A true entrepreneur does rather than merely dream. People sense rewards when risks are present. Many people desire to be entrepreneurs every year, but only a tiny percentage succeed. They have been working tirelessly to create chances that may not have succeeded in the first place. They constructed everything from the ground up, and today they reign supreme in their respective fields.
We are presenting the top 10 Indian entrepreneurs who started with absolutely nothing. These tales should serve as motivational inspiration for you as you embark on an entrepreneurial adventure.
India’s Top Ten Self-starters in Business
Patricia Narayan
Patricia is one of the top 10 entrepreneurs in India who started from nothing. She was honoured with the ‘FICCI Woman Entrepreneur of the Year. ‘ She began her business career 30 years ago, selling meals from a mobile cart on the Marina beach. After successfully overcoming the odds of a broken marriage, an alcoholic husband, and caring for two children, she now lives in a well-furnished duplex flat in Velachery with a dazzling luxury automobile parked outside the door. Whatever occurred in Patricia’s life to propel her into business was undoubtedly unplanned and more a result of the unexpected turn of events life presented to her.
Instead of complaining and living in misery, she effectively converted her life into a more meaningful and inspirational story for the rest of the world to learn from.
” I began my company with only two employees. Now, 200 people are working for me in my restaurants. My lifestyle has changed too. From travelling in a cycle rickshaw, I moved to auto rickshaws and now have my car.
The culmination of my endeavours over the preceding 30 years is the “Ficci Entrepreneur of the Year” honour. It surprised me because this is the first time I’ve earned an award. I had no time to think about what I was doing until now. But the prize made me reflect on the days that had passed. My current goal is to establish the Sandeepha brand.”
Dhirubhai Ambani
Dhirubhai Ambani, the iconic founder of Reliance Industries, stands as a testament to the indomitable spirit of entrepreneurship. His journey from rags to riches is an inspiring narrative of resilience, determination, and an unwavering belief in one’s dreams. He is one of the top entrepreneurs in India who started from nothing. Dhirubhai, a child of a school teacher from the Gujarati town of Chorwad, began his business by selling bhajias. After finishing his enrollment at 16, he travelled to Aden, Yemen, and worked as a gas station attendant and an oil company clerk. In 1958, he returned to India with Rs 50,000 and established a textile-selling enterprise. His company showed tremendous growth, and he diversified into telecommunications, power production, information technology, consumer products, and logistics.
Reliance was the first Indian firm to raise capital on the international markets in 1992. Reliance was also the first Indian firm to be named to the Forbes 500 list. He received “The Indian Entrepreneur of the 20th Century” recognition from the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI).
Mahesh Gupta
Mahesh Gupta, a name that resembles success and resilience, is a shining example of an entrepreneur in India who started with nothing and rose to remarkable heights. His journey is a testament to the transformative power of determination, innovation, and an unwavering commitment to one’s vision. With just 20,000 saved from employment at IOCL, he began his career in 1985 in a tiny bedroom in his house. His first innovation was in petroleum conservation instruments, for which he gained acclaim and a half-dozen patents. His turning point occurred with the founding of KENT RO SYSTEM in 1998 when he embarked on a new venture when jaundice struck his son in a luxury area of South Delhi.
Knowing that jaundice is a water-borne illness, Gupta investigated and examined every available filter system on the market. He was disappointed with the solutions and decided to create a higher-quality purifier. After numerous attempts, he created his water filter and felt certain that his product was marketable.
“From an engineering background, constructing my water purifier was not a tough endeavour; all I needed to do was export the components.” The experiment was a success. Then I thought of releasing it commercially inside the market. I started from scratch with a one-lakh investment and a four-person team.”
Kent now has a 40% market share in RO mineral and water treatment.
Kalpana Saroj
Kalpana Saroj, a distinguished figure in the Indian business landscape, stands as a living testament to the remarkable journey of entrepreneurs who started with nothing and conquered formidable challenges to achieve success. Her story is a beacon of inspiration, illustrating the transformative power of perseverance, resilience, and an unyielding spirit. She has been nicknamed the original “Slumdog Millionaire” of India. Born into a Dalit household, she faced several injustices, and being a girl only added to her woes. She was married off at the age of 12 & suffered mental and physical abuse at the hands of her in-laws.
