Young entrepreneur aspires to dream big

Visakhapatnam: At the age of 12, when T. Kanthidutt decided to tread the unbeaten path, his instinct to fight and stand up for himself gave wings to his aspirations. A couple of years down the line, his entrepreneurial skills became apparent and that's how Spartans, a marketing management firm, sprang to life.

From a team of four in 2015 to creating livelihood to 40 youngsters from diverse backgrounds, Spartans has come a long way, connecting artistes of various art forms with connoisseurs across the Telugu States – Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.

Kanthidutt's significant contribution to the fields of art, culture and tourism through a host of projects made him bag Telangana Rashtra Sarwabhowma Award. Instituted by Telangana Tourism, he received the award in the 'young entrepreneur' category.

After completing his Class X at Sri Sathya Sai Vidya Vihar, Kanthidutt studied Classes XI and XII at Hindu Public School, Hyderabad. "Juggling between studies and work is an art which I am adept at," says the 19-year-old, who is now pursuing Bachelors in Business Administration through distance education.

"I have been drawn to entrepreneurship ever since my school days. When I shared my aspiration with my parents -- T. Murty and T. Sridevi, they welcomed it with open arms. I am glad that they allowed me to do what I always dreamt of," says the entrepreneur, who is also a fitness enthusiast.

Tying up with the tourism department, Spartans not only focusses on providing avenues to Classical dance performers, playback singers and actors from the make-believe world to exhibit their skills but also ensures to dedicate a part of the programme to promote local talent. "For instance, 'Kuchipudi' is not as popular as 'Kathak' in parts of Telangana, Tamil Nadu and other States.

The idea is to enrich our State's heritage and culture, integrating the local art form in each event along with the other art forms. Thus bringing diverse artistes to a common platform and connecting them with a wider audience," explains founder and executive director of Spartans and a venture capitalist for a few startups.

About his entrepreneurial journey, he says, "It has been a rollercoaster ride so far. I am glad that the organisation is growing well now. Going forward, we are planning to set up branches in Bengaluru and Chennai as well," he says, and adds that he aspires to be featured in Forbes 30 under 30.