Some of the (known and unknown) serial entrepreneurs in India who are surely an inspiration to the growing startup community. The list is curated by NextBigWhat, India's most popular startup media platform.

1. INDIAN SERIAL ENTREPRENEURS WHO
INSPIRE

2. ASHOK SOOTA
!
ASHOK SOOTA IS ONE OF THE MOST ICONIC SERIAL ENTREPRENEURS IN INDIA. HE'S BEEN
A CEO FOR MORE THAN HALF HIS LIFETIME.
• MINDTREE: RS 283 CR IPO IN 2009 (2013 REVENUE: $ 436 MN)
• WIPRO: GREW REVENUES FROM $2 MN TO $500 MN
• HAPPIEST MINDS: $20 MN IN YEAR ONE.
!
CURRENT: HAPPIEST MINDS, FUNDED BY CANAAN PARTNERS & INTEL CAPITAL

3. LESSONS FOR
ENTREPRENEURS
AT 67, HE STARTED HIS 2ND COMPANY AND SET AN AMBITIOUS
GOAL OF CLOCKING $100 MN IN REVENUES IN 5 YEARS!
!
HE IS ALSO AN AMAZINGLY DISCIPLINED INDIVIDUAL WHO HAS
LITTLE TIME FOR NONSENSE.
!
REMEMBER, AGE HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH ENTREPRENEURSHIP!

4. SWAMINATHAN K
!
HE HAD AN ENTREPRENEURIAL STREAK IN HIM RIGHT FROM CHILDHOOD.
!
HE STARTED WITH A BOOK LENDING VENTURE CALLED "FRIENDS AND PALS"
WHEN HE WAS IN SCHOOL WHICH HE HAD STARTED ALONG WITH A COUPLE OF
HIS FRIENDS.
!
HAS BEEN A SUCCESSFUL SERIAL ENTREPRENEUR FOR OVER 15 YEARS
• STARTED 5 COMPANIES - EGURUKOOL, ASPIRE LEARNING, SUPERKIDZ,
SMARTLEARNWEBTV.
• CURRENT: MYBSKOOL, AN ONLINE B-SCHOOL.

5. LESSONS FOR
ENTREPRENEURS
HIS VIEW IS TO START A COMPANY, WATCH IT
GROW TO A CERTAIN SIZE, AND GET AN EXIT SO
THAT SOMEONE ELSE CAN SCALE IT FROM THERE.
!
ALL HIS COMPANIES HAVE HAD SUCCESSFUL
EXITS SO FAR!

6. K GANESH & MEENA GANESH
!
BY MOST COUNTS, THE HUSBAND AND WIFE DUO, ARE THE MOST SUCCESSFUL
SERIAL ENTREPRENEURS IN INDIA.
!
1.TUTORVISTA: ACQUIRED BY PEARSON FOR $213 MN IN JAN 2011
2.MARKETICS: ACQUIRED BY WNS FOR $65 MN IN 2007
3.IT&T: ACQUIRED BY IGATE FOR $4.5 MN CASH IN 2003
4.CUSTOMERASSET: ACQUIRED BY ICICI FOR $19.3 MN CASH & STOCK IN 2002
!
CURRENT PORTFOLIO: ONLINE PRASAD , BIGBASKET , BLUESTONE, DELYVER,MUSTSEEINDIA, BOOKADDA

7. LESSONS FOR
ENTREPRENEURS
THE DUO ALMOST CREATED A CATEGORY WITH EACH AND
EVERY VENTURE.
!
BUILDING ANYTHING BIG TAKES TIME. PATIENCE PAYS.
!
IF OPPORTUNITY DOESN’T KNOCK, BUILD A DOOR [MILTON BERLE]

8. KIRAN GOPINATH
!
ONE OF THE STARS OF THE DOT COM ERA. HIS COMPANY WEBSHASTRA GOT
FUNDED JUST BEFORE THE DOT COM BUBBLE BURST
1999 - WEBSHASTRA, AN INTERNET ADVERTISING SOLUTIONS COMPANY.
2000 - SECURE $1 MILLION IN FUNDING FROM WARBURG PINCUS.
2006 - SOLD WEBSHASTRA TO POSITION2.
2006 - STARTED HIS LATEST VENTURE, OZONE MEDIA.
2008 - FIRST ROUND OF FUNDING FROM IDG VENTURES.

