BNI Archives

April 5, 2024

In a notable endeavour to strengthen, support and harness entrepreneurship on a nationwide scale, BNI (Business Network International) Sri Lanka is expanding its footprint through the establishment of chapters beyond Colombo, thereby offering a sustainable platform to empower entrepreneurs in every key region throughout the country.

Amidst economic challenges, BNI has currently played a pivotal role in generating an impressive 3.6 billion worth of business over the past 12 months, showcasing its resilience and impact in driving business amongst it’s members.

The success of BNI in generating substantial business amidst economic adversity highlights the effectiveness of its networking model. Through structured referral marketing programs and fostering a culture of mutual support, BNI has emerged as a driving force in driving business growth and fostering economic recovery.

The establishment of the first BNI chapter outside of Colombo marked a significant milestone in the organization’s mission to expand its footprint across Sri Lanka. Located in Negombo and launched in March 2023, this chapter namely BNI Pearl, has rapidly gained momentum, boasting a robust membership of over 50 dedicated individuals, generating over 480 million worth of business over the last 12 months.

Another noteworthy launch was the recent establishment of the Mount Lavinia chapter, known as BNI Unity, which has welcomed over 35 entrepreneurial ventures into its fold. By cultivating vibrant chapters such as these, BNI aims to empower budding businesses and professionals, fostering a conducive environment for growth, collaboration, access to networking, and business development resources, thereby empowering local businesses and professionals to thrive in their respective industries. BNI is set to continue its expansion efforts with the launch of new chapters in Nugegoda, Battaramulla, and Rajagiriya.

To celebrate these remarkable achievements, BNI Sri Lanka will be hosting its Members Day on the 6th of June this year at the Shangri-La Hotel in Colombo, which promises to be a gathering of industry leaders, entrepreneurs, and innovators. It will be an opportunity to reflect on past accomplishments, forge new connections, and chart a course for continued success in the journey ahead.

Glenn Lord, Area Director of BNI in Sri Lanka stated ‘it is our primary objective to serve in fostering and sustaining entrepreneurial endeavors across our nation. We envision BNI as not just a networking organization, but rather as a dynamic platform designed to empower and uplift businesses throughout Sri Lanka. Our goal is to provide entrepreneurs with the resources, connections, and support they need to thrive and succeed in their respective industries. By fostering a culture of collaboration, innovation, and mutual assistance, we strive to create an ecosystem where businesses can flourish and contribute to the overall growth and prosperity of Sri Lanka’s economy. Through our concerted efforts, we aim to be a driving force behind the success stories of countless entrepreneurial ventures across the country.’

As Sri Lanka emerges from economic challenges, BNI with its demonstrated ability to stimulate business expansion and growth, stands strategically poised in being a cornerstone in sculpting a more vibrant and promising future for the business environment in Sri Lanka.

January 10, 2024

BCI Campus, renowned as a private degree awarding institute, collaborated with BNI Pearl Chapter, part of the World’s leading networking and referrals organization, hosting its inaugural BCI Career Day 2023 in November at the Christ King Building, BCI Campus premises. The event served as a dynamic bridge, connecting employers with potential hires and offering undergraduates a first-hand look at various job opportunities and internship prospects.

The agenda for the day included a warm welcome, interactive interview sessions, an informative campus tour, and a fellowship lunch.

Over 30 leading employers attended the event and engaged with the talented undergraduates, unlocking diverse, exciting job and internship roles and career paths while addressing organizational talent requirements. Importantly, multiple students received on-the-spot letters of employment and internship opportunities across industries. The event enabled students to experience personalized and meaningful interactions with industry experts through one-on-one interviews, gaining empowering leads, networks and prospective placements. The invited employers were guided on a tour of the Campus, offering an opportunity to understand the ethos of the institute.

Commenting on the eventful day, Rev. Dr. Camillus Fernando, Vice Chancellor, said, “The BCI Campus Day provided an invaluable platform to profoundly impact the lives of our graduates while nurturing leaders of tomorrow. We commend the BNI Pearl Chapter for the strong support and commitment towards empowering our students to reach their highest potential. We invite more employers, entrepreneurs and working professionals to collaborate with the BCI Campus to lend expertise in shaping our flagship Campus Day and various other initiatives, and transforming the lives of students and the broader community.”

