Suhash Gopoinath - The Youngest Entrepeneur

SUHAS GOPINATH — ENTREPRENEUR AT 14 !

AT THE INDIAN INSTITUTE OF SCIENCE, BANGLORE
Suhas was at the gates , on his way to the auditorium to attend the seminar on ‘The Education System in India’ when a security person did not allow him to enter as he was very young and didn’t have an ID. He said to Suhas that it was a seminar, only for CEOs .”I don’t have my ID card but here are the visiting cards of the people I know“, suhas said.
Just a few calls and he was in , not in the audience but on the dais.

SUHAS GOPINATH TILL 14

He was born in Banglore and had a dream of becoming a veterinary doctor. But when his elder brother once showed him the world of internet, his fascination started. He was enthralled by the power of the internet, web, email and all. Within a year, he had taught himself how to create and design a website, HTML, ASP and all other related software that he could lay his hands on. He was a ‘good’ student at academics till then but became an average student when he started exploring his new found world in cyber cafes. And that was when he started COOLHINDUSTAN.COM along with his friends (He abandoned that project when it was hacked and the logo was changed to coolpakistan.com). To start that he needed money but his parents refused to invest . He then wrote to Network Solutions headquartered in California, and they readily agreed and offered him a job and would also have paid for his education in US. But all he said was NO. He wanted to do the stuff for his own company rather than for other’s.
HE WAS 14 WHEN HE MADE THAT CHOICE… perhaps that was when he became an entrepreneur.

AFTER 14

He became the youngest Indian to start a company, when he found GLOBALS INC., at California, in USA (because one has to be 18 yrs to start a business in India), at the age of 14 in 2000. Its an MNC with offices in more than 11 countries that offers quality solutions to web, mobile, multimedia, e-commerce etc. He had even started a branch in Karachi, Pakistan (Initially our government opposed the idea but he convinced them that GLOBALS inc., was an US based firm and not of Indian origin ). The company expanded from 4 people to 400. In 2005, a Houston Investment firm approached him and offered 1 Billion $ for a majority stake. The answer was NO and he said “Why should I sell my baby?”

SUHAS at Present

He is now completing his bachelor’s degree in Information Science in Banglore. And he has already applied for a course in artificial intelligence at Stanford University (and hopes to see his icon Bill Gates).

Once asked to give a message to would-be entrepreneurs, he replied “I don’t think that I am mature enough to advise others, but if you have it in you, go for it. One should also make time to enjoy other things in life. With work, you get too busy to even repent”.

FUNNY FACTS
A few years ago ……

• He buys a car but wouldn’t drive because he had no license.
• He, as a CEO, successfully accomplishes a deal but wouldn’t sign the contract !!
• He even grew his Mustache to camouflage his student looks.

At present, the average age of the employees in his company is around21. The senior most employee is 26 yrs old with the youngest being 12 yrs, (Obviously they will not allow the youngest to do a full time job, abiding by the Child labor Act) who does web designing for them.
Suhas says
“Enterprise is more important than high academic qualifications”

He is not yet 18, but he dreams of becoming the Bill Gates of India.

Suhas (L) is still too young to sign some contracts under Indian law

It's no teenage fantasy for Suhas Gopinath, born and based in the southern city of Bangalore.

Government officials and local media here say he is the world's youngest chief executive officer (CEO) of a software consultancy. His company, Globals Inc, is registered in California's Silicon Valley.

At an age when other teens are whiling away time at bowling alleys or go-karting, Suhas is busy drawing a road map for his fledgling company.

The company's revenue is nothing compared to the Microsoft empire, but given time Suhas is confident of raking in a fortune.

"We are hoping to register a turnover of around $1m in the next five years," says Suhas, who launched Globals Inc with two like-minded friends in 2000.

I have sent [Bill Gates] several e-mails but there has been no response  Suhas Gopinath

The firm helps clients in web design, online shopping, internet security and credit card payments.

It hasn't all been plain sailing though - Suhas found his age was a problem went it prevented him from signing a major contract with a foreign outsourcing firm.

"The Indian arm of US-based Smith & Gale approached my company to outsource 50 of their projects in Singapore and Hong Kong but we lost the opportunity because the law did not allow me to sign the contract," Suhas says.

Local reputation

The entrepreneur also had to register his company, which employs 60 people, in the US because Indian law regards him as a minor.

