Hailing from a small village in Maharashtra, Aditya Lonari has always been fond of the computer and the wonders it can do. But Lonari never got the kind of exposure in the field of computers back in his village which is why he had to move to Pune and study here.
“All along while I was studying to be an engineer in Pune, the one thing that never got out of my mind was that there are so many people just like me, who want to pursue certain things back in their village, but due to lack of opportunities and infrastructure, they are compelled to leave their homes and families, and adapt to a new atmosphere,” says Lonari, who recently won the Winners of Worthiness (WOW) award in Pune.
The annual WOW awards, which are presented by Bliss Equity — a monthly lifestyle and wellness magazine, recognises the work done by entrepreneurs, actors, directors, social activists, authors and others. This year, Lonari won the WOW award in the ‘Ambitious Young Entrepreneur’ category. Talking about this recognition, he says, “It certainly is a benchmark and I feel honoured that I was chosen for it. It feels really good when people notice your efforts.”
Shobhaa Arya, owner and founder of WOW, gave away the award. Winning the award has given Lonari an additional boost to perform well. He not only wants a better life for him and his parents back in his village but he also wants to give youngsters there a better opportunity to grow and do well in life. “I have always had the desire and determination to develop my village which is why I got a degree and started my software company. I strongly believe that digital literacy is the way forward,” he says.
Lonari, who founded Skiver IT Solution in 2014, caters to backend software solutions, right from developing apps to setting up websites for companies or clients and giving them a headstrong start in the digital space. Currently, the company has a strong team of nine people. Lonari points out that hard work and dedication of the entire team helped them open branches in Pune, Nashik and Aurangabad.
But success doesn’t come easy. He says that there are times when it becomes really challenging to run a company, but what matters is how strong is your team and the bonding. “Being a young boss I have learnt that working as a team is really beneficial, so we have a friendly set-up rather than a hierarchical structure at our workplace,” says Lonari adding that the performance of employees determines the performance of a company but all this depends on how the employees gel with each other. “This is one of the reasons that I decided to keep my relationship with my colleagues more friendly than bossy, and it definitely has helped us learn from each other and perform as a team,” he says.
He mentions that since most of his staff members come from humble backgrounds, what really clicks with all of them is the fact, that they too, just like him, want to do something for their families back in their hometown or village, and make a difference in the lives of other youngsters and bring about a positive change in society.
When asked about his immediate plans when it comes to his company, Lonari says that currently they have two software products that will be launched in March and April, which will cater to tracking services for tours and travel companies.
