In My Own Words

I've spent 50 years building businesses. I'd like to share what I've learned.

I’m Ravi Somani. Alongside running my own businesses, I spend some of my time meeting students and young professionals who want to understand what building a business actually involves — and guiding a few people through decisions I’ve already had to make myself.

ACROSS:

Timber & Plywood

High Security Number Plates

Food Manufacturing

Exports (Handicrafts, Garments & Agro Processing)

Aquaculture

Healthcare

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FOR STUDENTS: WORKSHOPS

Honorary Doctorate in Innovation, 2026 · Featured on ET Now & in ET Insights

FROM THE LEDGER

“I don’t have all the answers. But I’ve been through enough rounds to help you avoid a few of the common mistakes.”

— Ravi Somani

50 Years

Building Businesses

Practical Guidance

Real decisions

Multiple Industries

Real Business Experience

Long-term thinking

Beyond one generation

A LITTLE ABOUT ME

Why I'm doing this

I’ve built most of what I’ve built gradually — starting in timber and plywood trading with my family, and slowly expanding into exports, food manufacturing, aquaculture, and healthcare.

None of it happened quickly, and very little of it happened the way I originally planned. Each industry taught me something the previous one hadn’t.

Alongside running these businesses, I’ve started spending some time each month with students and young professionals — sharing what I’ve learned, and helping a few people think through the decisions in front of them. This isn’t something I do full-time, and it isn’t a business in itself. My own ventures still take up most of my time. It’s simply something I enjoy doing when I can.

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YEARS EXPERIENCE

DIVERSE SECTORS

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MENTORSHIP SESSIONS

“The more we share, the more we all grow.”

— RAVI SOMANI

MY EXPERIENCE

A brief account of what I've worked on

Here’s a straightforward look at the businesses and industries I’ve been part of over the years.

WHERE I STARTED

Timber & Plywood

I began in my family’s timber and plywood trading business — my first real experience of running something end to end.

EXPORTS & AGRO PROCESSING

1988 — Utsav Exim

I founded Utsav Exim to export handicrafts and garments/textiles. Over time, this grew into turnkey agro-processing projects — small and medium-sized plants — supplied mainly to African countries.

HIGH-SECURITY PLATES

Automobile Trade

My work has also included the manufacturing and supply of high-security number plates, part of a broader involvement in automobile-related trade.

QOOT FOOD & QUIPPS

Food Manufacturing

I built Qoot Food as a private-label and contract manufacturing company for cookies, snacks, and baked goods. Quipps followed, as a clean-label snack brand closer to how I believe food should be made.

HAPPY FEEDS

Aquaculture

I set up a floating fish feed manufacturing plant, one of the first of its kind in Rajasthan, backing sustainable aquaculture.

MEDICS / TRANSFORM HEALTHCARE

Healthcare

I’ve also been involved in healthcare ventures, extending my interests beyond food and manufacturing.

SUPPORTING CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL NEEDS

Different Strokes

Alongside my businesses, I started an NGO supporting children with special needs — something that has shaped how I think about running any organisation.

SOME BRANDS I'VE WORKED WITH

A few of the brands my manufacturing units have supplied over the years.

WHAT I CAN SHARE

Topics I typically cover

Depending on what you’re working through, here’s the kind of ground we’d cover together.

Building a manufacturing
business from scratch

What it took to go from one product line to a fullyrunning facility.

Working with larger B2B clients

What earning and keeping that kind of trust actually involves.

Exports and international trade

Lessons from building supply chains through Utsav Exim.

Moving between industries

How I’ve approached starting over in a field I didn’t know yet.

Compliance and quality as part of growth

How certifications and standards have shaped my businesses, not slowed them down.

Thinking long-term about a business

Decisions around succession, structure, and building beyond a single generation.

WAYS TO WORK WITH ME

Two ways I currently make time for this

I keep both of these limited, since this sits alongside my own businesses rather than in place of them.

01 / PRIVATE

1:1 Consultation

For those looking for an experienced guide

If you’re working through a specific business decision and would value an outside perspective from someone who’s navigated similar ground, I’m happy to set aside time for a conversation.

Setting up manufacturing or production

Working with larger or first-time B2B clients

Exports and international trade

Family business transitions

Here’s how a 1:1 consultation works:

Step 1 —
Pay a contribution of ₹500 directly to Muskaan, an independent NGO close to my heart, using the payment link below.

Step 2 —
Share a screenshot of your payment with us on E-MAIL.

Step 3 —
Fill in the Enquiry Form with your details.

Step 4 —
Our team will confirm your consultation date and time.

Explore Muskaan →

Pay on Muskaan NGO →

Request a Consultation

02 / STUDENTS

Workshops

For students exploring a career in business

These sessions are meant for students and young people who are still studying and want to understand what building a business actually looks like — beyond what’s taught in a classroom.

Open to students currently studying

Small groups, in person

Built around real questions, not a fixed syllabus

Fill in the interest form and I’ll follow up with the dates directly.

Fill the Interest Form

A FEW RECOGNITIONS ALONG THE WAY

Some coverage and recognition over the years

AIFPA — All India Food Processors Association

ET Now —
Media Appearance

Economic Times Edge — Icons of India's Food Systems

ET Insights — Press Feature

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Honorary Doctorate in Innovation (2026)

American East Coast University

I was honored with an Honorary Doctorate in Innovation in Packaged Food Production by American East Coast University in recognition of my contributions to food manufacturing innovation and responsible industrial development.