As well as Bangalore and California, the company has representation in New York, Maryland, Virginia and London.

"My idea is to make it an Indian company when I turn into a 'major'," says Suhas.

The teenager is quickly gaining a strong local reputation.

Suhas hopes to go to Stanford University and meet Bill Gates

The local government allowed him to participate free of charge at the recent Bangalore.IT.Com, described as Asia's largest IT event

Thousands of would-be employees flocked to his stand, many wanting to be part of his venture.

Suhas says he is looking for people in their teens or 20s. Enterprise is more important than high academic qualifications.

"The upper limit is 25 years," says Suhas, which just about allows in the vice-president of operations, Manohar VND, the oldest member of the team.

Mr Manohar says: "I may be older but Suhas is more experienced. He is the boss."

Suhas adds: "I don't treat my colleagues as employees. This is like a family. Everybody likes the friendly environment."

Suhas' ambition as a child was to become a vet, but the internet fired his imagination when he was 14.

Pakistan hacking

After initial resistance, his father, a retired defence scientist, encouraged him by buying him an internet-linked computer.

Suhas calls it the first investment.

"I used to surf and read up a lot on Microsoft and Dell. Bill Gates is my icon," he says.

Suhas' passion drove him to develop his own web page called CoolHindustan.com, aimed at Indians living abroad.

US-based Network Solutions Inc was impressed and certified him as one of the world's youngest web page developers.

Barely two months after the launch the site was hacked into and changed overnight to CoolPakistan.com.

"It was the worst time of my life," says Suhas, who received threatening calls.

Undeterred, Suhas set up his company, which he says will be a platform for youngsters to develop their talent and provide exposure to technology.

The company plans to go into embedded software and network solutions in the coming year.

Suhas has already applied for a course in artificial intelligence at Stanford University, from where he hopes to fulfil his fantasy of meeting Bill Gates.

"All my attempts so far have failed. I have sent him several e-mails but there has been no response."

His colleagues say Suhas is not a guy who gives up. 

