Exclusive Interview with Mr. Govindraj Muthyalu, CEO, Cashpundit Inc.

In this issue, we are extremely happy to feature the exclusive interview of Mr. Govindraj Muthyalu, CEO, Cashpundit Inc.  

  

Cashpundit is the world’s first cloud based Cash Flow Management Software. Cashpundit identifies potential shortfall in cash balances in advance so that businesses can take necessary action to avoid cash flow problems. It helps CFOs to know exactly where they stand when it comes to their cash flows.

Govindraj, the Founder and CEO of Cashpundit, is a CPA, CIA and CISA, and has more than 25 years of finance, accounting, and IT experience.  He has worked as a Financial Controller and a CFO of many multi-million dollar companies in Middle East. He has lot of experience in designing systems and implementing ERP packages in various industries. 

Cashpundit has won 7 international awards and has been a finalist in 5 international award programs.

Origiin: It is a great pleasure to interact with you and publish your thoughts in this interview.

Mr. Govindraj Muthyalu:

It’s a great honor for Cashpundit to be featured in Origiin’s newsletter.  It’s my pleasure to interact with Origiin which is a very reputed IP newsletter.

Origiin: Tell us about your journey as the CEO of Cashpundit Inc.

Mr. Govindraj Muthyalu:

Journey of a start-up CEO is like a roller coaster ride and fraught with lots of challenges. There are deadlines to be met, customers to be acquired, finances to be managed, partnerships to be developed, new features to be added to the product, customers to be supported, and new technologies to be incorporated. A startup will not have enough resources and the CEO will have to wear many hats depending on the situation. I have worn the hats of Receptionist, Secretary, Salesman, Accountant, HR manager, General Manager, and CEO.  I am ably supported by a dedicated, committed and motivated team who is also ready to take up the responsibility and face the challenges.

Origiin: How did you come up with the idea to develop such an innovative tool? When was the first time this idea struck your mind?

Mr. Govindraj Muthyalu:

Cash flow is the life blood of all businesses. The number one reason why businesses go bust is they run out of cash. However, if you ask any CFO how they manage their cash flows, almost all of them will say that they prepare it manually in Excel. CFOs across the world have been struggling to manage cash flows.  I was also finding it difficult to manage cash flows of businesses wherever I was working.  I looked for a software which could help businesses to manage their cash flows, but I could not find any software in the market.  I spoke to my professional colleagues and all of them said that they were also facing the same problem. That’s when the idea of developing Cashpundit struck me.

As per Dun & Bradstreet there are 235 million businesses across 200 countries in the world. I am sure almost all these businesses generate cash flow statements manually in excel.

Origiin:  We would like to understand your point of view regarding the impact of the current amendments that have taken place related to Software patents.

Mr. Govindraj Muthyalu:

The patent office has recognized the importance of start-ups and has come up with amendments which encourage start-ups to apply for patents. The patent office fees for start-ups now is much lower compared to other entities, and a startup can now opt for expedited examination.

Moreover, in line with the changing times, current amendment provides the option of holding hearing via video conferencing.   This is a big relief for patent practitioners. I think, the current amendments are in line with the changing times.

Origiin: With so much competition increasing in the providers for online money management tools, what makes Cashpundit different from its peers?

Mr. Govindraj Muthyalu:

Cashpundit is like a CRM for Cash Flow Management, and we call it a CFM. Most of the existing CRMs in the market focus mainly on Sales, Marketing, Receivables, Customer Service / Support space. There are very few CRMs that focus on Cash Flow Management. Moreover, most of the CRMs that focus on cash flow management require users to either enter the data manually or upload the data using excel. Very few CRMs can sync with the accounting softwares and fetch the data directly from the accounting softwares. Cashpundit syncs with accounting softwares and fetches the required data directly without having the need to manually upload the data. 

The following unique features make the Cashpundit’s CFM solution unique.

·         Generates detailed projected cash flow statement on daily, weekly and monthly basis.

·         Provides reminders to follow-up overdue invoices.

·         Sends automatic emails reminders before and after the due date until the invoices are paid.

·         Automatically emails statement of accounts to customers.

·         Provides sales person-wise comparison of actual sales versus budgeted sales for the month and year to month.

·         Projects cash inflows and outflows based on Sales and Purchase Forecast.

·         Maintains invoice-wise history of communication with customers and vendors

·         Provides restricted access to salesman to follow-up and send statement of accounts to their customers.

