India’s most admired entrepreneurs & business persons

The leadership, diligence, foresight and wisdom that a great entrepreneur demonstrates can help shape a company’s — even a nation’s — destiny.

Indian corporate history is replete with business icons who have changed the way the world looks at India, and helped shape a new future for the nation.

But before we move on further, here is a caveat: This list of India’s corporate giants is by no means complete. Nor have these Indian business icons been ranked. Their pictures have been arranged in random order. Also, stalwarts like JRD Tata, Dhirubhai Ambani, G D Birla and others who are not amongst us today have not been mentioned in the slide show.

Here’s a list of some of India’s most admired entrepreneurs. Do share your thoughts with us on comments section below.

Ratan Tata

Ratan Naval Tata has been in the news for the past few days due to the unseemly controversy over the Nano car plant in Singur, West Bengal.

The 70-year-old is the chairman of the Tata Group, which is one of India’s largest conglomerates.

A bachelor, Tata is one of the most admired businessmen not just in India but the world over. He has been at the helm of the Tata empire since 1991.

N R Narayana Murthy

Nagavara Ramarao Narayana Murthy is the co-founder, non-executive chairman and chief mentor of India’s best known software firm, Infosys Technologies Ltd.

Murthy is a globally known and highly regarded entrepreneur.

Azim Premji

Azim Premji is the chairman Wipro, India’s second largest software firm after Tata Consultancy Services.

Premji is credited with transforming Wipro, his family’s vegetable oil business, into one of the world’s foremost software company.

Although one of the richest Indians, he flies economy class and is happiest when hiking, reading or discussing the foundation he has set up to promote primary education.

Mukesh Ambani

Reliance Industries chairman Mukesh Ambani is, according to Forbes the world’s fifth richest man and his net worth is estimated at $43 billion.

The Indian billionaire and his younger brother parted ways after the death of their father, Dhirubhai, the patriarch of the Reliance empire.

Mukesh is currently building a $2-billion home on Mumbai’s Altamount Road.

Anil Ambani

Anil Ambani is Mukesh’s younger brother. With a net worth estimated at $42 billion, he is also the world’s 6th richest man.

The chairman of the Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group, Anil has a vast range of companies under his umbrella: Reliance Communications, Reliance Capital, Reliance Mutual Funds, Reliance Energy, etc.

He is married to former Bollywood actress Tina Munim.

Sunil Bharti Mittal

Bharti Group chairman & managing director Sunil Bharti Mittal is one of India’s greatest success stories. In just a period of 10 years, he has built India’s largest cellular services company.

His net worth is estimated at close to $12 billion.

Rahul Bajaj

Padma Bhushan awardee and Rajya Sabha member Rahul Bajaj is the chairman of Bajaj Auto.

An alumnus of Harvard Business School, Bajaj is an outspoken and fearless entrepreneur. His two sons, Rajiv Bajaj and Sanjiv, are now handling the Bajaj businesses, under his guidance.

Anand Mahindra

A Harvard alumnus, Anand Mahindra is the vice chairman and managing director of Mahindra & Mahindra.

The 53-year-old businessman has taken his company to unprecedented heights. He is married to Anuradha Mahindra, who edits three niche magazines.

S ‘Kris’ Gopalakrishnan

S ‘Kris’ Gopalakrishnan is the co-founder and chief executive officer of Infosys Technologies Ltd.

An IIT-Madras alumnus, Gopalakrishnan is a very soft-spoken and shy person. His net worth is estimated to be around $1.4 billion.

Nandan Nilekani

Co-chairman and co-founder of Infosys Technologies Ltd, Nandan Nilekani is a well know and widely admired entrepreneur.

Adi Godrej

Adi Godrej, chairman of the renowned Godrej Group, is one of India’s great businessmen.

Even when India was still a closed economy, he managed to take his group to great heights. When India embraced economic reforms, he changed the way his group did business to face the challenges of changing times and needs. Godrej is also involved in philanthropy.

