Hereisaninspiringstoryofthe World'syoungestCEO

. SuhasGopinath

When14yearoldSuhasGopinathstartedGlobalsInctenyearsago fromacybercafeinBengaluru,hedidn'tknowthathehadbecomethe youngestCEOintheworld. Today,Globalsisamultimilliondollarcompanywithofficesinthe UnitedStates,India,Canada,Germany,Italy,theUnitedKingdom, Spain,Australia,SingaporeandtheMiddleEastandhas100employees inIndiaand56abroad. Amongtheseveralhonorsthathavebeenbestoweduponthisyoung man,themostprestigiousistheinvitationtobeamemberoftheBoard oftheICTAdvisoryCounciloftheWorldBank.. In2007,theEuropeanParliamentandInternationalAssociationfor HumanValuesconferred'YoungAchieverAward'onhim.Hewasalso

invitedtoaddresstheEuropeanParliamentandotherbusiness dignitariesassembledintheEUParliament.Heisalsorecognisedasone ofthe'YoungGlobalLeaders'for20082009bytheprestigiousWorld EconomicForum. SuhasistheyoungestmembereverintheWorldEconomicForum's history..TheothermembersincludetheLouisianagovernorBobby Jindal,HollywoodstarLeonardoDiCaprio,musicianARRahman, PrinceofBrunei,etc. InthisinterviewfromhisofficeinBengaluru,SuhasGopinathtalks abouthisdecadelongjourneyandhisdreamsforthefuture.

SuhasGopinathwithformerPresidentAPJAbdulKalam

Onhischildhood: Icomefromamiddleclassfamily.Myfatherworkedasascientistfor theIndianArmy.IusedtostudyintheAirForceschoolinBengaluru.

Asachild,Iwasmoreinterestedinanimalsandveterinaryscience.But whenIsawmyfriendswhohadhomecomputerstalkaboutit,Ihadthis urgetolearnandtalkintheirwavelength. Butwedidn'thaveacomputerathome.Inthosedays,computerswere veryexpensiveandwecouldn'taffordone. So,whatIdidwas,IlocatedanInternetcafenearmyhouse.Withmy modestmonthlypocketmoneyofRs15,Icouldn'taffordtosurfthenet everyday. Inoticedthattheshopwasclosedintheafternoonfrom1PMto4PM. So,Iofferedtoopentheshopforhimaftermyschoolhoursandtake careofthecustomers. Inthebargain,heletmebrowsethenetforfree.Thatwasthefirst businessdealofmylifeanditturnedouttobeasuccessfulone.

SuhaswithMicrosoftcofounderBillGates

Onbuildingwebsitesusingopensourcetechnology: OnceIgotthechancetomanagetheshopandbrowsethenet,Istarted buildingwebsites.Itbecamemypassioninnotime. IgothookedtoopensourcetechnologyafterIstartedlookingfore booksonhowtobuildwebsites.Theywerenotavailableastheywere createdinproprietysources. So,Istartedusingopensourcetobuildwebsites. Ongettingthefirstcontracttobuildawebsite ThereisafreelancemarketplaceonthewebwhereIcouldregisterand offermyservicestobuildwebsites.Iregisteredmyselfthereasa websitebuilder. ThefirstwebsiteIhadtodowasfreeofcostasIhadnoreferences.It wasforacompanyinNewYork. Myfirstincomewas$100whenIwas13forbuildinganotherwebsite butIdidn'thaveabankaccount.so,ItoldmyfatherthatIbuilta websiteandgotpaidforit. Iwasnotexcitedtogetthemoneybecausemoneywasnotafactorthat drewmetoit.Itwasthepassionfortechnologythatattractedme.Iused tobuildwebsitesfreeofcostalso.Iwasonlya9thstandardstudent. Afterthat,IbuiltmyownportalandcalleditCoolhindustan.com.Itwas focusedonNRIs.ItwasaportalwhereIwantedtoshowcasemyskills.

Afterthat,manycompaniesapproachedmetobetheirwebdesigner.

