How Neerja Sethi built a billion-dollar business from $2,000

Neerja Sethi is a prominent entrepreneur who co-founded Syntel, an IT consulting and outsourcing firm, with her husband, Bharat Desai. Her journey from a modest beginning to becoming a billionaire shows her determination and strategic vision in the world of business.

Sethi, originally from India, holds a degree in mathematics and an MBA in operations research from Delhi University. She also earned a master’s degree in computer science from Oakland University in the United States. Before starting her entrepreneurial journey, Sethi worked at Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), one of India’s largest IT firms.

Read also: Meet 33yr old Tekriwal, owning 10 private jets, worth $50.61M

While working at TCS, Sethi met Bharat Desai. The two shared a vision for creating a business that emulated the success of TCS in the IT consulting and outsourcing space. In 1980, the couple founded Syntel in their apartment in Troy, Michigan. They began with an initial investment of just $2,000 and she is worth $ 1 billion as of Jan. 10.

Over the years, Syntel grew into a successful enterprise, providing IT consulting and outsourcing services to clients worldwide. In 2018, the French IT company Atos SE acquired Syntel for $3.4 billion. Sethi received an estimated $510 million for her stake in the company.

Sethi served as an executive at Syntel for 38 years, contributing significantly to its growth and operations. Following the acquisition, she chose not to join Atos and instead stepped away from the business.

Today, Neerja Sethi resides in Fisher Island, Florida, with her family. She has been recognised on Forbes’ list of America’s richest self-made women multiple times, including in 2023.