When we talk about millionaire and billionaire businessmen, we often fail to highlight and appreciate the tons of hard work and late nights it took to make all that money and build a business empire. India has many such stories of businessmen going from penniless to disruptive millionaires. From Dhirubhai Ambani to Kalpana Saroj, each of them is a testament to a successful businessman from humble beginnings. This article highlights the inspiring stories of 5 Indian entrepreneurs who started from zero and faced several obstacles to become successful in their businesses.
Top 5 Indian Entrepreneurs Who Started with Nothing
Patricia Narayan
Source: People Matters
Today, India has made strides in recognising and appreciating successful women entrepreneurs who started from humble beginnings. Among these inspiring entrepreneurs is Patricia Narayan, who transformed her life into a multi-crore restaurant chain, beginning with selling fifty-paise coffee.
Patricia began her entrepreneurial journey by selling snacks, coffee, tea, and more from a mobile cart on Marina Beach in 1980. At that time, she was enduring a failed and abusive marriage, which pushed her to meet the financial needs of her two children. On her first day on the beach, she managed to sell only one cup of coffee for fifty paise, marking her first reward on this journey.
Her unwavering dedication presented her with opportunities to run canteens in government offices across Chennai, increasing her earnings. Patricia’s experience managing food stalls laid the groundwork for her success, leading her to become the director of the Sangeetha Group’s Nelson Manickam Road restaurant in 1998.
In 2002, she lost her husband, and after two years, she faced the tragic loss of her daughter and son-in-law in a road accident. In 2006, she opened her restaurant named ‘Sandeepha’ in memory of her daughter. In 2010, Patricia won the FICCI Woman Entrepreneur of the Year award, and today she also operates an ambulance service from Acharapakkam, the spot where her daughter passed away.
Currently, Patricia has overcome the obstacles and successfully owns a chain of restaurants, emerging as a symbol of resilience and inspiration for thousands of women, encouraging them to never give up on their dreams.
Dhirubhai Ambani
Source: Toolshero
Born in 1932, Dhirubhai Ambani was raised in Junagadh. At the age of 17, he migrated to the British colony of Aden to join his brother. He started his career as a clerk, where he learned trading, accounting, and other business skills. In 1958, he returned to India, where he started ‘Majin’ in partnership with Champaklal Damani, where they imported polyester yarn and exported spices to Yemen.
He soon expanded into other commodities, following a strategy of offering higher-quality products and accepting smaller profits than his competitors, rebranding as Reliance Commercial Corporation. After deciding that the corporation had become successful, he turned his attention to synthetic textiles. In 1966, he made his first foray into backwards integration with the opening of the first Reliance textile mill. Eventually, shaped Reliance into a petrochemical titan and later added plastics and power generation to the company’s business.
In 1977, Ambani took Reliance public to meet capital needs. Dhirubhai’s agility in manoeuvring through a sluggish economy and oppressive government regulations and bureaucracy led to allegations of political manipulation, corruption, and orchestrated raids on competitors. However, the investors’ confidence remained unshaken in Reliance due to Dhirubhai’s charisma and vision.
He is credited with introducing the stock market to investors in India, and thousands attended the Reliance annual meetings, which were sometimes held in a sports stadium, with many more watching on television. In the mid-1980s, he handed over the company’s day-to-day operations to his sons Mukesh Ambani and Anil Ambani.
In 2002, he passed away after suffering a major stroke. In 2016, he was awarded the Padma Vibhushan by the president of India. Recognised as an Indian billionaire businessman, Dhirubhai has demonstrated that success can be achieved regardless of background and resources.
Karsanbhai Patel
Source: Rediff
Born in 1945 into a farming family, Karsanbhai completed his bachelor’s degree in chemistry and worked as a lab technician. In 1969, the domestic detergent market was dominated by premium segments occupied by multinational corporations, prompting Karsanbhai to start Nirma to revolutionise this market by offering products at a reasonable price. Initially, he made detergent powder in the backyard of his house and sold it door-to-door himself.
