Ata seminar on 'Education System in India' at Indian Institute ofScience, Bangalore, last year, a boy dressed in casuals stepped out ofhis car and entered the gate. He is stopped by the security personnel:"This event is only for CEOs, you are a college boy.''The boy smiled,picked up his cellphone and soon a whole swarm of organisers arrived atthe entrance to usher him in.
But then we really can't blame the security. Even the wisest of menprobably wont guess that the 17-year-old Suhas Gopinath can be the CEOand President of a Bangalore-based IT solutions company, Globals Inc.Suhas had actually been invited as one of the speakers at theseminar...
"Because of my age and looks, I often land in embarrassingsituations and do not know how to handle the confusion,''says a candidSuhas, who is currently juggling is corporate life with a BE inInformation Science at the M.S. Ramaiah Institute of I n fo r m a t i on Technology. He owns a car, bought out of his earnings, but doesn'thave a license to drive it around the city as he is too young to get alicense! As a CEO, he wraps up mega deals, but cannot sign on thedotted line as legally he is not yet an adult.
His is a story of a pastime turning into obsession. As a student at AirForce School in Mathikere, he frequented a cyber cafe near his home. "Iwas overwhelmed by the world of Internet. It became a passion. Thoughmy parents were completely against it, I would spend hours before thecomputer. My elder brother Shreyas encouraged a lot. I learnt HTML, ASPand every possible software at the cyber cafe,'' recalls Gopinath.
On May 14, 2000, along with friends Clifford Leslie and Vinay M.N, hefloated his own website-www.coolhindustani.com. "I did not have themoney to start. My parents refused to give my a penny, saying it wasnot worth it. So I wrote to Network Solutions Inc in the US and theyreadily agreed,'' he says.
Suhas, really had 'IT' in him. In August, the same year, he set upGlobals Inc, a web solutions and n e t wor k i n g company, with a teamof four. Now, he has 350 employers, offices in 11 countries, and aturnover of $1 million this year.
"Initially we offered the services for free. As most of us werestudying and were very young to actually run the company, many clientswere not keen on us. But after seeing the work we delivered, they wereimpressed. Lot of them in fact still are very encouraging,''he smiles.
At the Bangalore office, there are more than 15 full-time softwareengineers today. How does he deal with employees elder to him by manyyears? "Most of the people who work with me are between the age groupof 17-19 yrs. I treat them as friends first, than act like a boss. Sothe job becomes much more easier,'' adds Gopinath.
But it's a stressful life, he admits."As I got more interested in thecompany, my studies went for a toss. In my Class X exams I scored 80per cent, but in I PUC could barely get 65 per cent. Even here I tryand not bunk too many classes, but clients cannot be given lameexcuses. When I have exams, I tell them I am unwell...'' he is candid.
Success comes with a price and Suhas has understood the importance ofit. "At times, I repent that I am not a normal boy, enjoying ateenager's carefree life. Most of the time I am forced to wear blazersand I am always nervous-about work or studies,'' he says.
While most others of his age are rolling balls down a bowling alley, heis charting the road map for his company. "We are planning to startmanagement consultancy in the industry sector as well. There are plansto expand our services to non-IT areas by next year,'' explains Suhas.
But ask him what's his message for to-be entrepreneurs and he'scautious."I don't think I am mature enough advise others, but if youhave it in you, go for it. One should also make time to enjoy otherthings in life. With work, you get too busy to even repent,'' he adds.
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