Let there be light!

Famous novelist Paulo Coelho once said, “When you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.” These were mere words for young aspiring men from Punjab, Sandeep and Ajay until they got an idea as well as their miracle. It was in 2015 that these two friends thought of setting up an LED manufacturing unit called ALW Lighting. To understand the functioning as well as the processes of the industry better, the two wrote to the Make in India query portal for guidance. When the query reached Invest India, the operational arm of Make in India, the team understood that these two budding entrepreneurs need help. Instead of just answering the query and dusting their hands off the case, team Invest India decided to help the two with setting up their business.

When Sandeep and Ajay received a phone call from Invest India they were overjoyed. This was a help they wished for but never sought. The duo was called in for a meeting and a team was formed to assist them with the setup of the unit. They were first made aware of the electronic manufacturing clusters and the benefits provided. A meeting was set-up for them with DeitY to understand how the company will be able to comply with the electronics manufacturing policy.

ALW Lighting was then provided with the necessary support for creation of negotiating platform with the state government of Punjab. Sandeep and Ajay wouldn’t have ever thought that the idea they had in mind will take shape at such a rapid pace. With the support of Invest Punjab they got all the registrations and licenses for the project and by April 2016 the company became operational. Within 8 months of sending their query, the company was up and running in Ludhiana, offering employment to 17 people and also receiving 50% FDI for their project. Now that’s really what a miracle looks like to an entrepreneur.