Lakshmi N Mittal

Lakshmi Niwas Mittal is the chief executive officer of the world’s largest steel company, Arcelor Mittal. He is also said to be the richest Indian in the world with a net worth of $45 billion.

Although he resides in London, UK, Mittal still holds an Indian passport. He is also making big ticket investments in India.

Kumar Mangalam Birla

Forty one-year-old Kumar Mangalam Birla is among the world’s youngest billionaires with a net worth of $10 billion. He is the chairman of the Aditya Birla Group.

The group has giant companies like Grasim, Hindalco, Aditya Birla Nuvo, Idea Cellular and UltraTech Cement in its fold.

Sabeer Bhatia

Sabeer Bhatia co-founded Hotmail, one of the first e-mail services on the Internet, along with Jack Smith.

Later he sold it to software giant Microsoft for $400 million.

Uday Kotak

Uday Kotak is managing director of Kotak Mahindra Bank.

His wealth is estimated to be at around $2.3 billion.

Tulsi Tanti

Tulsi Tanti, is the chairman of Suzlon Energy, a wind power major.

Years ago when as a textile businessman, Tanti was facing huge and ever-rising power costs, he chanced upon a solution in the ‘wind.’ He commissioned a wind energy solution for his company a decade back. Convinced about the economics of the deal, he later decided to venture full-steam into the business.

A commerce graduate and a diploma holder in mechanical engineering, Tanti, has built an empire in the wind energy business.

Suzlon Energy is the sixth largest wind energy company in the world and the largest in Asia.

Malvinder Singh

Malvinder Mohan Singh is the elder son of the iconic Parvinder Singh who turned Ranbaxy from a middling Indian company into a growing multinational giant.

He is the grandson of the founder of Ranbaxy Laboratories.

In June, 2008, Malvinder stunned the nation by marking the largest ever deal in Indian pharmaceuticals industry. Japanese drug firm Daiichi Sankyo acquired a majority stake of more than 50 per cent in domestic major Ranbaxy. Under the deal structure that would create the 15th biggest drugmaker globally, the Japanese firm would acquire the entire 34.82 per cent stake in the Gurgaon-based firm from its current promoters Malvinder Singh and family.

Rajiv Bajaj

Rajiv Bajaj is the managing director of Bajaj Auto.

The Pune-based Bajaj Auto is one of India’s largest two- and three-wheeler manufacturer.

Jeh Wadia

Jeh Wadia is the managing director of Go Air. The 34-year-old is the youngest son of entrepreneur Nusli Wadia. Jeh’s brother Ness is the managing director of Bombay Dyeing.

Gautam Singhania

Gautam Singhania is the managing director of the Raymond Group.

Raymond is one of India’s largest clothing firm.

Yash Birla

Yash Birla is the chairman of the Yash Birla Group.

The group is a part of the Birla legacy, one of India’s oldest, largest and most reputed business groups. The Yash Birla Group is acting as a catalyst to India’s economic growth. A conglomerate of 14 companies, the group has interest in auto-components & engineering; power solutions; textiles; lifestyle; and infrastructure & real estate

Kishore Biyani

Kishore Biyani is the chief executive officer of Future Group. He is the pioneer of the retail boom in India.

His Big Bazaar chain of departmental stores is the fastest growing in India.

Jignesh Shah

Jignesh Shah is the vice chairman Multi Commodity Exchange of India (MCX).

He is also the chairman and group CEO of Financial Technologies India Ltd.

Naveen Jindal

Thirty eight-year-old Naveen Jindal is a Member of Parliament and an entrepreneur with interests in the steel and power sectors. He handles the Jindal Group.

The group’s operations are spread over Haryana, Mahatashtra, Madhya Pradesha and Chhattisgarh.

Brijmohan Lal Munjal

The Munjals-led Hero Honda Motors Ltd is the world’s largest manufacturer of motorcycles. Brijmohan Lal Munjal is the chairman of the company, while his son, Pawan, is managing director and CEO of the auto major.

