Rajesh Srivastava's rule book...

Former chief executive officer, JK Helene Curtis, Adjunct Faculty, IIM Indore (2008-2015), Rajesh Srivastava has launched his first book. The book aims to be a framework for new entrepreneurs to help them succeed in their business. The book narrates stories of business icons like Apple's Steve Jobs. More than giving marketing tips, the book focuses on helping the reader attain a mindset shift to make a business work.

Throughout his career, Srivastava's columns and writings appeared in various publications, including Outlook, The Telegraph, Mid-Day, Business Standard and Mint. Over a phone chat, he reminisced about his days spent in the alcohol industry. He reminded us that advertising for alcohol, then as now, was not allowed in India so creating publicity in that category and awareness among consumers was all the more challenging. However, he mentioned that one rule applied for all businesses of all sizes - "The most important rule is to make sure your customer benefits from your business," he says. He stresses on the need to keep the customer at the core of what you do.

When asked about the TG for his new book, Srivastava says there are three broad groups of people who could benefit from reading the book - MBA aspirants, job seekers and SME business owners. "Young professionals reading this book will get an idea on how to build their careers, SME business owners will understand how to grow and sustain their businesses and those preparing for interviews can stay up to date on marketing by reading this book," he says. Srivastava adds that the book is based on insights from his own career.

"The rules of the game are changing and millennials and Gen Z are rapidly changing things. Even something as simple as transport is not as straightforward from going from point A to point B. They look for a hygienic travel experience," he says. Since the audience's expectations are changing, brands need to forget about the old rules and find ways to keep up, he adds.

Srivastava's book titled 'The New Rules of Business' is published by Penguin Random House and is priced at Rs 299.