts of India, the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and Africa, whose primary need was to relive memories of their loved ones and pass on their legacy to their descendants. It was in 2018 when Vyas and Popat, co-founders of shradhanjali.com, were in their office at Rajkot, Gujarat, reading a report by The Internet and Mobile Association of India, which claimed that the number of online users would rise to more than half a billion by 2018. Looking at the report, Popat told Vyas that their goal to have 20,000 subscribers by 2020 could be fulfilled by expanding their presence in different parts of India and by rolling out a mobile application, to which Vyas mentioned finding a way to enter the global market as the population of overseas Indians was 30,843,419 as of December 2016.The purpose of this case is to provide an opportunity for the participants to step into the shoes of Vyas and Popat and to plan a way towards the growth strategy of shradhanjali.com by answering what route should be adopted in order to achieve the goal of 20,000 subscribers till 2020 (expanding presence in India and/or in the global markets). This case is also ideal for teaching the Business Model Canvas, which is fast gaining centre-stage for modern enterprises. The instructors are advised to use role-play and structured discussions to find the solution. Participants are to consider the data given on shradhajali.com, make assumptions and devise a solution for Vyas and Popat.