Hailing from a business family, entrepreneurship was a natural outcome for Manisha Zaveri, the Joint Managing Director of Career Mosaic Pvt. Ltd ­ leading higher education B2B consulting firms in South Asia. But Manisha's métier is really about the way she constantly succeeds in finding novel avenues to grow Career Mosaic, thanks to her passion, courage, quick decision-making ability, and the appetite for calculated risks.

Manisha holds a Master's Degree in Commerce from MS University and E-Business Management Diploma from University of California, Berkeley. She kick-started her entrepreneurial journey in 1999 by setting up a company that managed software development projects outsourced to India, by clients across North America. With the dawn of the new century, she joined Career Mosaic Pvt. Ltd. in 2003. Along with Career Mosaic, Manisha has also co-founded `Market Entry', a bespoke branding & strategy consulting platform catering to universities for in-country operations, manifesting her palate for new challenges. I recently got to talking with this passionate leader and engaged in an exclusive interaction, wherein she talked about her journey over the last two decades as well as the latest endeavors.

Over The Past 20 Years, Career Mosaic Has Witnessed The Complete Revolution Of The Internet And The Explosion In Terms Of The Information Availability And It Has Come A Long Way As Well. How Has Been The Journey So Far?
Winding back two decades, Career Mosaic started its journey as a B2C organization handling student applications for studying abroad. Good and transparent career advising was rare back then. We embraced a noble mission to match the right student to the right university. Soon after its founding, when I joined in 2003, we charted and executed an aggressive expansion plan, collaborating with the universities across the length and breadth of the US. Over the years, we have established extremely close ties with hundreds of universities in the US and Canada. When we started our operations, it was also the time that the number of students aspiring to study abroad multiplied manifold in India. Between 1999 and 2006 this number rapidly increased by 163 percent! Applicants came from diverse locations in India, aspiring to pursue a range of different careers.

We soon shifted gears and evolved into a B2B organization, representing universities and helping them recruit qualified international students, strategizing their enrollment plans, and devising marketing approaches. South Asia is a huge market and Universities need guidance for tapping into this region and optimizing the outcomes of international student recruitment. Today, Career Mosaic represents more than 800 Universities across the world and we are South Asia's top B2B company in the space of higher education abroad. We have an agent network of 900 abroad career consultants and advisors, with more joining each month!

Today, we process more than 10,000 applications a year from India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, South East Asia, Middle East, Africa and Brazil. Our operations are technology-based, enabling us to reach out far and wide.   

As An Entrepreneur Who Belongs To This Competitive Market, What Drives You Today And How Do You Ensure Career Mosaic Staying On Top In Consistent With Changing Academic Scenarios & Educational Programs?
The market is vast, challenging and fascinatingly complex in every way. India and South Asia represent exceptional opportunities for forward-thinking education institutions and it's a satisfying endeavor to help them grasp those opportunities while also helping students realize their dreams.

The emerging prospects of engaging and attracting the new segment of highflier Indian students require a proactive recruitment strategy which adapts to the needs and behaviors of the students. India has a massive population of 315 million college-entering students ­ that is the highest in the world! According to the Indian Ministry of External Affairs, a total of 7,53,000 Indian students were studying abroad in 2019. In 2020, there was a small dip due to the Covid-19 pandemic, but that's behind us now and we are currently processing an unprecedented high number of applications.

“We help universities gain access to India's markets based on careful analysis of past experiences, trends, existing channels and changes in marketing practices ­ all of which are continuously evolving”

Indian students demand high quality education and prospects of work experience abroad. The Universities are looking for qualified and genuine students who can contribute to the classroom, the research programs, and eventually to the economy. Career Mosaic and Market Entry both fit in this environment. The B2B business model allows us to give our agents the freedom to run their operations and marketing activities, while making use of Career Mosaic's expertise and experience, and a large portfolio of partner Universities. It also enables us to expand and enter into new markets rather quickly and smoothly.

How Have Your Services Been Designed So As To Ensure That Every Student Finds The Right Educational Institution And Is Supported Throughout The Process?
One of the key compositions of our service delivery is information. We are a knowledge-based consulting company. A deep and thorough understanding of every University that we work with is established and passed onto the entire agent network via training modules and our CRM system. Our Career Advisors are experts in helping students explore multidimensional and interdisciplinary careers. Our network of study-abroad consultants offers a full range of application & admission services, including visa application, financial planning, loan applications, and procuring forex, insurance & air tickets.