·         Projects receivables and payables statements based on Invoice Due dates, Payment Cycle dates & promised dates.

·         Manages Post Dated Checks (PDC’s) received and issued. This feature is not available even in ERPs.

·         Provides list of invoices which are overdue but have not been followed up so far.

·         Provides reminders to inform credit insurance whenever a credit insured customer defaults.

We have recently launched Cashpundit’s App for CEOs, CFOs and CXOs. This app provides a snap shot of important reports and helps them in monitoring their receivables and sales on a daily basis on their mobile devices.

Origiin: Tell us about a time when you faced some sort of overwhelming challenge at work and how you overcame it.

Mr. Govindraj Muthyalu:

When I started the company I had thought that it would be easy to sell the product. But when I started approaching the finance heads, everybody expressed their concern about the safety and security of their data on the cloud. All my explanations and assurances regarding the safety of their data did not allay their fears.  As a result, I was unable to get my first order even after 3 months of my full time effort.  My team was getting demotivated and had started thinking that Cashpundit would not take off.  I was very confident that Cashpundit was a unique product and did not want to give up.  Since the main concern of the customers was security of their data, we went back to the drawing board and started evaluating what kind of additional security features we could offer. We also looked at other cloud companies and the security features that they offered, and incorporated those security features also into our software. Moreover, we changed our hosting provider to Amazon, which is the number one cloud hosting company.  Once we did this, we got our first order immediately.

Origiin: Thank you so much for your valuable inputs and time spared for Origiin. I am sure our readers will thoroughly enjoy it. Wish you all the best for all your future endeavors.

Mr. Govindraj Muthyalu:

Thank you, it was my pleasure.

Exclusive Interview with Mr. Chaitanya Allidona, Founder Director, CHALLIDO Software Services and innovator of IdeaHub.

In this issue, we are extremely happy to feature the exclusive interview of Mr. Chaitanya Allidona, Founder Director, CHALLIDO Software Services and innovator of IdeaHub.

Chaitanya Allidona, with over 10 years of experience Software design and Development, served Product and services organizations, founded CHALLIDO, a startup from Bangalore, India developing unique Innovation Management platform with concepts and algorithms to help Businesses build a culture of innovation across organization. Our vision is to make innovation day to day culture in every organization with our platform and algorithms to Share, Collaborate, create POC for an idea, Showcase Idea to the Management

Origiin: It is a great pleasure to interact with you and publish your thoughts in this interview.

Mr. Chaitanya Allidona: Thank you for featuring IdeaHub in Origiin Newsletter. It’s a great pleasure to be recognized by such an esteemed organization to showcase IdeaHub.

Origiin: How did you come up with such an innovative product? When was the first time this idea struck your mind?

Mr. Chaitanya Allidona: Over 10 years of my experience in multiple organization as a software professional, I had been involved in building a culture of sharing ideas and innovation methods internally with tailored approach best suited work culture of the organization. This helped me to come up with a new and unique innovation approach with Machine algorithms, helping any organization to build a culture of innovation across the organization irrespective of the geographic dependencies and inter team collaboration.

Origiin: How many iterations did it take to develop the idea from initial concept to the current product?

Mr. Chaitanya Allidona: It took us 2 iterations of about 6 months each to come up with algorithms and innovation concepts based on our experiences to make it easy for employees, management to share ideas, identify top ideas, and take idea to POC stage. Our platform removes all the blockages we see in achieving innovation culture and make innovation a day to day phenomenon. We apply the principles of IdeaHub to develop the platform and algorithms itself. We innovate with every feature we implement.

Origiin:  We would like to understand your point of view regarding the impact of the current amendments that have taken place related to Software patents.

Mr. Chaitanya Allidona: I am happy with recent amendments on IP for software expands the scope of patents in software, allows more innovations, avoid irregular patents and helps the current entrepreneur ecosystem to prosper.

Origiin: What are you most proud moment in your career till date?

Mr. Chaitanya Allidona: IdeaHub is a platform conceptualized, designed and developed by us here in India. We were listed in top 10 Innovation platforms across world by a US based Innovation training academy. This was the proudest moment for us to get IdeaHub recognized and appreciated for our concepts globally.

Origiin: Tell us about a time when you faced some sort of overwhelming challenge at work and how you overcame it.