After being ostracized by the people, she tried to commit suicide. She returned to Mumbai to live with her uncle when she was 16. She began working at a clothing factory to support her family. She successfully began a tailoring company and, subsequently, a furniture store using financial assistance for lower caste persons.
She developed a thriving real estate firm and became well-known for her relationships and commercial acumen. When Kamani Tubes filed for bankruptcy in 2001, she was a member of the company’s board. After taking over the company, she restored it and made it profitable. Kalpana Saroj received the Padma Shri for Trade & Industry in 2013. The Indian authorities nominated her to the board of directors of Bhartiya Mahila Bank, a financial institution exclusively for women.
P C Mustafa
P C Mustafa, a revolutionary entrepreneur, outlines the spirit of those entrepreneurs who start with nothing and ascend to remarkable heights through hard work, perseverance, and a commitment to excellence. His journey is a compelling narrative that underscores the transformative power of determination in the world of business.
Hailing from a modest background in Kerala, P C Mustafa’s early life was characterized by financial constraints and limited resources. However, he refused to let these challenges stifle his aspirations. Mustafa’s entrepreneurial journey began with a simple yet profound goal – to overcome adversity and build a better life for himself and his family.
The turning point in Mustafa’s career came when he co-founded iD Fresh Food, a company that has become synonymous with fresh, preservative-free food products.
The story of a man who wanted to start his own business and hire people from rural India. Today, P. C Mustafa’s company ID Fresh reaches homes across Bengaluru, Chennai, Pune, Mumbai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Mangaluru, and even Dubai with freshly cooked idli and dosa batter.
“Currently, our factory produces anywhere between 50,000 and 60,000 kg. The overall investment must be approximately Rs 4 crore (Rs 40 million), and our income is Rs 100 crore (Rs 1 billion). We commemorated our Rs 100 crore milestone in October 2015 in dramatic style. Over ten years, we’ve gone from making ten packets per day with just my cousin supervising our kitchen in 2005 to 50,000 packs a day with 1,100 staff.”
Dr Karsanbhai Patel
Karsanbhai Patel is a great example of India’s top entrepreneurs who started from nothing. Dr Karsanbhai Patel founded Nirma in 1969 and pioneered a new area of the Indian home detergent industry. During that time, the domestic detergent industry only had a premium sector, and there were very few players, primarily MNCs, in this field.
Karsanbhai Patel used to create detergent powder in the backyard of his Ahmedabad home and then sell it door to door. He offered a money-back guarantee with each pack sold. Karsanbhai Patel effectively targeted both medium and lower-middle-income groups by selling the detergent powder for Rs. 3 per kg when the cheapest detergent was Rs. 13 per kg.
“Sabki Pasand Nirma!”
Provide your customer with what he wants and when he wants, where he wants, and at the price he wants; selling will happen on its own. This is Nirma’s marketing mantra.
The firm, which began in 1969 with only one guy delivering his goods from one house to the next, now employs over 14 thousand people and has more than $ 500 million in revenue. Nirma’s yearly sales reached 800,000 tonnes in 2004. According to Forbes, Karsanbhai Patel’s net worth was $640 million in 2005, which is expected to reach $1 billion shortly. Nirma became a big success due to Karsanbhai Patel’s business abilities.
Narayan Murthy
He has been awarded the Padma Vibhushan and Padma Shri Awards. Narayan Murthy comes from a middle-class family and is known as India’s top entrepreneur who started from nothing. He intended to be an engineer and was accepted to the Indian Institute of Technology. However, he could not attend college since his father could not pay the tuition.
He studied at a local engineering college and earned a degree in Electrical Engineering. Narayan then enrolled at IIT Kanpur for his Master’s degree and chose to work in information technology. He is currently regarded as the father of the Indian IT sector and is a co-founder of the global firm Infosys. Forbes Magazine has named him one of the world’s best entrepreneurs.