The aim of Career Mosaic is to match the student to the right university. Often, students are drawn towards ranking and herd mentality in college selection. Our aim is to help each student realize his or her own potential and choose a career and university accordingly. Keeping this in mind, we have a strict screening process to make the right matches and offer alternate options to those who don't match their original choices.

How Would You Describe The Agencies, Establishments And Channel Partners That Strengthen Career Mosaic's Service Capabilities? Also, What Are The Factors That Help Career Mosaic Differentiate Itself From Its Contemporaries In The Industry?
Our Channel Partners are the study abroad consultants and career advisors who are well-trained to offer personalized services. We have a large agent network that spans across all the major Tier-I, II and III cities of India and all the major cities of the countries that we operate in.

Several factors differentiate us from other contemporaries. Firstly, it is the deep and valuable connections that we have within the American and Canadian education system of colleges that proactively seek South Asian / Indian students. We have a strong brand presence and enjoy high reputation amongst our current and potential university partners. We are also unique with the quality of our service delivery. We are committed to ensuring that students experience a hassle-free and transparent application and admission process, while the Universities experience an increase in quality and diversity of their applicants through quality control and checks. Our team and operations are built on these values.

How Would You Describe The Growth Curve Of Career Mosaic? What Facets Of Your Personality Or Leadership Style Has Helped You In Taking The Company Forward?
The company has grown from a humble counseling center in the early 2000s to South Asia's number one B2B company today! The journey has been very exciting and the key is to keep evolving by keeping an eye on the market trends and potential opportunities.

I am a quick decision maker and we do not sit on opportunities. We promptly put action plans in place and get cracking! And although we are always looking ahead and constantly evolving, I like to pay attention to detail and consolidate, bringing about consistency in service delivery and enabling the team and operations to scale in accordance to our growth plans.

A major chunk of credits goes to our team. We have an excellent team, which often goes above and beyond their duties to align with our goals and priorities. I would like to think that our close connections with the core team is also a driving force in taking the company forward. With such a great team, you can win almost everything!

You Co-Founded The Branding & Strategy Consulting Platform For Universities, Market Entry, In 2018? What Was The Inspiration Behind This?
The premise of Market Entry is to work with progressive and forward-thinking Universities, and help them achieve their international student recruitment goals by establishing and operating an In-Country presence for them. We provide strategies and services to succeed in the high-growth educational markets such as India, Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. We help Universities gain access to India's markets based on careful analysis of past experiences, trends, existing channels and changes in marketing practices ­ all of which are continuously evolving. We run their operations in India with a local person or a team on the ground constantly attending to students and counselors in real time.

Given Your Close To A Decade Of Experience In The Industry, What Are Some Critical Traits Required By One To Become A Successful Entrepreneur In The Segment? What Has Been One Of The Most Critical Learning That You Have Gathered On Your Entrepreneurial Journey?
Number one would be the ability to take calculated risks. It is a chance to learn, and align your business to realistic goals. Number two would be teamwork and leadership. A good leader motivates and energizes the team and is a good communicator! Number three would be to balance your life. Burnout is not a badge of honor. And creativity, which is so vital to your entrepreneurial journey cannot be achieved in a state of constant stress.

The most critical learning is to understand the importance of listening. No matter your industry or company mission, as a leader, everything you do ultimately relies on the interpersonal relationships you form with your team, stakeholders, customers and others. Without active listening, these relationships are much harder to develop, because you might not understand the problems at hand or be able to acknowledge them in a positive way.

What Is The Roadmap Set For Career Mosaic In The Days To Come? Also, How Do You Intend To Chart Your Future Journey As An Entrepreneur And Business Leader?
We are really excited about what the future holds for our industry. We're planning for a bigger international reach, and setting up our marketing teams in South Asia, Africa, and Central Asia. We are also looking at more collaborations in non-traditional study abroad markets that are gaining popularity.

En route to the future, I see myself working on models that involve tech and digital presence at every aspect of the business. That is the future for everyone who wants to create a winning venture!

Manisha Zaveri, Joint Managing Director, Career Mosaic
A visionary leader, Manisha possesses an experience of two decades in the industry. She excels in leveraging technology for executing stellar operations, and building interpersonal relationships with different teams, stakeholders, and customers. Manisha, who holds a Master's Degree in Commerce from MS University and E-Business Management Diploma from University of California, Berkeley, started her entrepreneurial career by setting up a software development company in 1999. She co-founded Career Mosaic Pvt. Ltd and Market Entry soon after.