Entrepreneurs that changed the face of India

Indian entrepreneurs are making waves all across the world. Indian business firms are making acquisitions abroad and spreading their tentacles in various corners of the world. Indian Entrepreneurs have proved all doomsday prophecies wrong and on the contrary have flourished under globalisation. Here is a brief profile of famous Indian entrepreneurs. The list is long and never-ending. Here are 10 of them (in alphabetical order) whose endeavours have inspired the entire nation:

1. The Great Indian entrepreneurial Spirit:
Entrepreneurship is a critical element of a growth economy, and India is poised to unlock a entrepreneurial boom through the next 10 years. The beginnings are already in place, steps have been taken in the right direction. The License Raj worked very hard for very long to kill the entrepreneurial spirit in India, but historically Indians certainly have been very enterprising. This entrepreneurial streak runs in almost every Indian. The result is before our eyes. We salute this Great Indian entrepreneurial Spirit!

2. Azim Premji:
Chairman of Wipro Technologies; Richest Indian for the past several years; Honored with Padma Bhushan in 2005. Azim Premji is Chairman of Wipro Technologies, one of the largest software companies in India. He is an icon among Indian businessmen and his success story is a source of inspiration to a number of budding entrepreneurs.

3. Dhirubhai Ambani:
Dhiru Bhai Ambani built India's largest private sector company. Created an equity cult in the Indian capital market. Reliance is the first Indian company to feature in Forbes 500 list. Dhirubhai Ambani was the most enterprising Indian entrepreneur. His life journey is reminiscent of the rags to riches story. He is remembered as the one who rewrote Indian corporate history and built a truly global corporate group.

4. JRD Tata:
He had the honor of being India's first pilot; was Chairman of Tata & Sons for 50 years; launched Air India International as India's first international airline; received Bharat Ratna in 1992. JRD Tata was one of the most enterprising Indian entrepreneurs. He was a pioneer aviator and built one of the largest industrial houses of India.


5. M.S. Oberoi:
Founder of the Oberoi Group of Hotels; Honored with Padma Bhushan in 2001, M.S. Oberoi can be aptly termed as the father of the Indian hotel industry. Rai Bahadur Mohan Singh Oberoi was among the first to recognize the potential of the tourism industry, its ability to contribute to India's economic growth and generate direct and indirect employment. He worked tirelessly to put Indian hotel industry on global tourism map.


6. Dr. Monkombu S. Swaminathan:
He is an outstanding world statesman and visionary in the agricultural and natural resources arena. Trained as a plant breeder and cytogeneticist in India, the United Kingdom, and the United States, he is acclaimed as the "Father of the Green Revolution in Asia." In India they say, "Gandhi gave us freedom, Swaminathan gave us food." He is the recipient of all three of India's civilian honors: high, higher, and highest. Dr. Swaminathan's achievements have led to dramatic increases in crop yields.


7. Narayana Murthy:
One of the founders of Infosys Technologies Limited; Chosen as the World Entrepreneur of the Year - 2003 by Ernst and Young, Narayana Murthy is the Non-Executive Chairman and Chief Mentor of Infosys Technologies Limited. He is a living legend and an epitome of the fact that honesty, transparency, and moral integrity are not at variance with business acumen. He set new standards in corporate governance and morality when he stepped down as the Executive Chairman of Infosys at the age of 60.


8. Rahul Bajaj:
Rahul Bajaj is the Chairman of the Bajaj Group, which ranks among the top 10 business houses in India. The Bajaj Group has diversified interests ranging from automobiles, home appliances, lighting, iron and steel, insurance, travel and finance. Rahul Bajaj is one of India's most distinguished business leaders and internationally respected for his business acumen and entrepreneurial spirit.


9. Sunil Mittal:
Chairman and Managing Director of Bharti Group, India's largest GSM-based mobile phone service provider; IT Man of the Year Award 2002 from Dataquest and CEO Of the Year, 2002 Award from World HRD Congress. Sunil Mittal can be called as originator of cellular phone revolution in India. He is the founder, Chairman and Managing Director of Bharti Group and runs India's largest GSM-based mobile phone service.


10. Verghese Kurien:
Known as the "father of the white revolution" in India; Winner of Ramon Magsaysay Award; Awarded with Padma Shri (1965), Padma Bhushan (1966), and Padma Vibhushan (1999). Dr. Verghese Kurien is better known as the "father of the white revolution" in India. He is also called as the Milkman of India. Dr. Varghese Kurien was the architect behind the success of the largest dairy development program in the world, christened as Operation Flood. He was the chairman of the Gujarat Co-operative Milk Marketing Federation Ltd. (GCMMF) and his name was synonymous with the Amul brand.