Leaders

Advertising and Media is a competitive domain and establishing a brand with persistent efforts and commitment makes success look noteworthy. Sudha Chakrabarty, CEO and Founder of Ridge Advertising and Marketing Consultants, started the journey 24 years ago when the advertising and media industry was in a nascent stage. She started her business in Ranchi and established the business across India. Today, under her guidance Ridge Advertising and Marketing Consultants is a well-known brand that offers creative, media planning and media buying solutions in the fields of Print, Digital, Events and Strategic brand building.

Engaging in an exclusive interaction with Women Entrepreneur, Sudha Chakrabarty reveals her journey as a paragon persona of the advertising and media industry who reached the pinnacle of success through perseverance.

1. Tell us about your entrepreneurial journey. What inspired you to establish ridge marketing?

My entrepreneurship journey started with a vision to create a name for myself in the advertising world. Soon after completing my Master’s in Anthropology, I got married and was blessed with a beautiful kid. In the 80’s era where most women would settle down for a comfortable family life, I always dreamt about creating a platform that will give wings to my ideas. I decided to pursue my MBA in marketing to supplement my imagination with the power of knowledge. After finishing my degree, although I got multiple job offers, the urge to create something of my own was very strong. This was the time when advertisement business existed only in big cities and all organizations from small towns use to go to metros to get quality advertising work. Seizing this opportunity, I took a plunge to start my advertising agency Ridge Advertising &Marketing Consultancy in Ranchi.

2. What were the major challenges that you encountered during your journey at ridge marketing and how did you manage to overcome them?

In a town like Ranchi, a woman starting an advertisement business was unheard of and I being undeterred and unabated in the pursuit of my dream I faced immense challenges. During the budding years of the organization everything was a challenge, starting from resources, talent, and technology. With a lot of hard work and dedication, I was able to win the confidence of clients that they can depend on my agency, Ridge Advertising and Marketing when they need results with excellent quality. To get my first order, I kept visiting the client’s office for 4 months continuously unless I got it. I felt redeemed as my persistence paid off and from there on, I never looked back. From Ridge’s first client Birla Institute of Technology, Ranchi, I was able to scale up to the country’s most prestigious institutes like IITs, IIMs, and PSUs like HAL, UCIL, BHEL, MECON, Coal sectors and others It was always about the next arduous challenge to prove that a small-town woman with a passion to win and ambition to touch the sky can get what she sets her eye on. It is this passion and persistence which paved the way for a strong foothold of this venture. Today I have given shape to an organization, which started with a mere capital of Rs 5000, to being one of the highly regarded advertising agencies with 10 offices across the nation.

“It is this passion and persistence which paved the way for a strong foothold of this venture”

3. Explain your current role at ridge marketing and how are you leveraging the best of these elements across your company’s operations?

At Ridge, my focus has always been creating a culture of standing by each other. Together we have built a culture of passion for work and compassion for people. My people give more than 100% at work not because of the rewards they earn but because they are a part of Ridge family. I take pride in the value-centric relationship which is promoted at Ridge. I have always dreamt of not only making a sustainable organization but also with human values and responsible for the betterment of lives around us. Deepak Pandey and Pradip Chakravarty are the co-architects of this dream. As much as the guiding force to shape my vision comes from within, my family is equally responsible in my quest to make Ridge Advertising stand out in the advertising world. We now have a fully integrated Digital marketing team including data scientists& digital marketers. This team is led by Arghya Chakravarty who is well educated and well equipped to take on the challenges of the future.

4. What Is Your Mantra To Establish A Successful Business?

There are no shortcuts to success! It has taken us 24 years to get where we are. Success comes to those who work hard consistently with dedication towards their goal. I live and breathe by the same motto even today. Entrepreneurship is a journey and one needs to embrace every aspect of the journey whether they are challenges, accomplishments or learnings on the way. An idea alone will not lead to success in business. There is no dearth of good ideas – it is their implementation, putting together a great team and the actual ground level action that is taken, wherein lies the difference between a great idea and a great business.

Sudha Chakrabarty, CEO, Ridge Advertising & Marketing Consultants

As a student of anthropology, Sudha likes to understand different people and different cultures. She is passionate about learning about different cultures, cuisines, places and their contribution towards arts specifically in the area of art and literature. Being amazedby how the digital enablement is shaping the market, she is driving focus on digital with her team of data scientists and digital marketers. She loves spending time with her 8 years old grandson who is a blogger and who keeps sharing with her the new world view of today. Sudha has received Governor’s Award and All India Women Entrepreneurs Award 2019 by Delhi Management Association in acknowledgment of her contribution to the advertising and media domain.

Hobby: Reading, Travelling