9. LESSONS FOR
ENTREPRENEURS
ALTHOUGH GOPINATH HAD TO SCALE DOWN WEBSHASTRA &
EVENTUALLY SELL, FROM WEBSHASTRA TO OZONE - HE STUCK TO HIS
VISION ON DIGITAL ADVERTISING SPACE.
!
PERSISTENCE IS DEFINITELY AN UNDERHYPED WORD.
!
AND BY THE WAY, OPPORTUNITY KNOCKS TWICE, THRICE..WHAT
MATTERS IS WHETHER YOU ARE PREPARED TO TAKE OFF OR NOT!

10. RAJESH JAIN
!
HIS VENTURE INTO ENTREPRENEURSHIP BEGAN WHEN HE LAUNCHED
INDIAWORLD - A COLLECTION OF WEBSITES THAT CUT ACROSS NEWS, SPORTS,
ENTERTAINMENT AND OTHER INFORMATION.
• 1995 - STARTED INDIAWORLD
• 1999 - HE SOLD IT FOR $115 MILLION TO SIFY
• 1999 - FOUNDED NETCORE, A LINUX BASED MESSAGING SOFTWARE COMPANY
• FOUNDER AND CHAIRMAN OF EMERGIC VENTURE CAPITAL - INVESTED OVER
$20 MILLION INTO COMPANIES IN THE DIGITAL SPACE. INVESTMENTS
INCLUDE NOVATIUM (RAJSHRI MEDIA) AND MCHEK.

11. LESSONS FOR
ENTREPRENEURS
MONEY ISN’T EVERYTHING. A $115 MILLION EXIT IN 1999 COULD
HAVE ENSURED THAT JAIN COULD DO WITHOUT ANOTHER
ENTREPRENEURIAL VENTURE FOR YEARS IF NOT FOR LIFE.
!
YET, HE COULD NOT GET RID OF THE ENTREPRENEURIAL BUG
AND GOT STARTED WITH NETCORE WITH JUST AS MUCH
ENTHUSIASM AND PERSEVERANCE.

12. BEERUD SHETH
SUCCESSFUL ENTREPRENEUR RIGHT FROM THE FIRST VENTURE.
ELANCE WENT GLOBAL. AFTER TASTING IMMENSE SUCCESS, HE
LEFT IT FOR A MORE CHALLENGING VENTURE.
1999 - ELANCE (PLATFORM FOR FREELANCERS)
2004 - QUIT ELANCE
2005 - STARTED GUPSHUP

13. LESSONS FOR
ENTREPRENEURS
"NEED TO DO SOMETHING MORE CHALLENGING" HE THOUGHT WHEN
HE DECIDED TO START GUPSHUP.
!
HE HAD HIT GOLD IN SILICON VALLEY, WHERE ELANCE IS NOW ONE OF
THE LARGEST FREELANCING MARKETPLACES. YET, HE DECIDED TO
MOVE BACK TO INDIA TO SEIZE THE UNTAPPED OPPORTUNITY IN THE
COUNTRY.
!
ANYBODY ELSE WOULD HAVE EASILY GIVEN UP ON SMSGUPSHUP IDEA,
BUT BEERUD CONTINUES TO EXPERIMENT / PIVOT.

14. SUPAM MAHESHWARI
!
SUPAM MAHESHWARI HAS TWO STARTUPS TO HIS NAME. APART FROM
FIRSTCRY, HE ALSO PIONEERED THE E-LEARNING SPACE.
!
2000 - BRAINVISA (E-LEARNING COMPANY)
2007 - SOLD BRAINVISA TO INDECOMM GLOBAL SERVICES FOR $25 MILLION
2010 - FIRSTCRY (RECEIVED 2 ROUNDS OF FUNDING PUTTING THE TOTAL
FUNDING AT $29 MILLION.)

15. LESSONS FOR
ENTREPRENEURS
“I STARTED IT (FIRSTCRY) BECAUSE I LOVE STARTING
FROM SCRATCH. I LOVE BUILDING LONG, SUSTAINABLE
AND SIZEABLE ENTERPRISES. THIS ONE IS GOING TO BE A
LONG JOURNEY. IT HASN’T ENDED YET.”

16. SAUMIL MAJUMDAR
!
• AN IIT MUMBAI AND IIM -BANGALORE ALUMNI.
• SAUMIL MAJUMDAR STARTED OFF WITH A TECH STARTUP, BUT
EVENTUALLY WENT AFTER HIS PASSION, I.E. SPORTS AND CO FOUNDED
EDUSPORTS.
!
CURRENT: EDUSPORTS

17. LESSONS FOR
ENTREPRENEURS
NEVER GIVE UP ON YOUR PASSION.
!
AFTER HE FOUNDED ONE OF INDIA’S EARLIEST REMOTE TECH
SUPPORT BUSINESS, QSUPPORT, AND LEARNHOME IN THE LATE
90S, HE DECIDED TO VENTURE BACK INTO HIS PASSION AND CO-
FOUNDED SPORTZVILLAGE AND LATER ON FOUNDED EDUSPORTS.

