Entrepreneurship for me was more by accident than by design, having grown up in a family that considered education and independence for women as essential as for men.

When my husband (also a genomics specialist) and I, were returning to India after postdoctoral Research in the US and Israel and having experienced hands-on what was hot and happening in the genomics space, we had 2 choices ahead of us - take to academic research or start something new.

Late nineties was when the dotcom bubble had burst and investments into new ventures were hard to come by. Genomics was an unheard name with Biotechnology still associated with just tissue culture and Beer manufacturing and enzymes.

Biotech Research was expensive, still not in the reach for many an aspiring scientist- for one, such technologies were hard to come by- most came from the US, then there were not as many trained people. Genomics as a service was unheard of...That was the opportunity we saw.

As first generation entrepreneurs, it was learning all the way- for me as a scientist- and no formal training in either finance or business it meant even learning what an Invoice meant. It was baby steps all the way with learnings from mentors from family to advisors to our peers.

After a few unsuccessful attempts at getting VC funding (we did not fit the formula- two technocrats with no management background), we got our first break with angel investment in 2005 coupled with partnership with a global technology company for providing their services in India.

There was no looking back from then on in terms of growth but each year brought in new challenges and learnings and an exciting journey unfolded...we have met and worked with wonderful people, as partners, as advisors, employees, friends all of whom have contributed to this beautiful entrepreneurial journey.

Having a fetish for being organised meant I put in all my energies into bringing in systems into the operational aspects of the organisation, enabling it into a smooth growth path. I have faced challenges as a woman, having to prioritise different commitments, having to give up on a few things to manage the balance. It has been very rewarding, and I am ready to begin one other entrepreneurial journey with a new venture that aspires to provide ethical and precision diagnostic testing for genetic disorders-Insights into health and disease.