HCL

In 1976, six colleagues at DCM who shared a belief in the potential of microprocessors, pooled resources to launch what became HCL.

Photo from a tweet by Ajai C

Ajai Chowdhry, Shiv Nadar, Arjun Malhotra, Yogesh Vaidya, Subhash Arora, D.S. Puri (Devinder Singh Puri / “Pammi”) quit their jobs, pooled ₹1.87 lakh, and launched Microcomp in a Delhi barsati (a small rooftop room or apartment common in older low-rise residential buildings in Delhi and parts of North India) to build India's first indigenous computers despite no venture capital or manufacturing license.

Facing skepticism toward computers in India, the team sold machines via brochures and mock-ups before full production, winning key orders from IITs and businesses like Premier Mills by outperforming established competitors through persistence and a "cowboy spirit."

HCL is celebrating its 50th anniversary, highlighting its bold journey from a local tech pioneer to a global powerhouse.