9 Indian origin enterprise tycoons within the US: The place did they research?
The American startup ecosystem has lengthy been a magnet for formidable minds from around the globe—however few communities have left as deep an imprint as Indian-origin entrepreneurs. These founders haven’t simply risen by means of the ranks of established firms; they’ve constructed billion-dollar firms from scratch, pioneering applied sciences that energy the whole lot from smartphones and house missions to cybersecurity and information infrastructure.Armed with top-tier engineering levels from establishments just like the IITs and superior training from international universities, these innovators turned daring concepts into international enterprises. Their journeys—typically beginning in modest cities throughout India—mirror a strong mix of training, risk-taking, and long-term imaginative and prescient.Right here’s a more in-depth take a look at 10 Indian-origin founders within the US who’ve made their mark on the worldwide enterprise map—and the place their journey started academically.
Jay Chaudhry : Founder and CEO, Zscaler
Schooling:
- BTech – IIT BHU
- MS in Pc Engineering and MBA – College of Cincinnati
Jay Chaudhry constructed Zscaler right into a cybersecurity powerhouse from the bottom up, taking it public in 2018. Born in rural Himachal Pradesh, his journey from a small authorities faculty to Silicon Valley IPO is powered by relentless innovation and a transparent educational basis in engineering and enterprise. He additionally based and offered 4 firms earlier than Zscaler, proving his system works.
Vivek Ranadive: Founder, TIBCO Software program
Schooling:
- BS & MS in Electrical Engineering – MIT
- MBA – Harvard Enterprise College
Ranadivé constructed TIBCO Software program right into a real-time information chief, utilized by Wall Road and large enterprises. Initially from Mumbai, he moved to the US to attend MIT at 17. His mix of engineering and enterprise enabled him to create a platform that modified how firms made real-time choices. Later, he grew to become the primary Indian-origin proprietor of an NBA workforce, the Sacramento Kings.
Naveen Jain : Founder, Infospace, Moon Categorical, Viome
Schooling:
- BTech – IIT Roorkee (previously College of Roorkee)
- MBA – XLRI Jamshedpur
Naveen Jain first discovered success through the dot-com increase with Infospace, as soon as one of the crucial invaluable web firms. He later shifted to moon exploration by means of Moon Categorical and preventive well being through Viome. His educational coaching in engineering and enterprise administration gave him the flexibility to shift between tech, house, and biotech entrepreneurship.
Romesh Wadhwani: Founder, SymphonyAI & SAI Group
Schooling:
- BTech – IIT Bombay
- MS & PhD in Electrical Engineering – Carnegie Mellon College
Romesh Wadhwani based Facet Growth, which he offered for $9.3 billion, and went on to create SymphonyAI, a gaggle of AI-powered software program firms serving numerous industries. His training in superior engineering laid the groundwork for his understanding of enterprise techniques and product growth at scale. Right this moment, he’s additionally a number one philanthropist in training and digital expertise.
Sanjay Mehrotra: Co-founder, SanDisk
Schooling:
- BS & MS in Electrical Engineering – College of California, Berkeley
- Govt Schooling – Stanford College
Mehrotra co-founded SanDisk in 1988, serving to make flash reminiscence storage mainstream in client electronics. Whereas he at the moment serves as CEO of Micron Expertise, his true entrepreneurial legacy is rooted in constructing SanDisk right into a multi-billion-dollar firm. He holds over 70 patents, many primarily based on the technical experience acquired by means of his Berkeley training.
Kanwal Rekhi: Co-founder, Excelan | Serial Angel Investor
Schooling:
- BTech – IIT Bombay
- MS in Electrical Engineering – Michigan Tech College
- MBA – Santa Clara College
Kanwal Rekhi co-founded Excelan, a networking firm acquired by Novell, and have become one of many first Indo-American tech entrepreneurs to take an organization public on NASDAQ. He later grew to become a prolific investor and helped set up TiE (The Indus Entrepreneurs), supporting startup founders of Indian origin. His educational path gave him each the technical core and strategic perception wanted to navigate Silicon Valley.
Dheeraj Pandey: Co-founder, Nutanix | Founder, DevRev
Schooling:
- BTech – IIT Kanpur
- MS in Pc Science – College of Texas at Austin
Pandey co-founded Nutanix, a pioneer in hyperconverged infrastructure, and led it to a profitable IPO. After stepping down, he launched DevRev, a new-age platform connecting product-led groups instantly with prospects. His technical coaching from IIT and UT Austin formed his deep product focus and engineering-first method to firm constructing.
Ragy Thomas: Founder & CEO, Sprinklr
Schooling:
- BE – Pondicherry College
- MBA – NYU Stern College of Enterprise
Ragy Thomas constructed Sprinklr into one of many world’s main buyer expertise platforms, serving purchasers like Microsoft and McDonald’s. From a small-town engineering diploma to an NYU MBA, he represents the rising variety of founders who mix native educational roots with international ambition. Sprinklr went public in 2021, cementing his standing as a next-gen enterprise software program founder.
Ash Ashutosh: Founder, Actifio (acquired by Google Cloud)
Schooling:
- BTech – IIT Kanpur
- MS in Pc Science – Penn State College
Ashutosh based Actifio, an information virtualisation firm acquired by Google Cloud in 2020. Previous to that, he constructed Serano Techniques (acquired by Vitesse) and served in management roles at StorageNetworks and HP. His technical training from IIT and Penn State gave him the inspiration to construct scalable, enterprise-focused tech firms that attracted international acquirers.