The resoundingly positive student and employer participation highlights BCI Campus’ role as a pioneering higher education institute invested in moulding work-ready graduates equipped with in-demand skills. The organised student-employer links gained during Career Day can serve as a conduit in their career pathways, helping them achieve long-term growth and success.

Student, Imasha Williams, 3rd-year BSc IT commented on the experience saying, “Today our third-year students experienced a vibrant Career Day. It provided an immense opportunity for my fellow-students to interact with leaders in the business world and to identify their pathways. As we embark into the professional world, knowing our career path is important and today offered us the opportunity to meet with prestigious and reputed experts from a wide range of companies. We truly appreciate BCI efforts in organising the event. We invite youth to come and enrol in BCI and experience the opportunities to create their own career pathways.”

BCI Campus aims to continue facilitating such career-accelerating initiatives by collaborating with organizational networks dedicated to empowering Sri Lankan youth with gainful careers.

December 12, 2023

Business Network International (BNI) founded in 1985 in USA by the visionary Dr. Ivan Misner with the aim of transforming the way business professionals network, stands as a testament today to the power of collaboration and networking in fostering business growth.

In Sri Lanka, BNI has played a pivotal role in connecting entrepreneurs and professionals, providing a platform for them to build meaningful relationships, exchange business referrals, and ultimately drive success in their respective industries. Based on its emphasis, the “Givers Gain” philosophy, that encapsulates the idea of giving business to others, members are encouraged to focus on building genuine relationships, understanding each other’s businesses and actively seeking opportunities to refer fellow members to relevant networks, thereby creating a dynamic ecosystem where members can tap into a wide range of expertise and resources.

In its commitment to providing members with a platform to garner focused attention on their diverse business offerings across various industries, BNI Sri Lanka recently made a notable impact at the Techno 23 exhibition, spotlighting the talents and services of a variety of its members. At the exhibition, BNI Sri Lanka orchestrated a multifaceted approach to highlight its members’ businesses, through engaging presentations, interactive displays, and collaborative networking sessions, to demonstrate the breadth and depth of their members offerings to a captivated audience. This in turn, showcased BNI’s ability to unite diverse businesses under a common banner and reinforced its commitment to member success, by contributing to the broader narrative of their ability to leverage platforms for the mutual benefit of its members through its proactive approach in creating opportunities and fostering growth.

Glenn Lord, Area Director, BNI Sri Lanka stated ‘as BNI Sri Lanka continues to explore avenues for showcasing its members on various platforms, the Techno 23 exhibition served as a testament to our unwavering dedication to providing a spotlight for its members and cultivating an environment where businesses can thrive through collaboration and shared success. Our strategic involvement in industry exhibitions now and in the future, will further position BNI Sri Lanka as a pivotal player in shaping the future of business networking and fostering growth in the Sri Lankan business landscape.

BNI Sri Lanka currently has a robust network comprising over 425 members spread across 13 chapters, and with plans for additional launches in the outskirts of Colombo within the next three months. This strategic expansion aims to provide business opportunities to a broader spectrum of regions across the country. Notably, BNI Sri Lanka has achieved an impressive milestone by facilitating a staggering 2.5 billion in business transactions solely from January 2023 to September 2023.

Internationally, BNI boasts a massive network comprising 314,000 members actively participating in over 11,000 chapters. Impressively, they have also facilitated transactions amounting to an outstanding 22 billion dollars from January 2023 to September 2023. These remarkable figures underscore the impact of BNI in fostering business through valuable connections and facilitating substantial economic activity globally.

July 10, 2023

BNI Badminton Asia Junior Championships 2023 are an international badminton tournament to crown the best junior badminton players (under-19) in Asia.

This tournament started at the Among Rogo Sports Hall in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, on the 7th July and will go until the 16th July 2023. The Badminton Association of Indonesia hosts the tournament with sanctions from Badminton Asia.

The 2023 Badminton Asia Junior Championships consist of mixed team championships and individual championships. Fourteen teams will compete in the mixed team event, which will be held from 7 to 11 July, while the individual events will be held from 12 to 16 July.All Sri Lankans will be competing for the individual championships and they will not be competing for mixed team event.

The Sri Lankan team of Shutlers departed the country with hopes of bringing couple of titles back home.

