Quit a Top-Tier Government Job to Get Into Business

Let’s begin:

Meet Dhananjaya Bharadwaj, an inspiring entrepreneur who dedicated 10 years to serving the nation as a Deputy Commandant. After a decade of service, he made the bold decision to leave his job and put his efforts into solving a big problem. His journey was not easy—when he was 6 years old, he lost his father. Today, as a successful entrepreneur, Dhananjaya is making a significant impact by addressing one of the country’s most critical issues.

About Dhananjaya Bharadwaj:

The journey of this inspiring entrepreneur, Dhananjaya Bharadwaj, started in the small town of Moradabad. The early days of the man were tough. When he was just 6 years old, he lost his father. His father had a business in partnership. After his father’s death, there were many disputes within the business with that partner. His mother didn't want her children to get involved in all of this.

His mother decided that now I would take my children away from these disputes, and furthermore, she shifted to her mother’s house along with her children. His childhood was spent in poverty, as his mother used to teach in a private school, and her salary was only ₹2500.

Dhananjaya was aware of this situation, and he also knew that studying was the only way to come out of it. With his mother's guidance, he completed his graduation in mechanical engineering by borrowing from his maternal grandmother. He worked hard, and in his last year of college, he had to appear for the Assistant Commandant exam, which he passed, and he became an Assistant Commandant at the age of just 21.

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The journey as an Assistant Commandant:

He was appointed as an Assistant Commandant in the Indian Coast Guard, where he received training from both the Coast Guard and the Indian Navy. During his service, he traveled across the country and the world and learned a lot! 

From both the Coast Guard and the Navy, he learned that you can do anything while in service, but you cannot lose, and from this, he learned to never give up.

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What inspired him to launch his startup?

Dhananjaya relocated to Andhra Pradesh in 2017. After saving diligently since he got his job, he finally purchased his dream car. Eager to surprise his mother, he planned to buy her a phone from Gaffar Market in Karol Bagh, Delhi, and he went there with his mother.

He could not find any place to park his car. Then, after a lot of searching, he found a place, and when he came back, his car had disappeared. On asking the people at the vehicle parking, they too said that they have no responsibility for this, as it was written on the slip that “parking is at own risk." He was surprised to hear this.

However, after some time, he found out about his car, but this time he realized that there were thousands of vehicles parked there, and so many people would have to deal with it. Then he thought of working for a solution. During this time, his friend Abhimanyu Singh also joined him, who was working for the Steel Authority of India Limited. Together, they embarked on developing a solution to tackle the parking challenges.

Seen before launching his startup:

During his research, Dhananjaya discovered that Delhi alone has about 1 crore vehicles, while official figures indicate there are only 94,000 parking spaces available. This means there are around 106 vehicles per parking space.

An IBM survey revealed that the average car owner loses 5 days annually and uses over 100 liters of petrol each year solely in the search for parking. Additionally, 33% of traffic jams are caused by congestion just because of looking for parking.

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After discovering these statistics, Dhananjaya and his friend were astonished and decided to tackle the parking problem themselves. Furthermore, in order to resolve this parking issue, Dhananjaya quit his well-paying government job. However, the decision was not easy to quit a secure job. When there were no financial concerns and everything was going smoothly, his entrepreneurial spirit led him to pursue a more challenging path.

How did he resolve the issue?

He decided that he would leave his job and launch his own startup. During this time, he kept one thing in mind: “Don’t take risks, take calculated risks,” and embarked on his entrepreneurial journey.

He relocated from Andhra Pradesh to Noida to begin his venture, but there was a challenge in front of him because he had no business background, no corporate experience, and no corporate network. This was a big challenge that had come before him.

To deal with this challenge, he started studying, meeting people, watching informative videos, and reading different books. His hard work and dedication paid off when, in December 2021, they took their first funding with the vision of solving the entire problem of parking and removing it from the owner's life. For this, they thought that whatever responsibility the parking has, it will be entirely ours. Soon, he launched his startup, Parkmate.

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About his startup, Parkmate:

In 2021, Dhananjaya Bharadwaj and Abhimanyu Singh launched ParkMate, a smart parking solution designed to provide a seamless parking experience for both users and businesses. With the ParkMate application, users no longer need to search for or physically visit a parking lot. This app-based company eliminates the stress of finding parking spots, offering a convenient and efficient alternative. Additionally, users can track their vehicles through the app, enhancing the overall user experience.

Success isn’t about stopping after one victory; it’s about continuously learning and moving forward. Dhananjaya is also among those who don’t let their success hold them back.

Hats off to this inspiring entrepreneur, Dhananjaya Bharadwaj, for opting for a challenging path.