MR SHEETAL PAKNIKAR
A LEADER OF IMMENSE CLARITY, WILL AND PERSEVERANCE – CREATING A DISTINCT IDENTITY IN MEDIA, COMMUNICATION & SPORTS CONSULTING
The course of leadership has taken a dramatic turn in the last few years. Transitions and disruptions have provoked a dire need for new ways, which is not limited to innovative practices. Business leaders need to focus on sustaining relations with stakeholders as they are the ones that really matter. Empowered by this simple understanding, Mr Sheetal Paknikar, Founder, MD & CEO of Seven Twenty Ten Network, has spent the last 28 years garnering substantial knowledge on diverse verticals while building a sustainable network of professionals.
Academically, he is a Masters in Design from the Industrial Design Centre at IIT, Mumbai with an extensive background in the media & communication consulting space. Over the last 6 years, he has added his passion in Sports Consulting to develop Analytics & Education as key focus areas.
A VISIONARY LEADER
At the outset of Seven Twenty Ten, Mr Paknikar’s vision was to create a network of conscious and diversely qualified professionals, collectively working together to add value to the world. The inception came at a time the world was beginning to shrink, at the end of the first decade (2010) when the internet was about to boom. As technology influenced the global economy, drove automation and brought new advancements like AI, IoT, etc. Seven Twenty Ten strategically built their base into diverse segments that would require their expertise.
This has enabled the Company to build their presence across several business domains ranging from Communication Consulting, Integrated Marketing, Brand Building, Films & Audio Visual, Content Development, Digital Solutions, Educational Initiatives & Skill Development. Although the Company is a onestop shop for varied marketing and communication concepts, at the heart, it continues building a robust & sensitive network in the communications market. A prominent illustration of the long term company vision can be interpreted in its ‘Picon’ (Pictogram + Icon).
Mr Paknikar explains it in his words, “The man pushing the globe is a powerful visual that has been designed to mean a lot of different things. First, it communicates the modern predicament of us wanting to use the earth’s resources sustainably. Second, it is meant to remind us of how powerful we want to be. Lastly, it is our interpretation of mankind’s obsession for power to control the planet; which is a comment on our reverence for nature.”
Mr Paknikar has always been a doer in both corporate and personal life. He is a firm believer in the importance of pursuing new ideas and concepts while reflecting on how the world works and how challenges affect our everyday lives. He has explored various domains and built expertise around graphic art & design, including print, digital & video/film. His handson and amazingly diverse knowledge has helped him execute many turnkey projects in the advertising and communication space. Walking a different path has helped him build an experienced team, while crossing significant milestones along the way.
FLEXIBLE TO THE PANDEMIC DISRUPTIONS
Leaders and challenges always have had a dynamic relationship. Over the last decade, the business fraternity has been through several disruptions, bringing a multifold of challenges. Moving beyond them, COVID-19 has tested the might of every individual and business alike. Now, in the aftermath of the pandemic, businesses have reconfigured their framework to sustain and set new directions. In other words, businesses are realigning their goals while building sustainable, new age business models.
Keeping up with such changes, Mr Paknikar is creating an ecosystem that will uphold his future vision with on-ground reality. The Company’s acclivity over digital inclusions has also helped them tread confidently amid the mayhem.
Digital tools have become an integral part of businesses, helping them become more automated, streamlined and agile. For sustainable growth, Seven Twenty Ten is currently developing interactive digital platforms driven by AI in the sports & education space. Furthermore, Mr. Paknikar feels that it is extremely important for businesses to study the changing legalities at the policy level – being aware and sensitive to data privacy, intellectual property rights and digital enhancement.
SUSTAINABLE FLAGSHIPS BUILT ON R&D
Since the Company was founded on the vision of how to develop a sustainable organization; there was great importance given to R&D across verticals. The first success came with the setting up of the education & skill-building vertical of Indian Classical Music for the younger generation. Sur Sanskaar Academy of Music, based in Mumbai, is now in the process of consolidation and digital transformation.
In 2015, the Company added Sports Consulting, concentrating on the growing need for physical education in children, which has become increasingly important as the world becomes more digital. And true to the diverse nature of projects handled, the team at Seven Twenty Ten is presently working on a Flagship Project for Dementia Patients in the area of multisensory therapy – with one of India’s leading Foundations.
A MILIEU OF PASSIONATE PEOPLE
Mr Sheetal Paknikar has forged his road to glory with an unending passion. He has a dispassionate view about success & failure and believes both are obvious ingredients to growth. Maintaining a balance between both, he has contributed to building an organizational culture that stems from a core team striving to achieve the desired outcome through hard work & perseverance.
Much like him, his team inculcates risks and challenges as keystones of growth. Thus ensuring an equivalent collaboration where they push one another and work with resources in hand. The culture eventually breeds success, as all stakeholders are treated with equal importance. Their client list encompasses both National & International brands, with repeat business springing from various verticals.
“Our clients agree that we work more like partners and not just service providers”, opines Mr Paknikar
Client satisfaction is paramount and the Company highly values its associations – both at a professional & personal level.
This holistic approach has enabled Seven Twenty Ten to build a trusted name for itself in the Global Market of Media and Communications. In 2015, the Company won an IMC contract to promote football in India by presenting a long term vision to former Technical Director of the Croatian Football Federation, Dr. Romeo Jozak – who is a celebrated UEFA Administrator & a renowned International Football Coach.
Since then, Dr Jozak has been integral to the Company’s long-term plans to scale up its sports vertical with the setting up of a JV between Seven Twenty Ten & Romeo Jozak & Associates in October 2018. While these business developments have been crucial in brand excellence, Seven Twenty Ten has also been part of several CSR Initiatives with their corporate partners. This Collaboration for collective social responsibility also spreads to its partners.
ACCOMPLISHMENT AND PROSPECTS THAT MARK THEIR EXCELLENCE
Mr Paknikar and the team’s collaborative efforts haven’t gone unseen. Last year, the founder was conferred with the ‘Man Of Excellence Award 2020’ at the Indian Achiever’s Forum for his outstanding performance and social contributions. Call it his foresight or long-term vision for Seven Twenty Ten to be a responsible & self-sustainable network: it is now even more in sync with rising global concerns like upskilling, new-age employment, sustainability & climate change.
He has fostered a sense of spiritual well-being while motivating his team to thrive in limitation, have gratitude, respect everyday challenges and stay on toes with realistic goals. These have contributed to sustained employment, employee loyalty, and collective work culture with a decentralized approach.
As for the future, Seven Twenty Ten is collaborating with a few of its key associates to address the global crisis and economic challenges by way of awareness campaigns, videos & curating some of the World’s brilliant initiatives on how to make a better world. Apart from all of the above, the company is consolidating its expertise in areas where it creates a difference, like Corporate Communication, Employee Engagement, Education, Digital Products and Video Content. Mr Paknikar finally hopes to develop his dream – a major International IP in Sports Education, by 2025.
WORDS OF WISDOM
“Have a Vision; have a Goal. Be accountable to yourself. Though experience is the biggest teacher, it is the willing student who decides how, where and when to use it to the larger benefit of society.”