Indian Prodigy Builds Internet Empire Suhas Gopinath started a software company at age 14 and has since become one of the most remarkable success stories of the Indian IT boom. Now he's 21 and runs a world-class business with 400 employees. Kala Gopinath worries about her son, Suhas. He eats too little, sleeps too little; "This can't be healthy," his mom frets. She piles more vegetables and two idlis -- white dumplings made of rice and lentils -- onto the 21-year-old's plate. "Today he lay on the sofa until 4 a.m. working on his laptop. Then at 8:00 he went into the office." Now it's noon, and Suhas has come home for lunch -- just a five minute walk from the office. "My mother insisted that my workplace be reachable without a car," he laughs. Gopinath is the CEO and co-founder of Globals Inc. -- an up-and-coming IT company that produces Web sites and software, employs 400 people around the world and has become a national icon. The Limca Book of Records -- the Indian version of the Guinness Book of Records -- lists him as the "World's Youngest Chief Executive." Politicians in his home country celebrate him as the model Indian: Look what our young people can achieve! "Why should I sell my baby?" Suhas Gopinath could be chauffeured around in a big car. He could live in a penthouse or buy his parents a villa in a nice neighborhood in the suburbs. But instead, the family lives in a medium-sized house; he drives a small car; he doesn't have a trendy cell phone; and he doesn't wear designer clothes. In 2005, an investment firm from Houston, Texas offered him $100 million for a majority stake in Globals. He refused, "after several months of discussion, admittedly." The reason for his negative response: "Why should I sell my baby?" During the mid-1990s, the first Internet cafes began opening up in Bangalore, with one going into operation nextdoor to Gopinath's house. "My brother Shreyas took me there. I was fascinated. The Internet changed my life," he says. He spent every spare minute online. He taught himself how to build Web sites. "He spent every rupee he had in the Internet Café," says his mother, disapproval still evident in her voice. Gopinath admits, "I had been a good student up until then. After I discovered the Internet, I was an average student." Before finding cyberspace, he had dreams of becoming a veterinarian. The struggle for "Cool Hindustan" In 1998, when he was 13, Gopinath launched his first website: www.coolhindustan.com. "I wanted to provide Indians all over the world with a forum to post public events, tips for eating out and everything else they're interested in," he recalls. The Web site became popular -- including with hackers in Pakistan. They attacked "Cool Hindustan" and replaced the Web site's logo with "Cool Pakistan." "That was a terrible experience," Suhas says today. He abandoned the project. By then, talent scouts in Silicon Valley had already heard of Suhas Gopinath and the company Network Solutions invited the young Indian to its headquarters in San José, California. It was the first time he had ever boarded a plane and the first time he had been outside India's borders. "They offered me a job. They also would have paid for my education in the United States," he says. His answer, though, was no. "Why should I do for another company what I could do for my own?" That's when he made the choice to become an entrepreneur. He was 14. It was a decision that faced resistance from many sides. His parents pressured him to finish school and study something practical, and there was the temptation of a secure job. Indian law also proved an obstacle -- you have to be at least 18 years old to start your own company. A Californian detour Gopinath wasn't going to wait four years. He cheated: Along with three friends, he registered his company in San José. "Online, of course," he says. He wanted to name the company Global Solutions, but that name was already taken. He opted for Globals. Today, he still regrets that he wasn't able to start his company in Bangalore. India's most important politicians know the young man. He was even granted a private conversation with President Abdul Kalam. "I told him that the age limit for starting a company has to be removed," Gopinath says. Kalam promised him support, but so far nothing has changed. The law wasn't the only obstacle, though. Potential customers canceled their orders when they learned their business partner was barely 14. "Many people didn't take me seriously," he remembers. As soon as he began sprouting facial hair, he grew a moustache, though he has, on the advice of friends, since shaved it off. Ultimately, Gopinath managed to overcome every obstacle. Word gradually spread about his company's abilities and Gopinath hired more and more people and opened up more offices. He became the boss, employer, and chief executive -- all in mid-puberty. Most of his employees are just as young: The average age is 21 with the oldest being a ripe old 26 and the youngest 12. Gopinath is unable to give the latter a full time job -- that would amount to child labor. "But we gave him a computer with an internet connection," Gopinath says. "Now he works for us sometimes on Web design." 200 Customers the World Over Meanwhile Globals has amassed 200 customers across the globe and now has offices in 11 countries with some 65 percent of company turnover coming from Europe. The young Indians have become particularly good at identifying unfilled market niches. They developed a software product for schools, for example, allowing teachers to easily enter grades and attendance and enabling parents to check that their children are showing up to class -- a kind of electronic class register. The Indian government was thrilled with the idea and recently contracted Globals to set up the program in 1,000 schools. Now that he is 21, Gopinath is thinking of transfering the company headquarters to India -- even though some 125 people now work for Globals in San José against only 25 in Bangalore. What would happen to the employees in the United States? "We'll see," Gopinath says. "The new developments are coming mainly from Bangalore." Going to university on the side Bangalore would certainly be cheaper. Globals employees there earn between 20,000 and 25,000 rupees a month, the equivalent of between €400 and €500 ($540 and $675) -- a good wage in India, but still a pittance compared to the €1,100 ($1,485) that colleagues in Western offices are earning. "For us, money isn't why we work for Globals," says 22-year-old Gayathri Kumar, who is responsible for finances. "The atmosphere and the fun are much more important to us. There aren't any hierarchies here." Gopinath's father, M.R. Gopinath, once a scientist at the Defense Ministry, now acknowledges that his son made the right choices during the last seven years. They are proud parents, but they still haven't let him go. "To us, it's important that he gets a degree," the father says. "Education is the most important thing in India." His son has listened and is now studying engineering in Bangalore on the side. But it's difficult to find the time; he just skipped an exam because of a conference in Germany and the next chance to to take it is one year from now. At university, Suhas listens to lectures and even gives some himself occasionally, to people who are often decades older than he is. Sometimes, he says, he's sad he didn't have a youth like most of his friends. They went to the movies while he sat in front of his computer and worked. And there's another thing: "It bothers me that even my fellow students call me 'sir,' take pictures of me with their cell phones or ask for autographs." Gopinath shakes his head. "I never wanted to be a star." Teenager hopes his firm will become another Microsoft Bangalore, India November 10, 2003

Seventeen-year-old Suhas Gopinath, who heads Globals Inc, lost his first big business opportunity with a Singapore-based outsourcing firm because he was too young under Indian law.

"SingT Inc approached my company for outsourcing some 50 of their projects," said Gopinath, dressed in a navy blue blazer and sitting at his company's stall at India's premier IT event in Bangalore.

"But I could not go ahead and sign the contract a couple of months ago as I am not a major yet," he told AFP.

