Early Life and Education
Sanjeev Bikhchandani was born in New Delhi, India, in 1963. He completed his schooling at St. Columba's School in Delhi in 1981. He then pursued a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics from St. Stephen's College, Delhi, graduating in 1984. His academic journey continued with an MBA from the prestigious Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad (IIM Ahmedabad) in 1989.
Rise to Success
After graduating from IIM Ahmedabad, Bikhchandani started his career in marketing at Hindustan Milkfood Manufacturers. However, in 1990, he left his job to pursue entrepreneurship. In 1995, he founded Info Edge, an online classifieds company. A significant milestone in his career was the launch of Naukri.com in 1997. Naukri.com quickly became India's largest web-based employment site.
Key Business Strategies
Bikhchandani's key business strategies involved identifying the potential of the internet in India and creating online platforms to address specific needs. He expanded Info Edge's portfolio by launching Jeevansathi.com (matrimonial), 99acres.com (real estate), and Shiksha.com (education). Furthermore, Bikhchandani made astute investments in startups like PolicyBazaar and Zomato.
Philanthropy
Bikhchandani is known for his philanthropic work, supporting educational and social initiatives. He co-founded Ashoka University, a private research university in India. He is also involved in the Vision Circle of the Foundation for Young Innovators (FYI), a non-profit organization that supports young entrepreneurs and supports 1947PartitionArchive, a not for profit that is building an oral history archive consisting of video interviews of people who experienced partition.