Junior Boys squad:

Sachen Chamuditha Fernando, NimnadaAashinsaHerath, Sihilel Abhishek, SinethManthuka, Mohamed Saajid. VidushRavishmaSumanadasa, SanujaNethmira, MenulaMindinu, Anukh Shanilka, Navendu Lochana Perera

Junior Girls Squad:

RanithmaThinudi, IrushiAmandi, PraweenaTheshani, NethangaVindini, SanadhiDahamsa De Silva, DewmiMithara, ThevniThisandi, HiyumiHasara, ChiranyaJayawardana

Mr BimalKotalawala – Manager / Coach, Mrs Sumitra Dissanayake– Lady Chaporone

November 23, 2018

BNI Gladiators Chapter Sri Lanka

1^st November 2018, Colombo, The BNI® Gladiator, the 5th Sri Lankan chapter of Business Network International (BNI®) was launched on the 1st of November 2018, at The Kingsbury Hotel, with a large representation of eminent business personalities from diverse fields. It turned out to be one of the finest BNI chapter launches, Sri Lanka has seen with over 120 business personalities present. BNI® Head of Operations for Sri Lanka and Executive Director BNI® India – KVT Ramesh, Regional Director for BNI Sri Lanka, Colombo Central Anjana Gunathillake Launch Ambassador Dr.Prabath Karunanayake & Support Ambassador Mohamed Feroz were among those present.

The Leadership Team of the chapter comprised of Archt. Chinthaka Dayaratne (President), Emile Gunesekera (Vice President) & Tariq Saleem (Secretary/Treasurer).

The sole purpose of BNI® is business and business alone, “BNI® is the largest referral marketing network in the world and holds the same status in Sri Lanka as the largest referral marketing network in the island. BNI® is a platform for any business to grow leveraging on its network spanning 73+ countries. It’s a proven platform for 33 years, founded by Dr.Ivan Misener in 1985, The network is already helping Sri Lankan Businesses to grow their business locally and globally using a very structured Referral Marketing processes.” Said the Head of Operations for BNI® Sri Lanka, KVT Ramesh

Anjana Gunatillake KVT Ramesh BNI Sri Lanka Directors

With over 8700 chapters & 244,000+ members worldwide, Business Network International (BNI®) lives up to its position as the largest business networking organization in the world. During the past 12 months, BNI ® worldwide generated 10.4 million referrals resulting in 15.5 billion US dollars, worth of business for its members. The highest valued referral generated within Sri Lanka amounts to $ 5.2 million. BNI® offers members the opportunity to share ideas, contacts and most importantly, business referrals. This is an ideal networking space for those businesses that rely heavily on referral marketing, especially entrepreneurs who want to expand their horizons by tapping into global markets while consolidating themselves in Sri Lanka.

Launch Ambassador Dr.Prabath Karunanayake also spoke about the difference between a lead and a referral, the value of getting a referral which BNI is network is famed for, anyone can pass a lead to someone and the rate of conversion of a lead similar to a cold call but when it comes to a referral the there is a big difference and the possible conversion of the business is very high. Word of mouth marketing (referral) happens through recommendations, based on the trust and relationship among two decision makers. According to Dr. Prabath, BNI® is a structured and the most successful platform to do referral marketing in the world.

Today, for most businesses, recommendations are what drive their business. According to research findings, 92% Consumers are more likely to trust their peers over advertising, when it comes to purchasing decisions. When you look for a referral, who do you turn to? When you need a good service or a good deal, who do you ask? You ask your peers, your friends, your acquaintances – because they are the ones who can tell you about the experiences they have had, their experience gives you comfort to purchase a product or consume a service.

Regional Director Anjana Gunatillake said, “Businesses in the world largely rely on referrals, but most of the organizations do not have a proper strategy in place for referral marketing. This is why BNI is important for a business as it provides the required structured processes and platforms to work locally, and opens up global markets through the BNI Global Network. In a country like Sri Lanka, where the market space is very small and the economy is slow, BNI helps entrepreneurs to think globally so that they can expand their business while inspiring many along the way”

BNI® helps you to promote your business through a wider audience. By joining BNI®, you increase your exposure to like-minded professionals, gain referrals from a global network and sharpen your networking skills with exclusive member resources. With thousands of chapters worldwide, BNI® provides a global business network that remains unmatched. In addition to unparalleled business growth, BNI® members develop lasting relationships that allow them to grow personally and professionally.

