Interesting article from The Economic Times:
Eight engineering graduates from this state, known better for its thriving tourism industry, are looking to give jobs to people in their IT startup that is already being valued at around US$ 7 million.
This team of graduates, which actually shaped its destiny by setting up ‘Torque’ to provide IT solutions across verticals, now dreams of turning Kerala into the ‘Silicon Coast’ of India.
….
Their brainchild Torque has in a short time grown into a pioneering technology business incubated company being currently valued at $5-7 million based in Technopark here.
“Our initial cash investment was Rs eight lakh raised by eight of us while we were in college some 18 months back,” Vijayakumar said.
Besides Vijayakumar, the core group included Kenni Joseph, now Torque’s Chief Technology Officer, Sony Joy Chief Operating Officer and Anil K Antony, son of Defence Minister A K Antony.
Read the complete article here.
Had heard about this some time back. Good to know that they are making great progress!
“I come from a middle class family. I don’t have a big family tag to my name. The state has given me a good education. And, now I think, I have to pay (it) back,” Torque CEO Sanjay Vijayakumar told media on asked about the inspiration behind the venture created a year before they left campus.
“Our initial cash investment was Rs eight lakh raised by eight of us while we were in college some 18 months back,” Vijayakumar said.
I have not been living in Kerala lately, but I wonder how many kids can raise 8 lakhs in cash while in college. And Vijayakumar waxes eloquently about his middle-class roots, but is tactically mum about the fact that his co-founder was the son of then-CM of Kerala. Of course, its all in the game – our present CM’s son also did his MCA at TKMCE and became the IT-expert of the state in the blink of the eye,
Nonetheless, kudos to Vijayakumar and co!
Cheerio,
Binil
Pradeep, Kenny is a graduate of CEA, AFAIK. He was always talking big, I wouldn’t be surprised. Nice blog, I keep looking on occassion.
Cheers,
C