Young Indian Entrepreneur Recognised As A Leaders of Change 2021

Mumbai: Founder and Global CEO of Water and Shark, Mr Harsh Patel is the proud recipient of the Young Leaders of Change 2021 award - one of the most prestigious business awards of our time hosted by the Economic times. He was chosen from among millions of youth leaders in the country to receive such a high honour because of his incredible achievements and contributions to the business and legal world.

The Economic Times Leaders of Change 2021, is an event to honour Indian entrepreneurs across various industries for their immense contribution to the business world during the uncertainties and dynamics of a global pandemic.

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Harsh was among several luminaries of his time to receive the award in different categories. Some of the personalities that graced the event were Mr Kabir Bedi, Ms. Archana Khosla Burman from Vertices Partners,Dr. Minnie Bodhanwala - Wadia Hospitals, Mr. Ajay Bakshi - Metamorphosis Unlimited, Dr. Geeta Lathkar - MGM's College of Engineering & Technology, Ms. Jyoti Das - JYO Shop, and Ms. Suchita Oswal Jain - Vice Chairman, Vardhman Textiles Ltd.

While there were many visionaries representing different areas of business, there was only one CA in the lot and that was Mr Harsh Patel. Under his vision and guidance, Water and Shark has provided excellent services to hundreds of startups and established firms worldwide and set them on a path of impressive success.

And while it was a matter of great adulation to share stage and respect with such highbrow personalities, it’s imperative to mention here that Harsh was the only CA of the lot. He was also one of the youngest businessmen on stage.

This is no simple feat of course. It took years and years of hard work and deliberation to get to a point of massive recognition. It seems like only yesterday that Harsh was starting out in Mumbai with only a handful of resources and a lot of grit. The world changed for him when he started his entrepreneurial journey at the youthful age of 18. At such an age where most of his peers weree focussed on getting into corporate life at an established CA firm, Harsh took a different path. HE decided to set up his own practice which led him to become the Founder and Chairman of the Water and Shark Group. Since then, he has donned several hats - an entrepreneur, a speaker, an innovator, and a mentor. In just 10 years, he has become a messiah of sorts for businesses straddling a dynamic world.

Harsh says, his mission is to put India on a global map. He wants Water and Shark to be the most sought-after finance and legal firm globally. Many companies are outsourcing their jobs to countries like India, Nepal and Bangladesh, because they know that our people are capable of so much more. As new-age professionals, our skills and expertise are no longer limited to national boundaries. He wants to empower his peers to constantly acquire knowledge about skills that are relevant to their current and future roles and not be afraid to explore unfamiliar territories of business. In 2017, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in a speech, reached out to young Indian CAs to upgrade their skills and focus on catering to global business. And that’s what Harsh has done.

The pandemic’s tricky and tough times bolstered this belief when Harsh made some gutsy decisions to expand Water and Shark to China and Hong Kong at a time when most companies were wary of the uncertain future and the inhibitors to business in these countries. While many CA firms were focussing on local business, Water and Shark was expanding. These bold decisions underscored his aspirations for greatness.

The world is changing faster than ever and with that there are several technological obstacles. A major segment of the event focussed on how technological disruptions have affected Water and Shark. Harsh’s insights on technology were quite apt. He believes that we shouldn’t look at technological challenges in a bad way. Challenges are the precursor to innovation. And at Water and Shark, the team has taken on these challenges to revolutionise their processes. They’re using AI now, more than ever, to make legal business processes a smoother ride for companies. A lot of businesses have a stagnated mindset. They’re obsessed with survival and compliance rather than evolution and innovation. They aspire to be more but are tethered by their fear of change. That’s why they treat technology as the enemy to survival.

Harsh’s message to his successors is to expand their horizons. Not be concerned with the nitty grittier of compliance and data to day tasks, but be open to change and upskilling. They musn’t confine themselves to boundaries but build skills that are global and will cater to their progress. Our youth is capable of so much more than just bookish tasks. The key to progress and growth is constantly working on yourself and developing something. Aspire. Be untethered.

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