Leaders

Knowing precisely what you want to achieve in life early on and working towards it is something that Vrinda Gupta, Managing Director of Vazir Group, considers as the foundation for a promising career. Working in the immigration industry might not be the easiest for a woman; however, Vrinda has defied all odds to achieve great heights within the sector. Her success as an immigration consultant can be attributed to her personal experience as a student on the lookout for employment overseas, extensive industry research and unflinching hard work.

Happy to be a part of the industry, Vrinda considers selflessly helping her clients move to their dream destination as her most significant achievement. Her journey has been full of learning as she started from scratch and has a long way to go.

In an extensive interview with the Women Entrepreneur Magazine team, Vrinda sheds light on her exciting professional journey that began in Delhi, had a pit stop in the UK and eventually brought her to UAE. Here are choice excerpts from the conversation.

Take Us Through Your Early Educational Journey And Prior Industry Experience. What Motivated You To Venture Into The Immigration Industry?

I completed my schooling in India, New Delhi post which I moved to London for my under graduation from Cass Business school. I studied business management which helped me explore my strengths & weaknesses. I soon realized that marketing was the right fit for me and I joined the University of Bath for a master's degree in marketing.

Since I had studied in the UK, I wanted to gain work experience elsewhere, so I began applying for jobs. During the process, I realized that not many companies were open to hiring international students owing to strict rules and extra taxes. Naturally, many companies would give priority to individuals possessing British citizenship. This led me to realize how having a particular nationality and passport can bring its own set of hindrances. I started researching the prevalent industries that had higher growth potential. The kind of companies that dominated were immigration, recruitment, and investment. What followed was my personal experience coupled with extensive research about this industry. I studied the growth potential & demand which led me to join the immigration industry.

Tell Us About The Various Roles That You Play Within Vazir Group? In Terms Of The Leading These Responsibilities, What Are Some Of The Most Pressing Business Challenges That Way Face? 

Currently, under the Vazir Group, I head several departments ranging from sales to marketing to all parts of HR accounting. Being the Managing Director of the company, I handle multiple offices in Canada, Delhi, Chandigarh, and UAE. My responsibility is to manage and overlook the activities of all my teams. However, I believe that an area where my true expertise lie is marketing.

As a start-up, one of the pressing challenges that we face is expansion. Although we witness ample demand coming in from UAE, yet we see more demand coming in from India. This has left us wanting to establish a presence there as well. However, I can physically only be in one part of the world. While new-age digital technologies have helped us overcome these challenges to some extent, yet not being physically present in all these branches makes it challenging to manage things efficiently. Despite numerous tries, traveling has been limited which has been a major challenge.

“Take the first step, keep working hard you will achieve what you put your mind to”

With The Rules And Regulations In The Industry Constantly Changing, How Do You Keep Yourself Well Aligned With The Periodic Evolutions In The Industry And The Tech World?

A huge part of being in the immigration industry is `research'. We work with multiple organizations and agents, so every employee, including me, needs to research the changes. It is crucial to be aware of precisely what is happening with each program that we offer in order for us to get better and be successful.

In Your Opinion, How Big Of A Market Opportunity Do You Foresee For The Immigration Consulting Industry? Are There Any Specific Trends That You See Developing Within The Industry That You Deem Impactful? 

The immigration industry has tremendous scope with regards to growth potential.

Post pandemic, we saw a tremendous increase in demand from our clients because they realized the importance of having a plan B. For instance, when it comes to citizenship or getting a golden visa, people realize having these travel documents or having a second passport helps them because it's equivalent to having a second plan for themselves and their entire family.

On an individual level as well, currently people are keener to go out, work and travel more than ever. This need is what has pushed a remarkable rise in demand for our services.

With Respect To The Growth Opportunities, How Are You Driving Growth Within Vazir Group? What Is Your Vision For The Company's Growth Trajectory Going Forward? 

The pandemic made us realize that while digital means of communication do work, but clients feel better when the service provider is present in the same geographical area as them. This prompted us to establish offices in Delhi and Chandigarh because these two areas showcased higher demand. We witnessed growth in closure rate or people coming in and wanting to work with us. I hold a similar vision concerning the future of the company.

We are currently working towards building a tech portal that will allow people from every part of the world to work with us by digitally. We intend to expand to the global market, primarily through Asia, with the Indian market being the focus.

What Would Your Advice Be To Young Women Who Aspire To Become Business Leaders In The Future?

An advice that I would like to give to aspiring women leaders is to take the first step. Taking the lead is always the hardest, but one should not be scared once you set your mind to it. Once you take that first step, everything falls into place. It'll take handwork and determination, but the key is to keep going.

Vrinda Gupta, Managing Director, Vazir Group

Vrinda Gupta serves as the Managing Partner at Vazir Group. Besides managing the company's overall direction and strategy, Vrinda personally assists applicants and clients in their pursuit for global opportunities and easy global access.