Bharat Entrepreneurs

Sam Pitroda was born in the year 1942, Titilagarh, Orissa. His father was a carpenter and his mother was a homemaker. Sam was sent to Vallabh Vidyanagar in Gujarat to finish his schooling. He then completed his masters in Physics in Maharaja Sayajirao University, in Vadodara. He went abroad to pursue Electrical Engineering in IIT Chicago.( Illinois Institute of Technology)

After graduating from IIT, he got employment in a small engineering firm where he developed his first patent. The next ten years in GTE, (General Telephone and Electronics) got him access to the kind of tools that would enable him to impact the lives of millions around him.

In 1974, Sam Pitroda and a couple of investors founded a company, WESCOM SWITCHING INC. He developed a revolutionary new system called as 580 DSS switch for which he spent nearly four years in perfecting it. Thus, in 1978, it was released to the world and it became an instant hit becoming one of the most successful systems in the market. WESCOM was eventually acquired by the firm Rockwell International for an incredible $40 million, with Sam remaining as the vice president of Advanced Technology and Engineering, in Rockwell.

Eventually, Sam acquired over 100 patents and also became a multi millionaire. By 1980, Sam’s thoughts shifted towards India.

India in the early 1980’s was struck with rampant poverty and there were no signs of accelerated development, either socially, economically or politically.

Does India, which is battling with poverty, need telecommunication?

Of what use is a telephone to the impoverished?

These were the questions which the higher authorities asked Sam. Sam, however was firmly convinced that Telecommunications is at the heart of every developing nation and that this would drive and eventually be the cause for India to develop. With no funds to back his venture, Sam had to resort to ingenuity in using resources to extend telephone network through out India.

Sam’s hard work and vision was not in vain. Firstly, while working in India, for India, he got ideas which helped him in acquiring 50 more patents. Secondly, the proliferation of the Yellow PCO boxes which you can find anywhere through out the breadth and length of the country, owe its very existence to the Telecom engineer, development guru, inventor, entrepreneur Mr. Sam Pitroda.

Popularity: 24%

Rajeev Chandrasekhar was born on 31st May, 1964. He finished his bachelors in Electrical Engineering in Manipal, Karnataka. Then he went to the States to pursue his masters course. He finished his MS in IIT, Chicago and then went on to complete his Advanced Management Programme in Harvard University, Boston.

His career from then on can be classified into three parts:

1. As a technically skilled Architect in Intel

2. As an investor in the telecom sector in India

3. His present stint in the Jupiter Capital as its CEO

1. As an architect in Intel:

He was part of the unit, one of the three architects to be precise, which designed the architecture of the Pentium Processor. He quit intel in the year 1991.

2.The telecom sector:

He managed to bid successfully and thus procured cellular licenses in India. Within the next 12 years he made it one of the prime example of Private Capital driven successes. He then sold BPL mobile, the company he founded, for a hefty amount and after the deal, he was reported to have splurged out on a Lamborghini.

3. Jupiter Capital:

After the BPL mobile sell out, Rajeev went on to become the chairman and CEO of Jupitor Capital. He is presently looking for investment opportunities in untapped areas. He is currently a member of Rajya Sabha representing his state, Karnataka.

Popularity: 16%