Early Life
Bharat Desai was born in Kenya in November 1952. His childhood was spent in Mombasa, Kenya, and Ahmedabad, India. He received a Bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay and later earned an MBA in finance from the Stephen M. Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan.
Rise to Success
Desai's entrepreneurial journey began after working as a programmer for Tata Consultancy Services (TCS). In 1980, he co-founded Syntel with his wife, Neerja Sethi, from their apartment in Troy, Michigan, with an initial investment of $2,000. Despite the early challenges and modest first-year revenue of $30,000, Desai and Sethi built Syntel into a global IT powerhouse. Under Desai's leadership, Syntel expanded its footprint across North America, Europe, and Asia, achieving nearly $1 billion in revenue by 2018. This success led to the acquisition of Syntel by Atos SE in July 2018 for $3.4 billion.
Key Business Strategies
Key to Syntel's success was Desai's ability to identify opportunities and invest in the right technologies, focusing on high-quality IT solutions. He also developed offshore delivery centers in India, which enhanced cost efficiency and service scalability. Syntel focused on providing industry-specific expertise, particularly in financial services. These strategies helped build long-term relationships with major clients.
Philanthropy
Desai and his wife, Neerja Sethi, have a long history of philanthropy. Through the Desai Sethi Foundation (DSF) and the Ds Foundation, they have focused on supporting education, entrepreneurship, and economic mobility, particularly for underserved youth in Michigan and Florida. They are signatories of the Giving Pledge, committing to donate the majority of their wealth to philanthropic causes. Their philanthropic efforts also include contributions to numerous non-profit organizations.