Karsan offered detergent powder for ₹3 per kg with a money-back guarantee for every pack sold. At that time, the cheapest detergent powder was ₹13 per kg, successfully targeting the middle and lower-middle income segments. Thanks to Karsan’s entrepreneurial skills, Nirma has become a tremendous success, employing over 18,000 people and generating crores in revenue.
In 1995, he established the Nirma Institute of Technology, which has since become a leading engineering college in Gujarat. Today, Karsanbhai is recognised among Indian billionaire businessmen, with a net worth of $4.7 billion, and he has also been awarded the Padma Shri. His Nirma Group operates in various business segments, including cement, detergents, soaps, cosmetics, education, and more. His two sons, daughter, and son-in-law currently hold positions within the Nirma Group.
Karsan’s success teaches one to be proactive in taking action and embracing responsibilities. He emphasises a focus on building a strong brand with smart marketing and local appeal. His journey was not without its challenges, but his resilience and unwavering belief in his vision ultimately led to success.
Prem Ganapathy
Source: Zee News
Prem was born in Nagalapuram, Tamil Nadu. He went to Chennai in search of a job after completing his schooling. There, he held multiple jobs and then moved to Mumbai in 1990. He was stranded in Bombay with no money and no knowledge of the local language, but was able to get started working in a bakery.
He then started working as a tea boy, which was a huge hit with the customers because of his excellent customer service, initiatives, and relationships and brought business ₹1000 daily, which was almost 3 times in comparison to other tea boys. A customer offered him a 50-50 partnership where the customer would invest the money and Prem would run the tea shop. The shop started doing enough business when the owner became greedy to share 50% of the profit with Prem, and he threw him out, replacing him with another employee.
He was made of a different material and was never going to give up. In 1992, he started his own food business, selling idlis and dosas at a handicraft market. After saving enough money, he rented a shop in 1997, where he began experimenting with various varieties of dosas. After getting a positive response from his sales, he opened his first outlet at Centre One Mall in Vashi in 2003, and since that has been expanding across various nations with the name ‘DosaPlaza’.
Today, DosaPlaza offers 104 delightful varieties of dosas, including 27 trademarked dosas across India, Australia, and New Zealand. His story serves as a testament to resilience, customer-centric innovation, perseverance, and franchising.
Kalpana Saroj
Source: Wikipedia
Born in 1961 in a Marathi Buddhist family, Kalpana was married at the age of 12. She used to suffer from physical abuse at the hands of her husband’s family members and was then rescued by her father. She even attempted suicide after being emotionally tired of the villagers’ blame. However, she moved to Mumbai at the age of 16 with her uncle.
In Mumbai, she started working in a garment factory to support her family. Then, with the help of government loans to SC people, she successfully started a tailoring business and then a furniture store. She started KS Film production and produced her first movie, ‘Khairalnji’, dubbed in English, Telugu, and Hindi.
Kalpana served on the board of directors of Kamani Tubes when it went into liquidation in 2001. Eventually, she successfully restructured the company and brought it to a profitable business. She grew her business empire under the Kalpana Saroj Group with a net worth of $112 million, spanning manufacturing, real estate, agriculture, exports, and film production.
Kalpana was awarded the Padma Shri for Trade and Industry in 2013. She was appointed to the board of directors of Bhartiya Mahila Bank and also serves on the board of governors of IIM Bangalore. From being a daughter from an unprivileged background and overcoming all the obstacles, she became a successful entrepreneur and a devoted social worker.
Conclusion: Indian Entrepreneurs Who Started with Nothing
These 5 stories are powerful reminders that success is not reserved for the privileged; it is earned through hard work, resilience, and an unshakable belief in oneself. Each of these businessmen started from circumstances that would have dejected many, yet they chose to challenge and turned them into an opportunity. As India continues to evolve as the hub of entrepreneurship, these trailblazers not only inspire the next generation of business leaders but also reinforce a truth: ‘Hardship is often the first chapter in the story of success’.