SuhasGopinathspeakingtostudents'ataconferenceinAustria Onbuyinghisfirstcomputer WhenIwasinthe9thstandarditself,Ihadmadeenoughmoneytobuy acomputerformyself.Atthattime,mybrotherwasstudying engineeringandmyfatherthoughtheneededacomputer. Innotime,Ialsoboughtoneformyself.Butwedidn'thaveanet connectionathome. Myspendinghoursinthenetcafeworkingonwebsitesdidaffectmy

studies.Ispenttheentiresummervacationafterthe9thstandardinthe cafe. OnrejectingajobofferfromtheUS WhenIwas14,NetworkSolutionsofferedmeaparttimejobintheUS andtheysaidtheywouldsponsormyeducationintheUS.Irejectedthe offerbecausethatwasthetimeIhadreadastoryaboutBillGatesand howhestartedMicrosoft. Ithoughtitwasmorefuntohaveyourowncompany.ManyUS companiesusedtotellmethatIdidn'tevenhaveamoustacheandthey feltinsecuretakingmyservices.Theyusedtoconnectmyabilitywith myageandacademicqualifications. So,Iwantedtostartmyowncompanyandshowtheworldthatageand academicqualificationsareimmaterial.IdecidedthenthatwhenI startedacompany,IwouldrecruitonlyyoungstersandIwouldnotask fortheiracademicqualificationsandmarkscards.Ifollowthatinmy company.

GopinathdeliveringalectureattheDLDConference

Onstartinghisowncompanyat14 Soonaftermy9thstandardsummervacation,Istartedmyown company,GlobalsInc.IwantedthenameGlobalorGlobalSolutionsbut bothwerenotavailable,soInameditGlobals. IregisteredmycompanyintheUSasinIndia,youwillnotbeableto startacompanyunlessyouare18.Ittakesonly15minutestostarta companyintheUS. IbecametheownerandCEOofthecompany.Myfriend,anAmerican whowasauniversitystudent,becameaboardmember. IwasveryexcitedbecausethatwaswhatIwantedtodo..Fromthatday, IstarteddreamingofmakingmycompanyasbigasMicrosoft.

Ondoingbadlyinschool InmypreboardCBSEexam,IfailedinMathematics.Theschool headmistresswasshockedbecausethatwasthefirsttimeIhadfailedin anysubject.Shecalledmymotherandsaidshewashorrifiedbymy performance.. Athome,likeanytypicalSouthIndianmother,mymothermademe swearonherheadthatIwouldfocusonacademics. Itoldmymotherthattheworld'srichestmanBillGateshadnot completedhiseducation.Whydoyouforcemethen,Iaskedher.She thensaid,Iamsurehishoroscopeandyoursarenotthesame! Icomefromafamilywhereentrepreneurshipisconsideredasin.My motherwasquiteupset.Shewantedmetodoengineering,thenanMBA andworkinagoodcompany. Aspermymother'swishes,Itookafourmonthsabbaticalfrommy companyandstudiedformyboardexam.Ipassedwithafirstclass. Istillfeelthatyoucannotrestrictyourselftobookishknowledge.I believethatpracticalknowledgeismoreimportant. Inthefirstyear,theturnoverofGlobalsIncwasRs1lakh(Rs100,000). Thesecondyear,theturnoverwentuptoRs5lakh(Rs500,000).

SuhasreceivingtheIncredibleEuropeInnovationAwardatVienna

OnlookingatEuropeasamarket TillIwas16or17,Ididn'ttellmyparentsthatIhadstartedacompany.I keptitasecretbecauseIthoughttheywouldobjecttoit.Theyonly knewthatIwasafreelancer. Weusedtobuildwebsitesandalsoofferonlineshoppingande commercesolutions.Weevengaveparttimeworktoafew programmersintheUSwhenwegotmanyprojectsbutweneverhad anyoffice. WhenIwas16,Isawthattherewereenormousbusinessopportunitiesin EuropeasamajorityoftheIndianITcompanieswereworkingfor Americancompanies. WhenIcontactedaSpanishcompany,itrejectedmyoffersaying IndiansdonotknowSpanish.Asanentrepreneur,youcan'taccept rejection,especiallywhenyouareyoung.

IhiredfivestudentinternsfromsomeSpanishuniversitiesandtoldthem theywouldbepaidbasedontheirsuccessfulsales. Theywerethepeoplewhometthecompaniesandbaggedtheprojects forus.Bynow,wedecidedtohaveahomeofficeinSpain. IreplicatedthesamemodelinItaly.IcontactedsomeItalianuniversity students.

SuhasmeetingwithSheikhaNayhan,MinisterforHigher Education,theUAE OngoingtoGermanytotalkaboutentrepreneurship TheAmericannewspaperswerewritingalotaboutmeastheworld's youngestCEOat14fromIndia,fromamiddleclassbackground. ItwasagoodstoryfortheBBCalso.Ineverexpectedtobeinthe limelight.Forme,startingacompanywaslikerealisingapassionof mine. Onseeingthesestories,aBschoolinGermanyinvitedmetotalktoits

studentsonentrepreneurship.Iwas17then.Bynow,Ihadcompleted my12thstandardandhadjoinedEngineeringinBengaluru. WhenIwas18,wesetupanofficetheEuropeanHQinBonn.Then, wemovedtoSwitzerland.Sixmonthsback,westartedouroperationsin Viennaaswell. ThatishowwespreadouroperationsfromasmallInternetcafeto becomeamultinationalcompanywithsignificantoperationsinEurope, MiddleEast,theUS,Canada,theUK,Australia,etc.

