Throwback: 6 HCL co-founders, Rs 1.87 lakh, Golf Links barsati as first office
In a nostalgic post on X, he recalled how six young men pooled ₹1.87 lakh, set up a small office in Delhi and tried to build an Indian computer at a time when the concept was still a novelty in the country. Computers, too, were…
Computers, too, were still unfamiliar to most people. But the six founders believed the microprocessor would change the world.
Their first office was a small barsati (rooftop) in Delhi’s Golf Links. They called themselves Microcomp and had their sights set on building an Indian computer.
What Happened
There was, however, one problem: they did not have a manufacturing licence. Their search for a solution led them to UP Electronics Corporation, which had the licence they needed.
In a nostalgic post on X, he recalled how six young men pooled ₹1.87 lakh, set up a small office in Delhi and tried to build an Indian computer at a time when.
Between them, they managed to raise ₹1.87 lakh by borrowing, pooling their savings and, in one case, even selling a car.
Ajai Chowdhry, who has played a significant role in shaping India’s electronics industry, was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 2011 for his contribution to the IT and electronics sector.
Key Details
The partnership eventually resulted in the birth of Hindustan Computers Limited, or HCL. But the founders were not going to wait for everything to be in place before they started selling.
Some also recalled using HCL products in the company’s early years and praised their quality.
The post brought back memories for many online, who thanked the six founders for taking a bold chance on India’s technology future.
Read the nostalgic post here: Fifty years on, Chowdhry looks back not at the scale HCL eventually achieved, but at where it all began: six people, a small Delhi office, a computer that existed.
Why It Matters
The first orders came from IIT Kharagpur and IIT Madras. Then came Coimbatore, where the fledgling company found itself competing with DCM DP, a much bigger and established name.
The company continued to push boundaries, from building some of India’s earliest indigenous computers to expanding to Singapore when it was just four years old.
For Chowdhry, it captured the spirit that defined HCL in its early years, finding a way despite not having the biggest resources or the easiest path.
What Reports Say
Coverage of the story so far points to:
Continued reporting by India Today as more details emerge
