Priya Nigam, CEO at Veda Informatics Pvt Ltd

Great Companies: How did you get your idea or concept for the business?

Priya Nigam: The question reminds me of something Jeff Bezos said - “There will always be serendipity involved in discovery”. That’s because I didn’t really get the idea of the business. I just happened to be at the right place, at the right time. A US-based company was looking to set up a content team in India, for reporting on the stock markets of the US and Europe. They contacted to hire me to manage the team. When I heard the idea, I was completely bought into it and offered to set up my own team and for them to outsource the work to us. So, the journey began with a 4-member team of writers, working from home in India. This was in 2002, a time when content creation and management was not outsourced to India.

Great Companies: What are the various Services provided by Veda Informatics Pvt Ltd?

Priya Nigam: While content remains our core competency, we have four verticals now – content development, web and graphic design, website development and online marketing. We’re best at B2B marketing and specialize in solutions for companies in the finance and technology sectors. Most of our clients are based in the US and Europe, while some are Indian companies.

Great Companies: What makes Veda Informatics different from hundreds of other Content Marketing firms?

Priya Nigam:

First, we’ve been around for almost two decades. So, we have the experience and knowledge. Second is our focus on forging long-term relationships. This goes for clients (our oldest client has been with us for 14+ years) as well as for the team (some members have been with us for over a decade). These long-term relationships provide a strong foundation for us, seeing us through good and bad times.

Of course, the basis of any relationship is trust. We’re earned that by providing high-quality services, consistently. That’s the reason we don’t lose clients despite the vast changes in content marketing trends over the years. I’ve heard companies say they go the extra mile. When we partner with our clients, we don’t even count the miles! We’ve stood by colleagues and clients through the 2008 financial crisis and are doing the same now, during the pandemic.

Great Companies: What are the struggles and challenges you face?

Priya Nigam: Over 70% of marketers today are actively investing in content marketing. So, there’s stiff competition – for getting new clients as well as gaining visibility online for the companies we serve.

The other challenge is identifying the right talent when we need it. The talent pool of good content marketers in India is still quite small. We invest a lot in training, but it’s tough to access values like commitment to quality and attention to detail at the hiring stage.

The pandemic also presented some challenges in coordinating with a remote team. Although our processes were cloud based even before the pandemic, coordination started taking too long. Moreover, human interactions, like chats during coffee breaks, completely disappeared. At the same time, we have been incredibly lucky, as the team came together to ensure high-quality deliveries despite covid-19 infections, distractions at home, and the stress caused by uncertainty.

Great Companies: How do you plan to grow in the future? What does 5 years down the line look like for Veda Informatics?

Priya Nigam: : The pandemic has resulted in a secular shift in consumer behavior to online solutions, which has made it even more important for companies to have a strong online presence. At the same time, companies need unique solutions to cater to more demanding customers. Over the next 5 years, we aim to become a leading content marketing company that is known for its agility and reliability. We would be exploring new channels as this happens. We also plan to create proprietary online platforms to further the brand.

Great Companies: If you had one piece of advice to someone just starting out, what would it be?

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Opportunity knocks in different ways. Sometimes it’s so soft that it’s barely audible. At times, it knocks for just a fleeting moment, such that if you stop to consider possibilities before responding, it’s gone. Sometimes it comes disguised as a challenge or even as a failure. My advice is to be mindful of these knocks. And keep the door (and mind) open!

- Priya Nigam

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Website : https://www.vedainformatics.com/