One Year Open for Business — PulsePlayers-1. 29.April.2022
Shruti Thapa Rai, my partner in life and business moved from USA to Dubai and then to Dharamshala, Himachal Pradesh, India. Shruti and our daughter Shanaya had moved from Dubai to Dharamshala, Himachal Pradesh about a year or so prior to me moving. I landed in Dharamshala on 20th November 2020. It was Karwa — Chauth day — where the wife performs austerities and fasts for the well-being her husband. I was home.
We came up with a name for our company — PulsePlay Digital. We applied for our company to be registered as a Private Limited Company. Our company registration on 25.January.2021 — PulsePlay Digital Private Limited. Our dreams started to take shape. We looked at each other and said this is it. Let’s give it all we got and then some. We’ve been talking about coming back to our roots and settling down in India and in our own way give back to our communities and country.
In the midst of Covid-19 pandemic, in the winters of November 2020 — January 2021 — Shruti and I and started to look for experienced resources in Dharamshala, Himachal Pradesh, who were local to the place so we could build something substantial and create value for the long term. We asked my brother Anup Rai to join us as the Head, Creative Production. I hired him when he was born. That was easy. Shruti and I made calls to a few resources in Dharamshala.
On a winter day in December or January 2021, I called an experienced technical architect — Ranjeet Sharma. Ranjeet visited us — Shruti and I in our office which had a desk and three chairs. We spoke of our values, our dreams and our passion for people, purpose, promise and performance. I walked Ranjeet outside the office, on that cold winter afternoon and we continued speaking about the possibilities that may lie ahead.
Ranjeet agreed to come on-board and together it was Shruti, Anup, Ranjeet and me. We started hiring. One day Shruti mentioned let’s go visit the local MAAC academy to see if we can get some candidates for graphic designing and animation. So, we did, and met up with the team at MAAC who introduced us to Surya Chauhan. Surya joined as graphic designer. So now we were 5.
PulsePlay Digital — Why this name?
I was clear what the logo must depict. I had been following Sadhguru and Isha Foundation for a long time and wanted to incorporate the 5 elements that Sadhguru spoke about — Air, Water, Fire, Earth and Space. 5 elements and all variations were already registered, or the website domain were not available. So I thought Sound — Vibrations — Reverb — Pulse.
Pulse
Pulse of the now, Feel of the now, Pulse representing life and rhythm around us. Pulse / read / attention on/of the inner-self, individual, external situations, markets, audiences, communities, nation and the world. Pulse of the People. We wanted to be a People First company that focuses on our own People — teams, customers, our customers’ customers and the communities at large.
Play
I heard Sadhguru say — In Playfulness you may experience all that is there to experience. So, I said let’s pick up the word Play. Our company will be one that envisages the ‘Play’ or the ‘Playbook’ go to market, growth strategies, performance, scaling. Fun, In the now, In the attention economy. Can we as a people-centric company, ‘Play’ our roles the best we could in situations?
Digital
With covid, we saw what impact and opportunities digital could provide. We wanted to be a Digital First company. So. Digital.
PulsePlay Digital
The team has been releasing a few videos on our social media handles. Please check this out.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CcPXgKJDMcQ/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
PulsePlayers-1
4 Functions: Imagine, Design, Build and Perform
We decided to name this annual event as PulsePlayers. The way we have structured our company and teams is — in these 4 Functions
· Imagine
· Design
· Build
· Perform
PulsePlayers operate in these functions.
More on this later in a separate blog.
Logo brief:
So above was the brief given by me and Shruti to Anup and Surya. Anup and Surya started to sketch a few visuals on how we could represent the logo. Here are some of the sketches that Surya drew, and Anup, Ranjeet, Shruti and I continued giving our inputs and updating the sketches. May be some day we will share fun stories behind the logo.
Growing Team
Interviews, hiring process continued and soon enough we had Rishi Sippy, Aanchal Mahajan, Sushant Katoch, Sushil Katoch, Akshay Rana, Sahdev Pathania, Bhupinder Pal Singh, Jayant Mendjogi, Tanvi Dogra, Shiwangi Rustagi, Simran Sukhwal, Karan Deep, Vishal Suman, Daljeet Singh, Sachin Thakur, and Pankaj Verma. The team started forming, growing together as a unit.
Also a few dynamic interns joined our growing team Namrata Sharma, Nikhil Kashyap, Tanmay Behl, Urmi Sharma, Aarti Koundal and Shivalika Bhardwaj have been instrumental in driving a lot of brand campaigns with their ideas and feet on the ground approach.
Grateful to our Paying Clients and Friends of PulsePlay Digital
For a start-up that has been founded bootstrapped with the personal savings of Shruti and I and based in the lap of Himalayas — Dharamshala, Himachal Pradesh — support from friends, patrons, referrals go a long way. We would like to thank all our paying clients who believed in us, and we are on this journey because of the support and trust in our capabilities.
We will remain forever grateful to our paying clients for trusting us with their branding and digital mandate. Universal Language Hub, OMC Organic, Dr. Jaggery, Futuristic_HR, India Mobile Congress, AM Studio Dance and Fitness, Aditya Retail Online, Nandini Villa, Deepak Super Store, Clinica Fai, Sri Balaji University, Pune (SBUP), ANG Infotech, Sanskriitii, VSERV Capital Services.
Way Forward
1. Launch 5 value added brands and business within PulsePlay Group
a. Today we announce the launch of Himalayas Digital — www.himalayasdigital.com More on this in a separate blog
2. Continue to grow PulsePlay Digital- all over India and Internationally — collaborating with brands and business on their digital growth agenda
3. Continue to build capabilities and capacities within Dharamshala, Himachal Pradesh, India to serve brands all over India and globe
4. Shape the Himalayas digital and technology ecosystem by training and creating 5000 jobs in the wider Himalayas region in areas of digital, creative production and emerging technologies by 31, December 2025
5. Prevent Himalayan region youth and talent from migrating to the crowded metros and cities by bringing world class projects, brands, opportunities and exposure to the Himalayan regions
Deepak Rai & Shruti Thapa Rai
Co-founders
PulsePlay Digital Private Limited
