Why Most First-Time Exporters Fail (And How One Expert Is Changing That)

For many budding entrepreneurs and students dreaming of starting their own export business, the biggest roadblock isn’t a lack of ambition but it’s a lack of real training. Across India, export courses charging ₹20,000–₹50,000 have become common, but most of them deliver only surface-level content through PowerPoint slides, leaving learners confused and underprepared for the realities of the export market.

This is exactly the problem that Athish Ravikanth, an experienced export business consultant with over a decade in the field, set out to fix.

5 Common Mistakes First-Time Exporters Make

Drawing from his years of experience, Athish observes that beginners in export often make the same costly mistakes:

1. Choosing random markets without research – Selecting countries based on assumptions, not demand.
2. Ignoring documentation and compliance – Small errors that delay or block shipments.
3. Depending on agents or middlemen – Which reduces profit and control.
4. Misunderstanding costs – Overlooking logistics, insurance, and freight charges.
5. Learning from “PPT-style” trainers – Courses that look professional but fail to teach real-world challenges.

A Decade of Experience That Changed His Perspective

Having an experience of more than 10 years in import-export, Athish learned that many trainers in the market don’t teach the real challenges or the practical skills needed in today’s global trade environment.

“They teach about export like a presentation in PPT and charge around ₹20,000 to ₹50,000,” he says.

After handling exports in various agri commodities and electronics, and consulting many young entrepreneurs at no cost, he identified a massive gap between the skills trainers offer and the demands of the actual export industry.

This realization inspired him to design a program that would deliver real training, real knowledge, and real examples from today’s market.

His Mission: Affordable, Real-World Export Education

That mission took shape in the form of his Sunday Online Sessions, weekly live sessions designed to teach exports in a simple, structured, and practical way.

Each Sunday, Athish focuses on one challenge faced by exporters and covers it in depth. These challenges include:

• Documentation
• Logistics
• Payment terms
• Sales and marketing
• Budget planning
• Profit margin calculation
• And other crucial topics

Each session is designed to give participants hands-on understanding, using current examples and actual industry practices.

And despite the depth of the content, Athish charges just ₹1,000 per session. His purpose, he says, is to share knowledge and empower people to start their export journey without fear or financial burden.

What Makes His Approach Different

• Practical, not PowerPoint: Real training based on current export challenges.
• Updated examples: Lessons drawn from today’s trade practices.
• Challenge-based structure: Each session focuses on one core area in depth.
• Community learning: Participants grow together with peers.
• Affordable for all: At ₹1,000, it’s accessible to students and entrepreneurs alike.

Building Confidence in a Complicated Industry

For students, budding entrepreneurs, and new exporters, Athish’s sessions serve as a bridge between theory and reality, helping them understand not just what to do, but how to do it.

Instead of paying ₹20,000–₹50,000 for crash courses that teach little, participants gain deep, actionable knowledge every week, directly from someone who has spent years in the trenches of export-import business.

The Bigger Picture

India has the talent, ambition and products from agriculture to manufacturing to dominate global trade, but what’s missing is practical education. Professionals like Athish Ravikanth are filling that gap, making export knowledge accessible, authentic, and affordable.

Those who’ve attended his sessions agree with his belief

“Exports aren’t complicated; they’re just not taught the right way.”

To learn more about Athish Ravikanth’s upcoming export sessions or connect for collaboration, reach out through his official website or whatsapp number +9194492 59553