The Gladiator Chapter launch was a perfect example and it confirmed the entire process of BNI® not only with the energy that was brought into the room, but by setting a new launch day record for business concluded. The previous record was Rs.8 Million, while they concluded business worth Rs.42.96 Million which was nearly 435% over the previous record. The chapter was launched with hall of fame status and apart from the membership, it saw over 75 visitors present at a very lively business meeting.

BNI has its plans well defined, by BNI Sri Lanka National Director and President Global Markets Mahesh Mac Srinivasan with 1010 members by 2020.

Gladiator Members meet on Fridays at 7.30 a.m. for a weekly business meeting. With the launch of the chapter, members gain access to BNIConnect® – an online portal where all members worldwide are connected to find suppliers and business partners globally and showcase their business offerings to members from across the world.

If referrals are an important part of your business, then BNI® is definitely the place for you. Would you like to expand your professional network, grow your business, develop your networking skills, and create lasting personal relationships? In BNI®, you can do all that, and more!

Join us at the next meeting of the Gladiator Chapter on Friday to gain an understanding on how BNI® can help you take your business to the next level. For details, call Emile on 0773018888 or Tariq on 0773161630.

Visit the BNI® Global website www.bni.com for more information.

February 2, 2018

The BNI® Dynamics, the 2^nd Sri Lankan chapter of Business Network International (BNI®) was re-launched on the 30^th of January 2018, with a representation of leading personalities from diverse fields. BNI® Launching Director Ragulan Tharmakulasingam, Director Consultant Anjana Gunatillake , Director Consultant Sanjeev Pushparajah and Launching Director Amithe Gamage were among those present at the event.

BNI-Dynamics-Sri-Lanka

Members of the BNI® Dynamic Chapter, Colombo Sri Lanka : Dinesh Rodrigo (President), Azeem Saheer (Vice President), Harendra Hewakuruppu (Secretary/Treasurer), Anjana Gunatillake, Mathushangar Yogendran, Sunimal Opatha, Shameena Pallie, Ajit De Soyza, Eksith Hapangama, Marsha Subasinghe, Suranjith Abeysekara, Azad Mansoor, Kanchana Abeysinghe, Sashindra F Weerasinghe, Michelle Ratnasothy, Nirash Dilshan, Anuradha Saparamadhu, Nadika Perera, Milhan Laffir, Azkiya Safrulla, Aurin Martinesz, Afzal Farook, Aslam Yazeen, Manoshani Perera, Baerty Fernando, Praveen Bandara, Dilshan Perera, Anne Perera, Miller Alexander Rajendran, Santhush Fernando.

With over 227,000 members worldwide, Business Network International (BNI) is the largest business networking organisation in the world. Last 12 months alone, BNI worldwide generated 9.8 million referrals resulting in 13.6 billion dollars worth of business for its members. BNI offers members the opportunity to share ideas, contacts and most importantly, business referrals. This is an ideal networking space for those businesses that rely heavily on referral marketing, especially entrepreneurs who want to expand their horizons. 30 member chapter has already set up a target of Rs.200 million for next six months as a tentative figure to achieve.

While attending the BNI Dynamic Chapter Launch, the Chairman of the Kent Group of Companies Mr.Gamini Saparamadu, was mentioning that he had some expectations when he walks through the Hotel doors to BNI® Meeting, and the reality has superseded the expectations. According to his own words, “It was Great, so many youthful people, exchanging their views, exchanging their ideas and also sharing the business opportunities among each other early in the morning. It is a wonderful platform for entrepreneurs who are motivated and geared up to meet the opportunity. “said Mr.Saparamadu.

In addition to unparalleled business growth, BNI members develop lasting relationships that allow them to grow personally and professionally. According to the BNI® founder Dr.Ivan Misner, BNI® is a platform for Farming, but not for hunting. By joining BNI, you’ll increase your exposure to like-minded professionals, gain referrals from a global network and sharpen your business networking skills with exclusive resources. It is a platform to earn while learning too. There are training programs lined up for BNI® members to sharpen up their networking skills, which is quite helpful to mould you in to a Leader in your respective industry.

By joining the conversation, Chief Executive Officer of First City Trades and Agencies Mr.Raja Nagalingam was mentioning, that it’s a well structured platform and he never had such platforms when he was building his business in early 1980s and it’s a wonderful methodology to all the grooming industries and businesses in Sri Lanka to connect locally and globally.