Mr. Chaitanya Allidona: Being the only Indian Startup working on Innovation management platform, one of the challenges faced is to get Indian businesses understand the benefits of innovation (concepts and platforms). IdeaHub facilitates innovation culture to be built without replacing existing processes/methods. Showcasing the benefits of IdeaHub for management and their employees we are able to overcome the initial challenge of making businesses implementing IdeaHub.

Origiin: Thank you so much for your valuable inputs and time spared for Origiin. I am sure our readers will thoroughly enjoy it. Wish you all the best for all your future endeavors.

Mr. Chaitanya Allidona: Thank you

Click here to know more about the product IdeaHub.

Interesting Patent of the month

Title of the Invention: Electrified table cloth 
Publication number:  US5107620
Publication type:  Granted Patent
Application number: US 07/518,429
Filing date: May 03, 1990
Inventors: Richard E. Mahan


Abstract:
 An electrified table cloth for preventing crawling insects from gaining access to the consumer’s food or drink comprises a cloth formed of electrically insulated material which has at least one pair of parallel electrically conductive strips secured to the edge or border of the cloth to completely encircle the cloth and which are connected to a low voltage DC battery also secured to the cloth. The strips of electrical conductive material are spaced apart sufficiently to normally prevent completion of a circuit across the strips and for completion of a circuit across said strips through an insert’s body as the insect attempts to traverse the strips when crawling acorss the edge of the cloth. The current passing through the insect’s body is sufficient to produce a sensation which will discourage further travel across the edge of the cloth. A consumer who may come into contact with the strips will usually not feel the current and, even if the consumer is wet, the current will produce only a slight tingling sensation. The electrical apparatus may also be provided in kit form to be installed on table cloths by the consumer.

Texomos – A completely herbal mosquito repellent spray

 

Dr. D.P. Parkhe, a passionate serial inventor, has developed a 100 % herbal mosquitospray that can completely eliminate mosquitoes from a premises. The repellant, named as Texomos, is a 100% herbal mosquito repellant that works even while the windows and doors are kept open. Around 90% of mosquitoes generally hide and breed everyday inside the houses or enclosed spaces. Their best place of breeding is located in sealing water traps located in corners of bathrooms, toilets and in flexible corrugated water pipes attached to the basin. By applying two strokes of multipurpose Texomos, mosquitoes come under control within two days.

Dr Parkhe has several other inventions and patents to his credit. His patent on seed drill was licensed by late Shri S.L. Kiloskar and he was also appointed as head of the Agriculture design department of Kirloskar Bros and Tractors.

Exclusive Interview with Dr. Swaranjit Singh, Deputy Director, Professor & Head Environmental Biotechnology and Microbial Biochemistry, Institute of Microbial Technology, Chandigarh 

In this issue, we are extremely happy to publish interview of Dr. Swaranjit Singh, Deputy Director, Professor & Head Environmental Biotechnology and Microbial Biochemistry, Institute of Microbial Technology (IMTECH), Chandigarh. He has over 30 years of experience in the field of environmental biotechnology and biosurfactant production. Dr. Swaranjit Singh is currently employed as Deputy Director at Institute of Microbial Technology, Chandigarh. Dr. Swaranjit Singh has been awarded many awards and is a Fellow of many National Academies.

Here are the excerpts of the exclusive interview with Dr. Swaranjit Singh from his write up:

Origiin: It is a great pleasure to interact with you and publish your thoughts in this interview.

Dr. Swaranjit Singh: It’s a pleasure for me too. The interview of mine that you published a couple of years back with Ms Bindu Sharma was a great hit.


Origiin: Tell us how you first got involved with Microbial Type Culture Collection and Gene Bank/IMTECH. Kindly share your experiences while working with Institute of Microbial Technology.

Dr. Swaranjit Singh: I did my M. Sc. Biochemistry from BHU and Ph.D. Biochemistry from RRL, now NEIST Jorhat in Assam. I was working as a scientist there. MTCC/IMTECH was newly being installed in a shed in the Industrial Area, Chandigarh. I got in touch with the Director that time Dr. Sandeep Basu and Dr. VC Vora. They called me to help MTCC/IMTECH in its formative years and join hand on the bioremediation of toxic pollutants. This is how I joined MTCC in 1987. It was a great experience working all these years in the youngest lab of the CSIR. It has grown and developed a lot with the dedicated efforts of the staff and students. Due to the excellent work of MTCC, it was elevated to an International Depository Authority (IDA) on 4 October, 2002 becoming the first IDA in our country.