Gopinath said his ambition in life had been to become a veterinarian - until the computer bug bit him at the age of 14.

At that time he developed his own web page called CoolHindustan.com, a portal targeted at Indians living abroad giving news, weather, voicemail and other features.

Seven days after he put up his page on the internet, US-based Network Solutions Inc, a company owned by Nasdaq-listed Verisign which develops internet services, acknowledged his ability and certified him as one of the world's youngest web page developers.

"That was when I decided I should launch a company of my own and presently I have 60 students from all around the world working with me," Gopinath said.

"Network Solutions gave me a sponsored trip to visit their facility in the US (in 2000) and later offered me a job. But I told them that was not possible as I wanted to run my own firm in India," he said.

After that, Gopinath, who spends most of his spare time with his dog named "Bushy", set up Globals Inc with the help of three other colleagues and registered it in the United States.

Now the firm helps their clients in applications such as web designing, storage management, online shopping, internet security and credit card payments.

"I wanted to develop a platform for youngsters to develop their talents and to help them understand and get exposed to technology," said Gopinath, who started out exploring a computer at a cyber cafe in India's technology hub of Bangalore, home to more than 1,000 foreign and domestic technology firms.

"I did not register my company in India as one has to pay taxes and there are other hassles," he said. "The rates we charge are very cheap. If you want to set up your own site we charge only 300 rupees ($A9.23).

"Most of the projects we undertake are small ones which do not require a memorandum of understanding or any legal pacts," he said.

His team members or employees are all under 22 years of age and include Indian and foreign students living in the US, Britain and Canada.

They work through the internet, with specific job functions posted on message boards for each employee.

The firm has a designated chief information officer, chief technology officer, chief operating officer and even a vice-president of human resources.

"The company is not a money-making machine. Only students below 22 can become employees. The aim as of now is to get more and more students to come on board," Gopinath said.

Indian employees of Globals Inc work out of cyber cafes, where they have to pay 15 rupees (50 Australian cents) an hour.

"When I look around I see a lot of guys of my age hanging out with their girlfriends. I do not feel bad as I have a mission to make my company another Microsoft," Gopinath said. "Bill Gates is my role model."

AFP

Biography

Suhas Gopinath was born in Bengaluru, Karnataka, India. At the age of 12, he launched a web site called CoolHindustan.com^[1] but when the logo was hacked to display "CoolPakistan", Mr. Gopinath reportedly abandoned it.^[2]

As a teenager, he wanted access to the internet but found the 4 dollars to be too expensive at his local internet cafe. So in exchange for working there when the owner needed a break, he got free time on the internet.Fast-forward six months, and Gopinath had taught himself how to build websites and was pitching cut-price portals to bricks-and-mortar firms in the US.^[3] He set up his own company which he kept a secret from his family who disapproved of entrepenurialism which he ran from the internet cafe. The Company called Globals Inc had to be co-owned by someone he didn't know in the US because he was too young to legally own a company.^[4][5] In 2003 Globals Inc. lost a business deal with a Singaporean e-Commerce company reportedly because the then 17-year-old CEO was too young to sign a memorandum of understanding.^[6] As of 2007, Globals have served more than 200 clients worldwide through presence in 11 countries.^[7]

In 2005, Mr Gopinath was the youngest among the 175 recipients of the Karnataka state's Rajyotsava Award.^[8] Mr. Gopinath is also a brand ambassador forPETA.^[9]

On December 2, 2007, The European Parliament and International Association for Human Values conferred a “Young Achiever Award” on Mr. Gopinath at theEuropean Parliament, Brussels. He was invited to address the European Parliament and businessmen assembled in that parliament.^[10]

Mr. Gopinath was announced as a “Young Global Leader” for 2008-2009 by the World Economic Forum, Davos. In that position he would be involved in development programs across the world. He holds a Diploma on Global Leadership and Public Policy from the Harvard Kennedy School at the Harvard University. He is reported to be the youngest YGL in the World Economic Forum's history. This year's Young Global Leaders includes Suhas Gopinath along with Hollywood ActorLeonardo DiCaprio, Musician A. R. Rahman, American Vice President runner and Louisiana State Governor Bobby Jindal, Hotmail.com Founder Sabeer Bhatia.^[11]

Suhas Gopinath was invited by the World Bank in November 2008 by the World Bank President 

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