Early Life
Raj Sardana was born in Delhi, India, in 1960, to Punjabi parents who migrated during the Partition of 1947. He grew up in modest conditions in government housing. Despite the lack of amenities, his parents prioritized education, instilling in him the value of hard work.
Rise to Success
In 1981, Sardana moved to the United States to pursue a master's degree in mechanical engineering at Georgia Tech. With limited funds, he worked in the university cafeteria. After graduating, he worked at Howmet Aerospace and later secured a position at Teledyne CAE, working on engines for Tomahawk missiles. However, in 1990, with the end of the Cold War, he lost his job. Sardana then decided to start his own business.
Key Business Strategies
In 1998, Sardana founded American CyberSystems (ACS), later rebranded as Innova Solutions, an IT services firm. He identified an opportunity during the Y2K crisis and recruited skilled engineers on H-1B visas. Innova Solutions expanded, offering digital transformation and engineering solutions, with over 50,000 employees worldwide and annual revenues approaching $3 billion. The company has over 1,100 clients in the mid-market and Fortune 1000 companies.
Philanthropy
Sardana and his wife, Nita, established The Innova Foundation in 2013 to support various non-profit organizations. The foundation focuses on women's education and empowerment, supporting initiatives like the YWCA's Teen Girls in Technology program and the Earth Saviours Foundation in India.