Ashok Soota's new entrepreneurial venture: Happiest Minds

It's been a year since he left MindTree, but Ashok Soota has reasons to smile thanks to his new venture Happiest Minds. In an excl conversation with CNBC-TV18, Soota lays out the progress he has made in his latest innings as entrepreneur and what he sees for the road ahead.

Sunanda Jayaseelan brings you what's on Ashok Soota's mind. Happiest minds has reasons to be, well, happy 25 active customers and three global centres later, founder Ashok Soota says that the year since the launch of IT services player couldn't have been better. But at the same time, Soota, who still continues to be a shareholder in MindTree, the midcap IT services co that he founded and then left rubbishes reports that MindTree could be worried over his progress competing as they do in similar spaces. Ashok Soota, Executive Chairman of Happiest Minds says, "There is absolutely no reason for them to be looking at us in any more concern as they would look at with any other competitor. We are out there, playing with the level playing field." Of late though, this level playing field has gotten just that much tougher given the present macro economic scenario. But Soota says that this is the best time to be a start up. Happiest Minds, which focuses on newer tech like cloud, unified communications and mobility, has already managed to attract investment from the likes of Canaan Partners and Intel Cap. Soota says he will look for additional funding depending on acquisition opportunities. On additional funding depending, Soota adds, "Do we need more money in the near future simply because it’s been called as a series A? I would say, unless we get fairly aggressive on acquisitions for which there is no current plan, then I think this should be able to see as through almost pre-IPO round." So what's next? An IPO in the near future says Soota apart from entering newer geographies including Singapore and Continental Europe at the earliest.