'They said I was not Hinduja, Tata or Birla': Rajeev Chandrasekhar reveals how he took a big risk at 27

Former Union Minister and entrepreneur Rajeev Chandrasekhar has recalled the early years of his entrepreneurial journey. On Monday, he shared how he took a major risk at the age of 27 to help build one of India's early wireless cellular networks.

In a post on X, Chandrasekhar said he left a career at Intel in 1991 to pursue entrepreneurship and attempt to build a wireless cellular network and companies in India.

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'I was told I would not succeed'

Chandrasekhar said his decision was met with scepticism, including from members of his own family.

"Most, including in my family, told me not to do it,” he wrote, recalling how people questioned whether a young entrepreneur without an established business family background could succeed in the telecom sector. He said he was repeatedly told that he was “no Hinduja, Tata or Birla, or an Ambani” and that he needed to get used to hearing “no”.

According to Chandrasekhar, the telecom industry was still an inhospitable environment for a young startup, particularly in Delhi, where he needed to find telecom licences and other opportunities.

Despite the challenges, he said he was determined to build a large cellular network using Indian talent, including expertise from the defence and telecom sectors, rather than relying on expensive expatriate specialists.

Meeting Neil Armstrong

Chandrasekhar also recalled an encounter that he said became an important source of inspiration for his young team. He invited Neil Armstrong, the first human to walk on the Moon, to Mumbai to speak about his experiences and the challenges involved in undertaking complex engineering projects.

“It was an unforgettable experience that left us deeply inspired,” Chandrasekhar wrote.

The photograph shared alongside his post shows Chandrasekhar standing with Armstrong, who appears to have signed a personal message on the picture.

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The Moon is within reach

Chandrasekhar said the experience encouraged his team to embrace ambitious engineering challenges and take significant risks. He went on to claim that his team eventually built “India’s first tech unicorn”, describing the journey as part of a broader career spanning semiconductors, technology and media.

Addressing young entrepreneurs, Chandrasekhar said the lesson from his early experience was to remain focused and build with a determined team. “To young India, remember: with the right focus and a relentless team, even the Moon is within reach,” he wrote.

Reflecting on his journey decades later, Chandrasekhar said that being a builder and being around “real trailblazers” continues to inspire him.