Sunil Bharti Mittal
Sunil Bharti Mittal, the founder and chairman of Bharti Enterprises, is a true luminary in the realm of Indian entrepreneurship, exemplifying the spirit of India’s top entrepreneurs who start with nothing and build formidable empires through innovation, tenacity, and strategic foresight. Sunil Mittal is a Punjab native. He began working at the age of 18 before graduating from Punjab University. Sunil had to work hard to support his family and go to school. Due to a shortage of funds, Mittal used to travel in trucks with his consignments. He worked 16-18 hours daily & stayed in small, affordable motels when he travelled.
He is currently a well-known entrepreneur, philanthropist, and Founder and Chairman of Bharti Enterprises, a conglomerate with diverse holdings in telecom, malls, real estate, insurance, food, agriculture, and hotels, among other things. He is also listed seventh on the Forbes World’s Billionaires list, with a net worth of US$19.1 billion as of March 2022.
Jyoti Reddy
Mrs Jyothi Reddy is one of the top entrepreneurs in India who started from nothing and demonstrated this with her incredible journey from field labourer to CEO of a company in the United States.
This is the genuine tale of Ms Msyothi Reddy, who now runs a software firm in the United States of America and has a big ambition to help women in rural India. Jyothi was born in 1970, the youngest of five female children in an impoverished Indian household. She was sent to a charity orphanage owing to her family’s economic status. She had to become a motherless child to gain admittance. Jyothi felt heartbroken since she couldn’t visit her mother while in the orphanage.
Nobody could share her joy or sadness. Instead of giving up, Jyothi acquired a solid will to make her future bright. She told herself that she would work hard to make a better life for herself. She learned to deal with life sternly and realistically. The adversity taught her the worth of life and forced her to look beyond the predicament.
Jyothi Reddy’s accomplishment today inspires hundreds of self-trapped individuals to rise above their never-ending defeats, fight the stormy presence with brave hearts, and claim a brighter future. All one needs are desire, desperation, and determination to achieve what most others say is impossible. She also proves that “the more you work, the fortunate you become.”
Prem Ganapathy
Prem Ganapathy is also a top entrepreneur in India who started from nothing. He had no one to turn to when he found himself stranded at Bandra station. Fortunately, a fellow Tamilian came to his aid, guiding him to a temple and asking the worshipers to help him with money for his return ticket to Chennai. Prem, however, chose to stay and take up a job washing dishes in a restaurant rather than return to his home country. Despite his Class 10 qualification, he could not progress beyond being a dishwasher due to regional politics. He then moved to a neighbourhood dosa restaurant and worked his way up to the position of tea boy.
Despite all the difficulties, Prem’s enthusiasm spurred him to create a diverse range of Dosas with an Asian flair, such as American Chopsuey, Schezwan Dosa, Paneer Chilli, Spring Roll Dosa, etc. His extensive menu of 108 varieties earned him a great deal of publicity.
During his journey, he was recommended by a customer to set up a stall at a food court in New Bombay. This opportunity drove Prem to look for ways to improve his offerings and customer service. He also sought the help of ad agencies to create the brand identity, logo, branding, menu card, and uniforms for his waiters.
The success of his venture caught the attention of companies interested in franchising his business. Prem had to research how franchising works and the necessary steps involved. His chain, Dosa Plaza, now boasts 26 outlets, 5 of which he owns, employing 150 people and making a turnover of 5 crores. All the outlets are connected and networked, and training managers provide instruction to maintain product quality.
Conclusion
India has created a lot of billionaire entrepreneurs who started from nothing, which is not surprising. India has a lengthy history of entrepreneurship, each with their unique story. Rather than starting technological companies, many Indian entrepreneurs started from poor origins and built conglomerates passed down from generation to generation as family enterprises.
But that doesn’t mean that future Indian entrepreneurs won’t focus on technology and contribute to the country’s economic success. This article is dedicated to some of India’s most successful entrepreneurs whose stories will inspire you. They had a difficult time gaining recognition and fame.
For more insights and ideas related to businesses, check out Biznessidea, to explore further opportunities and knowledge.
