Mindtree co-founder Subroto Bagchi, who has donated hundreds of crores, could not go to school till he was 8, grew up in a place without electricity, no tap water

Today, he is one of the luminaries of the IT world, with a net worth of thousands of crores. However, the journey towards becoming the crème de la crème of India Inc. was far from smooth for Subroto Bagchi. In a speech 'Go Kiss The World', addressed to the students of IIM Bangalore in 2008, the Mindtree co-founder reminisced about his humble beginnings.

Early Life in Rural Odisha

Bagchi spent his childhood in Koraput, Odisha, a place far removed from modern conveniences. As the youngest child in a family headed by a junior government employee, he grew up in conditions where electricity was absent, tap water was scarce, and primary schools were nonexistent. Because of this, his formal education did not begin until he was eight years old.

The family’s possessions were minimal, small enough to fit into the back of a jeep, which made frequent relocations a routine part of their lives. Despite the challenges, Bagchi’s mother, who herself had arrived in Odisha as a refugee from what was then East Bengal, created stability wherever they went. Educated only up to matriculation before her marriage, she nevertheless instilled resilience and adaptability in her children.

The Foundation of Values

Bagchi often credits his parents for laying the groundwork of his value system and defining what success means to him even today. His father, who served as District Employment Officer, was provided a jeep by the government. Yet, he refused to treat it as a personal asset. Since there was no official garage, the vehicle remained parked at their home, but he would not use it for his daily commute. Instead, he walked to his office, reserving the jeep solely for official tours. Moreover, the children were not allowed to sit in it unless it was stationary, reinforcing the idea that the jeep belonged to the government, not to them.

This seemingly small decision became a lifelong lesson in governance for Bagchi. It taught him that integrity in managing resources is non-negotiable—a principle that many in the corporate world struggle to grasp.

Respect for Every Individual

Another defining teaching from his father was respect for people, regardless of their social standing. The jeep driver was treated with dignity equal to any officer in the department. The Bagchi children were instructed never to call him by his name directly; instead, they had to address him respectfully with the suffix dada.

Years later, when Bagchi himself employed a driver named Raju, he passed on the same lesson to his daughters. They grew up calling him “Raju Uncle” instead of simply “our driver.” For Bagchi, this practice underscored a profound truth—that treating subordinates with greater respect than superiors builds character and humanity.

Experiencing Modern Amenities for the First Time

When Bagchi’s mother began to develop cataracts, she moved to live with his elder brother in Bhubaneswar, who had secured a teaching job while preparing for the civil services examination. Bagchi accompanied her, and it was here, for the very first time, that he witnessed electricity lighting up homes and water flowing from taps. These experiences, though ordinary for many, left an indelible impression on him, showing how far removed his early childhood had been from basic comforts. This shift around 1965 marked the beginning of a new phase in his journey.

Educational Path and Early Career

Born on 31 May 1957 in Patnagarh, Odisha, Subroto Bagchi was the son of Makhan Gopal Bagchi and Labonya Prova Bagchi. After finishing his schooling, he pursued a degree in political science from Utkal University. Initially, he joined the Industries Department of the Odisha government in 1976 as a clerk, having given up his postgraduate studies.

A year later, he qualified as a management trainee at DCM in 1977. For the next five years, he gained valuable experience before moving into the emerging computer industry in 1981. Over the next two decades, he worked in several roles across sales, marketing, and operations for multiple technology companies. His longest tenure was at Wipro, where he rose to become Chief Executive of Wipro’s Global R&D division and later worked directly with Azim Premji as Corporate Vice-President for Mission Quality.

Building a Vision with Mindtree

In 1998, Bagchi left Wipro to join Lucent Technologies, but within a year, he decided to take a leap of faith. Along with nine other visionaries, he co-founded Mindtree in 1999. The company quickly rose to prominence as a respected global IT services firm. By the 2019 fiscal year, Mindtree had become a billion-dollar enterprise employing over 20,000 professionals worldwide.

Later, in 2016, at the behest of Naveen Patnaik, then chief minister of Odisha, he took on the role of chairman of Odisha Skill Development Authority. Recently, he shared a picture of his last drawn salary. Reflecting on his tenure with the Odisha government, Mr. Bagchi shared that he received a symbolic salary of Re 1 for each year of service. Over the course of eight years, this amounted to eight cheques. Holding up the final one, he explained that this token payment represented the greatest wealth of his life—an experience and contribution he would never part with.

Bagchi also wrote a book called 'Go Kiss The World' where he shared the lessons he learned from his parents during his childhood. Go, Kiss The World was published by Penguin India, a leading publication house, in 2008