Courtesy :- Rediff

Love Story of Infosys founder Narayana Murthy and Sudha Murthy

It was in Pune that I met Narayan Murty through my friend Prasanna who is now the Wipro chief, who was also training in Telco (TataMotors). Most of the books that Prasanna lent me had Murty’s name on them which meant that I had a preconceived image of the man. Contrary to expectation, Murty was shy, bespectacled and an introvert. When he invited us for dinner, I was a bit taken aback as I thought the young man was making a very fast move. I refused since I was the only girl in the group. But Murty was relentless and we all decided to meet for dinner the next day at 7.30p.m. at
Green Fields hotel on the Main Road, Pune.

The next day I went there at 7 o’ clock since I had to go to the tailor near the hotel. And what do I see? Mr. Murty waiting in front of the hotel and it was only seven. Till today, Murty maintains that I had mentioned (consciously! ) that I would be going to the tailor at 7 so that I could meet him…And I maintain that I did not say any such thing consciously or unconsciously because I did not think of Murty as anything other than a
friend at that stage. We have agreed to disagree on this matter.

Soon, we became friends. Our conversations were filled with Murty’s experiences abroad and the books that he has read. My friends insisted that Murty as trying to impress me because he was interested in me. I kept denying it till one fine day, after dinner Murty said, I want to tell you something. I knew this as it. It was coming. He said, I am 5’4″ tall. I come from a lower middle class family. I can never become rich in my life and I can never give you any riches. You are beautiful, bright, and intelligent and you can get anyone you want. But will you marry me? I asked Murty to give me some time for an answer. My father didn’t want me to marry a wannabe politician, (a communist at that) who didn’t have a steady job and wanted to build an orphanage…

When I went to Hubli I told my parents about Murty and his proposal. My mother was positive since Murty was also from Karnataka, seemed intelligent and comes from a good family. But my father asked: What’s his job, his salary, his qualifications etc? Murty was working as a research assistant and was earning less than me. He was willing to go dutch with me on our outings. My parents agreed to meet Murty in Pune on a particular day at 10 a. m sharp. Murty did not turn up. How can I trust a man to take care
of my daughter if he cannot keep an appointment, asked my father.

At 12noon Murty turned up in a bright red shirt! He had gone on work to Bombay, was stuck in a traffic jam on the ghats, so he hired a taxi (though it was very expensive for him) to meet his would-be father-in-law. Father was unimpressed. My father asked him what he wanted to become in life.

Murty said he wanted to become a politician in the communist party and wanted to open an orphanage. My father gave his verdict. NO. I don’t want my daughter to marry somebody who wants to become a communist and then open an orphanage when he himself didn’t have money to support his family.

Ironically, today, I have opened many orphanages something, which
Murty wanted to do 25 years ago. By this time I realized I had developed a liking towards Murty which could only be termed as love. I wanted to marry Murty because he is an honest man. He proposed to me highlighting the negatives in his life. I promised my father that I will not marry Murty without his blessings though at the same time, I cannot marry anybody else. My father said he would agree if Murty promised to take up a steady job. But Murty refused saying he will not do things in life because somebody wanted him to. So, I was caught between the two most important people in my life.

The stalemate continued for three years during which our courtship took us to every restaurant and cinema hall in Pune. In those days, Murty was always broke. Moreover, he didn’t earn much to manage. Ironically today, he manages Infosys Technologies Ltd., one of the world’s most reputed companies. He always owed me money. We used to go for dinner and he would say, I don’t have money with me, you pay my share and I will return it to you later. For three years I maintained a book on Murty’s debt to me. No,
he never returned the money and I finally tore it up after my wedding.

The amount was a little over Rs 4000. During this interim period Murty quit his job as research assistant and started his own software business. Now, I had to pay his salary too! Towards the late 70s computers were entering India in a big way. During the fag end of 1977 Murty decided to take up a job as General Manager at Patni Computers in Bombay. But before he joined the company
he wanted to marry me since he was to go on training to the US after joining. My father gave in as he was happy Murty had a decent job, now.