18. MANU AGGARWAL
!
• MANU AGARWAL, AN IIT-KANPUR GRADUATE, SET UP HIS FIRST
STARTUP IN 1998.
• STARTED SHUBHYATRA & CRICLIVE.
• STARTED NAAPTOL IN 2008,WHICH WENT ON TO BE A GREAT
SUCCESS FOR HIM.

19. LESSONS FOR
ENTREPRENEURS
TAKING RISKS IS IMPORTANT. INSPITE OF HIS
FIRST TWO VENTURES FALLING VICTIM TO THE
DOTCOM BUST, HE TOOK THE RISK AND
SUCCESSFULLY WENT ON AHEAD WITH
NAAPTOL.

20. VISHAL GONDAL
!
• FOUNDED HIS FIRST START UP AT THE AGE OF 16.
• STARTED ONE OF INDIA'S MOST FAMOUS GAMING COMPANIES, INDIAGAMES,
WHICH WAS LATER ON ACQUIRED BY DISNEY FOR AROUND $100 MN.
!
CURRENT: GOQII, A WEARABLE FITNESS DEVICE.

21. LESSONS FOR
ENTREPRENEURS
THOU SHALL:
1.HAVE BALLS AND NOT BUSINESS-PLANS.
2.DEVELOP RELATIONSHIPS AND NOT TRANSACTIONS.
3.FOCUS ON REAL PAIN-POINTS.
4.BE NUMBER 1 OR 2.
5.FOCUS ON TOP 20%.
6.AVOID MBAS AND SPREADSHEET-MAKERS.
7.CELEBRATE FAILURES AND ENJOY YOUR JOURNEY.
8.NOT WANT TO SELL.
9.STAY FIT.
10.WIN WITH … PASSION.

22. NIRANJAN GUPTA
!
• NIRANJAN GUPTA HAS BEEN A SERIAL ENTREPRENEUR IN THE TRAVEL
INDUSTRY SPACE.
• FOUNDED AND CO-FOUNDED MANY VENTURES INCLUDING VIA.COM,
MAGICROOMS.IN, FLIGHTRAJA.COM.
• HIS LATEST VENTURE IS TRIP38.
!
CURRENT: TRIP38

23. LESSONS FOR
ENTREPRENEURS
KNOW YOUR SPACE.
!
AFTER BEING A TRAVEL PROFESSIONAL FOR
NEARLY 20 YEARS, HIS SUCCESSFUL
ENTREPRENEURIAL VENTURES WERE OF A SPACE
IN WHICH HE HAD THOROUGH UNDERSTANDING.

24. SABEER BHATIA
!
!
SABEER BHATIA IS BEST KNOWN FOR HIS FIRST COMPANY HOTMAIL, WHICH WAS
SOLD TO MICROSOFT FOR $400 MN. SINCE THEN, HE HAS BACKED AND STARTED
OTHER COMPANIES LIKE SABSEBOLO.
!
CURRENT: SABSEBOLO/JAXTR, A TELEPHONY COMPANY.

25. LESSONS FOR
ENTREPRENEURS
ALTHOUGH BHATIA BECAME INSANELY RICH AFTER THE
MICROSOFT DEAL, HE DIDN'T STOP BEING AN ENTREPRENEUR
AT HEART.
!
ONE SUCCESS DOESN’T GUARANTEE ANOTHER.
!
“IT DOESN'T MATTER WHETHER YOU'RE A LION OR GAZELLE.
WHEN THE SUN COMES UP, YOU'D BETTER BE RUNNING."

26. R NARAYAN
!
NARAYAN HAS BEEN AN ENTREPRENEUR FOR 14 YEARS. BEFORE STARTING
POWER2SME, HE FOUNDED DENAVE - A TECHNOLOGY POWERED SALES
ENABLING COMPANY.
!
HE WANTS TO MAKE POWER2SME A BILLION DOLLAR COMPANY IN 5 YEARS!

27. LESSONS FOR
ENTREPRENEURS
START SMALL, BUT DON'T LIMIT YOUR AMBITIONS.
POWER2SME'S $1 BN GOAL IS BOLD AND AUDACIOUS
AND ALMOST SEEMS WITHIN REACH WHEN NARAYAN
ARTICULATES IT WITH CONFIDENCE.

28. “WHETHER YOU
THINK YOU CAN,
OR THINK YOU CAN’T
– YOU’RE RIGHT.”
!
[HENRY FORD]
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!
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!
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