Origiin: What were your main responsibilities involved in handling both service and research domain of your Organization?

Dr. Swaranjit Singh: My main responsibility was to work in the Bacteria Section. I also took care of the Liquid Nitrogen Plant. This was a very important activity as the microbial cultures can be preserved very well for several years in the gaseous and liquid phases of Liquid Nitrogen wells. I also identified, preserved and supplied cultures to researchers. I actively helped in the training programs and wrote Chapters in the training manuals. I was member of two WFCC committees.
Besides this I did project work on (i) Bioremediation of Petroleum Sludge, (ii) pesticides, (iii) Study of Selenium transformation and its use in Prostrate Cancer inhibition, and (iv) Synthesis of Biosurfactants. My Publication h-index is 33 and the CI is 5860. Two of my publications were in list the 70 best CSIR papers that were announced by Dr. Samir Brahmachari, then DG CSIR. I have guided 10 Ph. D. students for their Ph. D. I did Post Doc from the PennState University USA and went for research to the Kobe University Japan and to KIT Karlsruhe, Germany for short stints.


Origiin: Kindly brief our reader about the importance of International Depositary Authority (IDA) and also when Institute of Microbial Technology did start functioning as IDA?

Dr. Swaranjit Singh: IDA has a very important role in acting as a repository of microorganisms. Microorganisms can be deposited in an IDA under the Budapest Treaty and patent protection may be sought in contracting states. It is convenient for the citizens of India to do R & D as the facility for different services is available in our country itself. The research material and products can be procured at a cheaper rate when compared to imports at a higher value. The first IDA in India was recognized on October 4, 2002.


Origiin: To obtain a patent protection in India with respect to inventions relating to microorganisms, is it a mandatory step to deposit the culture with IDA?

Dr. Swaranjit Singh: Yes, the culture has to be deposited in India. Apart from that the culture has also to be deposited in another culture collection to fulfill this requirement of deposit inventions related to microbes.


Origiin: What is the requirement to be fulfilled for submission of microorganisms in IDA? What are the benefits offered by this submission?

Dr. Swaranjit Singh: In case of Patent protection in multiple countries the specific microbe(s) have to be deposited in IDAs of these countries/Unions. The laws of the different countries vary and have to be looked into. Likewise,the requirement to be fulfilled for submission of microorganisms in an IDA differs from IDA to IDA. The best thing would be to look up the public website of a relevant IDA. For e.g. the public websites in India are http://mtcc.imtech.res.in/downloads/brochure.pdf of Chandigarh and of Pune is http://www.nccs.res.in/mcc/index.html. All pertinent information is available on these links. 


Origiin: What are Biosurfactants (BS)? What are the major applications offered by production of Biosurfactants?

Dr. Swaranjit Singh: Biosurfactants are structurally and functionally diverse amphiphilic, surface active compounds, which lower the surface and interfacial tension between individual molecules at respective surfaces and interfaces. Thus, these are very important in the living systems and can be regarded as the backbone of the biological membranes,which promise the transport and exchange of the various important materials. Biosurfactants are ecologically safe and can be applied in bioremediation processes. The microorganisms, which produce biosurfactants can also be used in the various bio remediation technologies like solubilization and removal of oil from contaminated oil, sludge in oil storage tank etc. The most important example of this is in Microbial Enhanced Oil Recovery (MEOR), which is an ecofriendly petroleum recovery process.Variety of bacteria and few fungi are reported to produce biosurfactants using renewable and unconventional sources. They also have applications in the food, cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries.


Origiin: Looking ahead, what do you think are the mega trends that will shape the future of innovation especially in the field of biotechnology?

Dr. Swaranjit Singh: In the present scenario people are talking of conversion of smart labs into Technology labs. A lot of research has been going on all these years in our country. Thus, a lot of data has accumulated in the Universities, Colleges and in the National Institutes. The mega-trend is to translate the basic data into potential Industrial Innovations. The gap between Institutes and the Industry has to be shortened and filled up. In fact, if Industries come in and work right from the beginning with researchers, many new products will flood our markets.


Origiin: Thank you so much for your valuable inputs and time spared for Origiin. I am sure our readers will thoroughly enjoy it. Wish you all the best for all your future endeavours.

Dr. Swaranjit Singh: Thank you.

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