Head of Marketing and Sales at Seylan Bank PLC, Mr.Gamika De Silva was among the guests as well, and was keen on getting in to the platform with great interest.

Speaking to Lanka Business News, the president of the chapter, Mr.Dinesh Rodrigo the Managing Director of the Metro International Asia Pvt Ltd, expressed his views. “I’ve been in the Logistics and Shipping industry for almost 3 decades, and i ve been part of many international forums related to shipping and logistics, but i feel BNI is completely a different platform which gives you more business avenues to work across the globe. We meet weekly, and we network with decision makers of different industries, so it creates the opportunity for me to get closer to my end client more and understand their needs by their own language. Also it gives me an opportunity to collaborate with complementary industries for value added solutions.”

“BNI is all about sharing business each other and on the First day of the launch the business amounted for 10 million++ therefore I find it as a very successful launch. I wish all the very best for BNI Dynamic Chapter. I find BNI is the new way of improving business to the next level” said Rushdi Navavi, a Member of BNI Pioneer Chapter and the Director of Navavi Custom Tailoring.

At BNI Dynamic, Members meet every Tuesday at 7.30 a.m. at the Hilton Residencies, Colombo 02. With the launch of the chapter, members need to go through the Member Success Program (MSP 2.0), which will give members an in-depth knowledge about how the BNI® system and processes will work for them. They will get to know the dos’ and don’ts along with the best practices. Once a member becomes a MSP 2.0 Graduate, he/she will gain access to BNI Connect – an online portal where all BNI members worldwide are connected to find suppliers and business partners globally and showcase your business offerings available to members from across the world.

If referrals are an integral part of your business, then BNI® is definitely the place for you. Join us at the next meeting to gain an understanding on how BNI can help your business flourish.

Call Dinesh on +94777723066 or Azeem on 0769689918 for further details.

November 13, 2017

The BNI® Abundance, the 4th Sri Lankan chapter of Business Network International (BNI®) was launched on the 1st of November 2017, with a representation of leading personalities from diverse fields. BNI® District Director for Sri Lanka and Executive Director BNI® India – KVT Ramesh, Launching Director Ragulan Tharmakulasingam, Director Consultant Anjana Gunatillake and Chapter Director Sanjeev Pushparajah were among those present at the event.

BNI Sri Lanka Directors

Members of the Abundance Chapter of Business Network International (BNI® ) – Sri Lanka: Amithe Gamage (President), Surajee Ratnayake (Vice President), Chulanga Dias (Secretary/Treasurer), Kapila Dodamgoda, Malaka Elikewela, Dilum Kumarasinghe, Kalikavi Ragulan, A.Jayaseelan, Mufaddal Akber, Dilshan Perera, Lakshman Jayasuriya, Chinthaka Ranathunga, Dimitri Ramaneshwara, Priyan Karunaratne, Chandima Dodamgoda, Gowrie Indraratne, R.Gangatharan, Mohan, Morais, Ramesh Dassanayake, Farzana Khan, Suneth Perera, Ishara Kapuwaththa, Ajith Wanigasekara, Shivanthi Nadarajah, Susana Shanmugarajah, Desmond Erskine, Hameed Fareed, Suthaharan Perampalam, Premajith Kathirgamar, Asir Mohammed, Herman S Gonsal, Shirani Fairbanks, M R Hassan, S, Ravindran, Eresha Kumburulanda

“In any Economy, SMEs play a major role and BNI® is a platform for them to grow themselves using the network within 71+ countries. It’s a proven platform for 32 years, founded by Dr.Ivan Misener in 1985, therefore it will definitely help Sri Lankan Business too to grow their business locally and globally using the structured Referral Marketing processes.” Said the District Director for BNI® Sri Lanka, KVT Ramesh

With over 222,000+ members worldwide, Business Network International (BNI®) is the largest business networking organisation in the world. During the past 12 months, BNI ® worldwide generated 9.5 million referrals resulting in 13.8 billion dollars worth of business for its members. The highest valued referral generated within Sri Lanka amounts to $ 5.2 million. BNI® offers members the opportunity to share ideas, contacts and most importantly, business referrals. This is an ideal networking space for those businesses that rely heavily on referral marketing, especially entrepreneurs who want to expand their horizons.

