The Believers

THE BOOK OF JOB
Sanjeev BikhchandaniSanjeev Bikhchandani (PGP ‘89), naukri.com
Sanjeev is India’s most successful internet entrepreneur. For close to a decade he struggled on the sidelines but never gave up on his Big Idea. In 2006, naukri.com became the first dotcom to IPO on an Indian stock exchange.

ROCK WITH IT, ROLL WITH IT
Shantanu PrakashShantanu Prakash (PGP ‘88), Educomp
Despite a regular middle class upbringing, Shantanu went into business while doing his BCom. The entrepreneurial streak continued after the MBA from IIM Ahmedabad. His company Educomp is today the leading provider of digital content for schools across India.

THE CAT WITH NINE LIVES
Vinayak ChatterjeeVinayak Chatterjee (PGP ‘81), Feedback Ventures
Vinayak quit his job at Pond’s because he didn’t see the point of selling soap for the rest of his life. Originally set up as a market research company, over the years, Feedback Ventures morphed into India’s leading infrastructure advisory and engineering firm.

SOFTWARE COWBOYS
Ashank DesaiAshank Desai (PGP ‘79), Mastek
In the early ’80s, much before IT was a buzzword, Ashank Desai set up Mastek along with a couple of friends. Mastek was the first company to focus on India as a market and is today one of the top 15 IT companies in the country.

GIVER OF ALL GOOD THINGS
R SubramanianR Subramanian (PGP ‘89), Subhiksha
He quit his job at Citibank 15 days after joining, feeling restless to do something ‘more’. That something is today India’s largest grocery chain – Subhiksha. Subramanian famously rebuffed offers from Reliance Retail as he believes the best is ‘yet to come’.

SWEET SUCCESS
Narendra MurkumbiNarendra Murkumbi (PGP ‘94), Shree Renuka Sugars
He shut down the first company he started after graduating because a Rs 5 crore turnover was not ‘large enough’. His second venture Shree Renuka Sugars is today a Rs 1000 crore company, and has changed the lives of hundreds of sugarcane farmers.

AT YOUR SERVICE
Chender BaljeeChender Baljee (PGP ‘72), Royal Orchid Hotels
His family owns Baljee’s, Simla’s most famous hotel. Yet as a young management graduate, Chender decided to carve out his own niche. It took him 35 years but today Royal Orchid is a Rs 150 crore hospitality business.

SUCH A LONG JOURNEY
Madan MohankaMadan Mohanka (PGP ‘67), Tega Industries
In the 1970s it took Madan seven years to get government approval for a foreign collaboration. But he persevered with his dream of excellence in engineering and today, Tega Industries is the world’s third largest company designing solutions in the field of mining equipment.

THE ALCHEMIST
Sunil HandaSunil Handa (PGP ‘79), Eklavya Education Foundation/Core Emballage
As the force behind the LEM (Leadership and Entrepreneurial Motivation) course at IIMA, Sunil Handa has inspired countless students to become entrepreneurs. From a hard nosed businessman to an educational entrepreneur, his is a fascinating journey.

YEH HAI YOUNGISTAN MERI JAAN
Vardan KabraVardan Kabra (PGP 2004), Fountainhead School
In 2004, Vardan Kabra turned his back on an offer by multinational P&G to pursue his dream of starting Fountainhead School. He represents a new generation of young MBAs who are giving up seven figure salaries for the kick of being an entrepreneur.