WE WERE MARRIED IN MURTY’S HOUSE IN BANGALORE ON FEBRUARY 10, 1978 WITH ONLY OUR TWO FAMILIES PRESENT. I GOT MY FIRST SILK SARI. THE WEDDING EXPENSES CAME TO ONLY RS 800 (US $17) WITH MURTY AND I POOLING IN RS.400 EACH.

I went to the US with Murty after marriage. Murty encouraged me to see America on my own because I loved travelling. I toured America for three months on backpack and had interesting experiences which will remain fresh in my mind forever. Like the time when the New York police took me into custody because they thought I was an Italian, trafficking drugs in Harlem. Or the time when I spent the night at the bottom of the Grand Canyon with an old couple. Murty panicked because he couldn’t get a response from my hotel room even at midnight. He thought I was either killed or kidnapped.

IN 1981 MURTY WANTED TO START INFOSYS. HE HAD A VISION AND ZERO CAPITAL…initially I was very apprehensive about Murty getting into business. We did not have any business background. Moreover we were living a comfortable life in Bombay with a regular pay check and I didn’t want to rock the boat. But Murty was passionate about creating good quality software. I decided to support him. Typical of Murty, he just had a dream and no money. So I gave him Rs 10,000 which I had saved for a rainy day, without his knowledge and told him, this is all I have. Take it. I give you three years sabbatical leave. I will take care of the financial needs of our house. You go and chase your dreams without any worry. But you have only three years!

Murty and his six colleagues started Infosys in 1981, with normous
interest and hard work. In 1982 I left Telco and moved to Pune with Murty. We bought a small house on loan which also became the Infosys office. I was a clerk-cum-cook- cum-programmer. I also took up a job as Senior Systems Analyst with Walchand group of Industries to support the house.

In 1983 Infosys got their first client, MICO, in Bangalore. Murty moved to Bangalore and stayed with his mother while I went to Hubli to deliver my second child, Rohan. Ten days after my son was b! orn, Murty left for the US on project work. I saw him only after a year, as I was unable to join Murty in the US because my son had infantile eczema, an allergy to vaccinations. So for more than a year I did not step outside our home for fear of my son contracting an infection. It was only after Rohan got all his
vaccinations that I came to Bangalore where we rented a small house in Jayanagar and rented another house as Infosys headquarters. My father presented Murty a scooter to commute. I once again became a cook, programmer, clerk, secretary, office assistant et al. Nandan Nilekani (MD of Infosys) and his wife Rohini stayed with us. While Rohini babysat my son, I wrote programs for Infosys. There was no car, no phone, and just two kids and a bunch of us working hard, juggling our lives and having fun while Infosys was taking shape. It was not only me but also the wives of other partners too who gave their unstinted support. We all knew that our men were trying to build something good.

It was like a big joint family,taking care and looking out for one
another. I still remember Sudha Gopalakrishna looking after my daughter Akshata with all care and love while Kumari Shibulal cooked for all of us. Murty made it very clear that it would either be me or him working at Infosys. Never the two of us together… I was involved with Infosys initially.

Nandan Nilekani suggested I should be on the Board but Murty said he
did not want a husband and wife team at Infosys. I was shocked since I had the relevant experience and technical qualifications. He said, Sudha if you want to work with Infosys, I will withdraw, happily. I was pained to know that I will not be involved in the company my husband was building and that I would have to give up a job that I am qualified to do and love doing.

It took me a couple of days to grasp the reason behind Murty’s request. I realized that to make Infosys a success one had to give one’s 100 percent. One had to be focussed on it alone with no other distractions. If the two of us had to give 100 percent to Infosys then what would happen to our home and our children? One of us had to take care of our home while the other took care of Infosys.

I opted to be a homemaker, after all Infosys was Murty’s dream. It was a big sacrificebut it was one that had to be made. Even today, Murty says, Sudha, I stepped on your career to make mine. You are responsible for my success.

Great, isn’t it? …. That’s the Power of Love.