Sanjeev Bikhchandani is among the early movers in the dot com space who realized the business potential of the internet in India. He created a highly successful Internet venture naukri.com, India’s leading careers search website. His other online ventures include matrimonial website Jeevansathi.com and a real estate portal 99acres.com.
His flagship company, Info Edge (India) Ltd. is among the leading Indian Internet companies. Info Edge reported revenue of $18 million in 2006, which is almost same as the revenue of NASDAQ-listed Indian internet portal, rediff.com. The company has received venture funding from ICICI Venture Capital, a subsidiary of ICICI Bank and the largest private equity & venture capital management company in India, Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, a U.S. based early stage venture capital firm.
Now, Sanjeev is all set to bring the Initial Public Offering (IPO) of Info Edge. The IPO will float about 25% post-issue equity in public by raising $28.25 million (Rs. 130 crore). This puts a valuation of about $140 million (Rs. 650 crore) for the company. |
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Sanjeev Bikhchandani
Co-founder & CEO, Info Edge (India) Ltd.
Professional Profile:
- Started his career as an account servicing executive with India’s leading advertising agency Lintas India Ltd.
- Worked for the leading consumer healthcare company GlaxoSmithkline (then Hindustan Milkfood Manufacturers Limited, HMM)
- Started Info Edge as a partnership firm in 1989
- Info Edge initially did entry level salary surveys, built and marketed a database of pharmaceutical trademarks
- Tried starting a Videotex service as registered information provider with Department of Telecommunications (DOT), a government organization involved in formulating development policies for telecommunication services in India, for providing information about job vacancies. But the project couldn’t take off
- Started job portal naukri.com in 1997
- Worked with english language daily newspaper The Pioneer between 1996 and 2000. Initially his role was that of a consulting editor of the career supplement of the newspaper, and later headed the management functions
- Received first venture funding for naukri.com from ICICI Ventures in 2000
- Acquired Jeevansathi.com, a matrimonial website, in 2004
- Started the real estate web portal 99acres.com in 2005
- Joined the board of travel website MakeMyTrip.com as independent director in February 2006
- Member of the Human Resource (HR) committee of Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), the oldest industry association in India representing Indian industries
- Member of ITeS sub-committee of industry chamber Confederation of Indian Industries (CII)
- Co-authored two books on job hunting and careers
Academic Profile:
- Schooling from St. Columbia’s School, New Delhi
- Bachelors degree in Economics from St Stephen’s College, Delhi (1984)
- Post Graduate Diploma in Management from Indian Institute of Management, India’s leading institute for management studies, Ahmedabad (1989)
Personal Profile:
- Age: 42 Years
- Wife: Surabhi Bikhchandani
- Sanjeev and Surabhi live in New Delhi with daughter Tanvi and son Raghav
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