During the launch, the launching director Ragulan Tharmakulasingam also spoke about the amount of money spent by the local businesses to grow globally and locally through conventional marketing activities, but not spending enough time on the world’s strongest marketing approach, i.e. Word of Mouth Marketing (referral); the marketing which happens through recommendations, based on the trust and relationship among two decision makers. According to Ragulan, BNI® is a structured and the most successful platform to do referral marketing in the world.

Today, for most of the businesses, recommendations are what drive the business. According to research findings, 92% Consumers are more likely to trust their peers over advertising when it comes to purchasing decisions. When you are looking for a referral, who do you turn to? When you need good service or a good deal, who do you ask? You ask your peers, your friends, your acquaintances – because they are the ones who can tell you about the experiences they have personally had.

BNI® helps you to promote your business through a wider audience. By joining BNI®, you’ll increase your exposure to like-minded professionals, gain referrals from a global network and sharpen your networking skills with exclusive member resources. With thousands of chapters worldwide, BNI® provides a global business network that remains unmatched. In addition to unparalleled business growth, BNI® members develop lasting relationships that allow them to grow personally and professionally.

While Speaking to Lanka Business News, the Chapter Director Sanjeev Pusparajah expressed that the BNI® has standard processes, structures being used by it’s members and chapters all around the world are the same, and even the meeting agenda is the same when you go to any of the country. This structured approach towards the referral marketing will definitely help Sri Lankan members to get themselves in to the right BNI® Culture and grow their Business. Adding to that the Chapter President Amithe Gamage, expressed his experience and how he was convinced to start the BNI® Abundance chapter after witnessing the Vietnam and Cambodia BNI® National Conferences during his visits to Vietnam and Cambodia few months back.

Get involved, and experience it;

At BNI® Abundance Members meet every Thursday at 7.30 a.m. at the Hilton Residencies, Colombo 02 for a weekly business meeting. With the launch of the chapter, members gain access to BNIConnect® – an online portal where all BNI® members worldwide are connected to find suppliers and business partners globally and showcase their business offerings available to members from across the world.

Join us at the next meeting of the BNI Abundance Chapter Meeting next Thursday to gain an understanding on how BNI® can help your business flourish. Call Sanjeev on 0777692699 or Amithe on 0777418077 for further details.

Visit the BNI® Global website www.bni.com for more information.

August 25, 2017

Source: businessworld.in

BNI aims at spreading roots to various states and regions across India, Sri Lanka and Asia Pacific Region, thereby fostering the growth of business entrepreneurship and SME through business networking

Business Network International (BNI) is an American franchised networking organization with around 222,000 members in 8,061 local chapters worldwide. Also known as the world’s leading referral organization, its members have generated referrals of over 8.8 million which was worth $11.2 billion during the last calendar Year 2016.

BNI aims at spreading roots to various states and regions across Asia Pacific region including Sri Lanka, thereby fostering the growth of business entrepreneurship and SME through business networking.

In an exclusive interview with BW Businessworld’s Anurag Batra (Editor-in-chief and Chairman), Graham Weihmiller, Global Chairman & CEO and Mahesh Mac Srinivasan, Country Head, BNI, spoke about SMEs growth, leadership summit, entrepreneurship and more.

Is it your first visit to Kolkata? What has actually changed since your first visit here?

Graham Weihmiller: I have been here four to five times. I visited this city for the first time about 20 years back. What has changed over the last few years is (the pace of) continued economic development and innovation. All the great things about India that I know of such as diversity, inclusiveness, dynamism, etc., are important lessons for us. The interest to continue to learn and develop oneself is also crucial learnings for us.

BNI is doing very well in India and has 300+ chapters. I have also learnt that you have ambitious plans for India which will be your biggest market globally. How are you so confident about its prospects?

Graham Weihmiller: We have 338 chapters in India and its growing by leaps and bound, thanks to the growth of our members. I think India is going through a massive economic acceleration and we are excited to support that in every possible way. I think the culture within India to focus on lifelong learning; positive attitude and innovation are very much in line with BNI’s. We are very excited to contribute towards job creation and economic development (in India). My hope is that we create a special ecosystem for entrepreneurs and business communities wherein each member can serve other’s interests and work for the betterment of his chapter.

What are the peculiarities of the Indian market that makes you so optimistic about its future prospects?