OnregisteringacompanyinIndiaat18 ThedayIturned18,IregisteredourcompanyinIndiaasGlobals, openedanofficeandrecruitedfourpeople.Iopenedtheofficenextto theInternetcafewhereIstartedmycareer. Bythen,hehadclosedshopandjoinedafactoryasanemployee. WheneverImethim,Iusedtotellhim,'youmademeanentrepreneur butyoustoppedbeingone.' Onmovingtocreatingproducts Wewantedourcompanyalsotobeaproductdevelopmentcompanyand ourfocuswasoneducation,likethesoftwarethatmanageseverything aboutachildwhileinschoolstartingfromadmissiontillhe/sheleaves schoolandbecomesanalumnus. Itisanastysoftwarewhichstudentsaregoingtobequiteunhappy about!ThissoftwarewasaimedonlyattheIndianmarket.Iwanttobe themarketleaderinICTineducation.

Oursoftwareisbeingusedinmorethan100schoolsalloverIndia, SingaporeandtheMiddleEast. Wearenowintheprocessofraisingfunds.Oncewedoit,wewill separatethecompanyintotwoserviceandproductdevelopment.I wanttoconcentrateonproductsasIcan'tsailontwoboats.

WorldBankpresidentRobertZoellick OnmeetingformerPresidentAbdulKalam ImetDrAbdulKalamwhenhewasthePresidentofIndia.Iwas17or 18then.Mymeetingwasscheduledfor15minutesbutwehadsuchan intenseconversationthatitwentonforoneandahalfhours. Ididn'tfeelthatIwastalkingtothePresidentofIndia.Wetalkedlike twofriends.Hewassittinginhischairacrossthetablebutaftersome time,hecameandsatnexttome.Heisisuchamodestpersonthatitwas alearningexperienceforme. OnbeingontheboardoftheWorldBank Asperthewishesofmyparents,Ijoinedengineeringbutdidn't

completemyengineering:likeBillGates!WhenIwasinmy5th semester,theWorldBankinvitedmetoattendtheirboardmeeting.Iam theonlyIndianontheboardoftheWorldBank. TheobjectivewastoexplorehowICTcanimprovethequalityof educationintheemergingeconomies,bybringinginaccountabilityand transparencyintheirfinancialdeeds. RobertB.Zoellick,thepresidentoftheWorldBank,decidedthatthey couldnothaveonlyAmericansontheboardandneededpeoplefrom acrosstheworld.Astheywerefocusingoneducation,theywanted youngmindstoaddvaluetothework. Hepreferredayoungmindfromanemergingcountryandthatwashow Igottheinvitationin2005.NoteveninmywildestdreamsdidIimagine thatIwouldbeontheboardoftheWorldBank.Theinvitationwasthe mostunforgettablemomentinmylife.IreportdirectlytoRobertB Zoellick! SomeoftheothersontheboardaretheCEOofCisco,thevicepresident ofMicrosoftandtheCEOofSAP;allFortune500companiesandme, theonlyIndian! IamhelpingtheWorldBanksetpoliciesonICTinuniversityeducation sothatemployabilitycanbeenhanced.Myaimistoreducethenumber ofunemployedeligibleyouthintheworld. Rightnow,weareconcentratingonAfrica.Soon,Iwanttoshiftthe focusontoIndia.Ithasbeenanamazingexperienceforme. ButIhadtodiscontinuemyengineeringeducationatthetimeIjoined theboard,asIdidn'thaveenoughattendanceincollege!

SuhasGopinath

Onhisdreamsforhiscompany IhavealwaysbelievedthatITisnotjusttechnologybutatoolthatcan solvetheproblemsofpeople. ThatiswhatIwanttodoinmycompany. Iwantmycompanytobeamarketleaderinsoftwaresolutions concentratingoneducation. WhenIwasyounger,Ididn'tcareaboutmoney.NowthatIam responsibleformyemployees,Icareaboutwhatwemake.IfIamnot botheredaboutmoney,wecannotscaleupourbusiness. WhenIstartedmycompanyfromanetcafeinBengaluru,Ineverever imaginedthatonedaymycompanywouldbeamultimilliondollar companyandIwouldbeontheWorldBankboardasamember. Whatdrivesmeismypassionandithasbeenanamazingjourneyso far. CK.