White Globe, Attaining Centralized Translation, Interpretation and Localization Services from the Mavens
“Your customers will throw challenges at you, be ready to take a risk and give it your best shot, you will either come out as a winner or you will become wiser”
Sheetal Ramkumar
With the potential of a great consumer base, the Indian translation market is set to grow immensely. And with a number of international firms setting up their base here, the need for comprehending the local language has only amplified more than ever.
And with so much of a hustle happening in the market, For Sheetal Ramkumar, Founder & CEO, White globe, offers centralized Translation, Interpretation and Localization Services to Enterprise Customers across various domains.
Sheetal Ramkumar, Founder & CEO, White Globe,
Sheetal has more than 15 years of experience and has worked in very Senior Roles in Customer Service, Operations, Process Improvement and Learning Management in Telecom and Consumer Electronics industry. She is a Certified TL 9000 Internal Auditor and a Certified Six Sigma Green Belt. She has completed her MBA in Marketing from SIBM and MICA and her Diploma in Telecommunications Systems Management Course from IIT, Delhi.
White Globe has assisted many corporates in translating their operational manuals, technical documents, regulatory filings etc in more than 300 Languages. They provide Interpretation Services including Simultaneous, Consecutive, Over-the-Phone, Video-Remote, Call Centre etc. and have already delivered more than 6000 hours of Interpretation Services across the globe in more than 25 languages in the last two years.
They also provide Localisation Services to many leading consumer brands by localizing their content and Website in more than 150 languages. They have worked on many Multilingual Multimedia projects including Corporate Video’s, Corporate Policy Videos in multiple languages, Animated Content in multiple languages, Sub-titling assignments, Dubbing/Voice over, pre and post production services in more than 150 languages.
For Sheetal, the beginning of White Globe has also been the beginning of saying goodbyes to her limitations, fears, doubts & vulnerabilities, not that these emotions have deserted her completely, they still overpower her when things don’t go as planned, a common occurrence in a startup journey but she feels she’s much more in control now.
In a conversation with Business Connect Magazine, Sheetal Ramkumar shares incredibly enriching, exciting experiences and future plans of her venture,
Business Connect: How have you adapted yourself to the latest needs of the market?
Sheetal: I think your customers & competitors are the biggest sources of keeping you updated with the growing / changing needs of the market, we keep ourselves abreast with all the latest developments in our industry through various forums & understand that embracing technology is the way forward and simplifying solutions for your customers is the key.
Business Connect: What gives you an edge over your peers?
Sheetal: I could sum this up with 4 strong fundamentals; Attention to detail is the foundation of our business, the need to know how to communicate to succeed, I think as a team we are very persistent & we don’t give up easily, and we are known for our higher-than-average risk appetite.
Business Connect: Do you see any transformation happening in the entrepreneurial world?
Sheetal: Oh yes! Plenty! I see entrepreneurs being more responsible now, think being reckless was something that was seen as a positive attribute in this highly competitive start-up ecosystem however that is changing, more & more entrepreneurs looking at collaboration as the way to sustain businesses.
Business Connect: Did you face any obstacle during the initial days? How did you sail through them?
Sheetal: The first big obstacle for us was to get the language experts to take up assignments in Asia as Translation & Localization Industry is quite fragmented & unorganized here. The second was to get the customers to an Indian company as mostly these large MNC’s were outsourcing the services to US & Europe for lack of professionally managed LSP’s in India. We were luckily able to get the attention of Language experts, our part-time engagement model is also very successful & has helped us get visibility amongst those who are looking for such assignments.
Business Connect: What was your learning during struggling days?
Sheetal: Nothing will ever be attempted if all possible objections must first be overcome! This was my biggest learning during the struggling days, there are ifs & buts, don’t wait to get an answer for every question that you may have, you will figure out a lot of things as you move along in this entrepreneurial journey.
Business Connect: How do you ensure the unbreakable faith of clients in your company?
Sheetal: As a company we ensure the relevant stakeholders are involved from stage zero for a clearer understanding of deliverables, a comprehensive Scope of Work is a mandate for every project we undertake, and there is complete transparency in the pricing & deliverables.
Business Connect: What are the efforts made by you not to lag behind in the race of having latest technology?
Sheetal: White Globe has a panel of Tech Savvy Advisors who continuously advise on the latest technological trends. Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) will play a crucial role in the future, we have already embarked on the journey of leveraging the power of AI and ML across all it service portfolio and is also developing its own Translation Memory and Analytics Platform.
Business Connect: How difficult is it to remain relevant in this competitive world?
Sheetal: Yes, it is difficult to remain relevant in today’s competitive world however, I think that if you surround yourself with people that invite change & are flexible, and it becomes slightly comfortable and easy. Ultimately, it’s imperative to stay nimble, not let the scale of the change overwhelm you.
Business Connect: Mention a couple of your favorite books/novels that have taught you the intricacies of business?
Sheetal: One of the books that I love to re-read is ‘Shoe Dog’ by Phil Knight, it’s a blueprint of motivation & the best part is it’s highly entertaining with never a dull moment. Another is ‘Never Split the Difference’ by Chriss Voss, The first by this author, its action packed with several actionable bits of advice. There are many other favs, I also like to read light and sometime you will find me with a James Headly Chase or David Baldacci purely for the pace & entertainment.
Business Connect: Please let us know about the achievements of the company.
Sheetal: In a short span of two years, we have won several accolades and confidence of very large Multi-National Giants and have been named the Company of the Year and the Most Admired Language Service Provider by two leading magazines. We have created a record of sorts by translating and delivering 15 Million words from Japanese to English for an Automotive Giant within one month.
Today, more than 25 of White Globe Customers are Industry Leaders and are part of the Fortune 100 List. They have case studies for most of these clients detailing how did they collaborate with each of them on various assignments and delivered value to them.
With six offices today at Pune, Mumbai, Chennai, Bangalore, Gurgaon, and Hyderabad, it employs more than 150 people. They have a network of 20,000 Language Expert across the globe. In addition, as a part of their five-year plan, White Globe is also looking at expanding to 20 countries across Asia Pacific, Middle-East, Europe, Africa and America’s.
“Every time there is a crisis, take a deep breath and say ‘we will overcome this, let’s do the most logical thing first. I would like to say this to all the aspiring entrepreneurs if you want to do something just do it. With an open mind that you may fail, but you will learn & there is no fixed formula to make this work & there is no perfect setting to start something”
Sheetal Ramkumar