Mahesh Mac Srinivasan: What I feel is tier-II and tier-III cities in India have an incredible talent base. Even the business owners there want to reach out across the country and even to the world. For any business owner, it is good to have a wider network in order to expand his operations. By plugging into this engine of BNI, they will be able to reach out to remotest corners of the country. A businessman hailing from a nondescript city can connect with someone from a big city like Coimbatore. This is something which makes me very bullish about the growth of BNI. This is just a tip of the iceberg as a lot of entrepreneurial talent here and people want to connect with the global marketplace.

If you have to give one advice to the prime minister, what will be that?

Mahesh Mac Srinivasan: My only advice to him is to continue with what he is doing right now. A lot of change is happening in the business community (in India). The most important thing that is happening in the country is we are building the trust. At BNI, that is something we talk about so that the speed of business happens much faster. What the Prime Minister has done for us is building visibility (for entrepreneurs) and now the country’s credibility and profitability have increased. So I think we are on the right track and I am no one to give an advice to such a visionary statesman like him.

You are the perspective of many countries and have seen the entrepreneurial ecosystem everywhere? Any specific learnings that India could derive from any other country and implement it here?

Graham Weihmiller: There are a lot of wonderful things happening like a continued emphasis on education, business-friendly climate, etc. I do foresee a lot of change in the Indian economy. I think continuing to focus on helping business centres adjust to that change so that they can benefit rapidly out of that change will be a welcome move. For example, SMEs may not be ready to learn about that changes and adjust to that.

How would BNI help in supporting them?

Mahesh Mac Srinivasan: Naturally, by being a part of BNI chapters they have access to other business leaders in different disciplines. For example, accounts and individuals in IT can help small and medium sized enterprises adjust to the change that is underway.

What is the major change in enrolling a member 12 years back and now? Do you see any major change in their aspirations?

Mahesh Mac Srinivasan: We didn’t have a similar ecosystem a decade back like we have now to grow at the pace that we are having now. Firstly, BNI has also evolved itself during this period. During 2015, we didn’t have the requisite infrastructure. So we have built it over the last 10-12 years and are now in a ramp-up mode. Large companies are having resources pan-India. But SMEs can compete on a national scale by plugging into our system. Answering your question specifically, a lot more of young people are now willing to take risks which were not prevalent earlier.

If you have to say one unique thing about an Indian entrepreneur who is also a BNI member, what will that be?

Graham Weihmiller: I think they are exceptionally passionate and have the fire (to deliver).

Do entrepreneurs need good political leaders? If you have to give one advice to Donald Trump, what will that be?

Graham Weihmiller: I think the leaders of today need to be stewards of their resources and need to think about the common good. I think entrepreneurs can also be leaders across various fields and certainly in public service. One of the great thing about BNI is we don’t get involved in politics or religion. By having that approach, we are able to work across 73 countries, many different languages, political and economic systems. This is because there are universal needs that business leaders have. While we are focusing on how to grow their (members’) business, we are also thinking of (ways too) helping their families to hire more people and ensure job creation. As an organisation of 32 years, we are able to act across borders because everyone speaks the language of working in harmony.

With BNI conventions or leadership summits, what would be unique about it five years from now?

Mahesh Mac Srinivasan: Maybe we will be holding these events in a stadium rather than at a hotel. The way that our entrepreneurs are connected to the world and the kind of platform such as mobile app they are putting in right now (on their smartphones), their ability to grow their business will transform over the next five years. Just like we need a smartphone these days, a smart business will need a BNI (membership) to stay ahead of the curve.

Source: businessworld.in – https://goo.gl/gwXjz6 – by BW Businessworld’s Anurag Batra

BNI expands their network in key regions across the country, empowering entrepreneurs nationwide

BCI Campus Career Day 2023 unlocks career opportunities for Undergraduates

BNI Sri Lanka’s Visionary Journey from Networking Innovation to Industry Spotlight at Techno 23 to Fuel Business Growth

Junior shuttlers ready for Badminton Asia Junior Championships 2023

Records tumble, as The BNI Gladiator Chapter Launches with Hall of Fame Status

BNI® celebrates the re-launch of it’s 2nd Chapter, BNI® Dynamic in Sri Lanka

BNI® Sri Lanka celebrates the launch of it’s 1st Hall of Fame Chapter in Colombo, Sri Lanka

‘SMEs going to be the next growth frontiers for Us’