When Life Comes Full Circle for this Malayali Entrepreneur

Varun Chandran’s journey from small-town Kerala to starting up a global Multi-million Dollar business to finding his way back home to set up a  Million Dollar IT park is a 360° journey in itself

Words: Anish Shankar   Images: Corporate 360 & FWD Media

For a startup to set up an office in India is no easy task. And to do so in a tier-3 town in rural Kerala is to ask for trouble. Yet, the state-of-the-art facility set up by Corporate360 in Pathanapuram is an edifice to the vision and determination of its founder, Varun Chandran.

First Lessons from Life

Varun Chandran was born in Padam, a small hamlet near the forests of Kollam. A farmer’s son, he learnt the value of earning things in life through the dint of hard work. A national footballer and a college dropout, he worked with various multinationals such as Oracle, SAP and Dell before the idea to set up his own company took over. His entrepreneurial journey began when colleagues were appreciative of the tools he was using to develop better sales intelligence. He realised that while many companies were talking about Big Data, the algorithms being used to churn the data were generic in nature. Sensing an opportunity, he developed algorithms that would sift through data and provide targeted sale campaigns by reaching the right people with the right message. With that in mind, he bootstrapped Corporate360 from his bedroom.

Foraying Unchartered Territories

In three years’ time, Corporate360 has grown from five members to forty members and has global operations in five countries. They have over 300 clients, including 16 Fortune 500 companies. Sajeev Pushpamangalam, Vice President – India Operations, is optimistic about the opportunities for growth, “As we see a continuation of growth in our large western markets, our focus is to expand coverage in Asia Pacific and become a market leader.” This makes the opening of their sixth office globally and the third in the Asia-Pacific region all the more important. With a million dollar investment, they have developed India’s first rural IT Park by a startup in Pathanpuram, a tier-3 town near Kollam. “Our customers aren’t looking to Corporate360 as a ‘data vendor’— they’re asking for ‘sales intelligence’, which means providing them with the right data, in the right geographic markets and with relevant sales triggers,” feels Varun Chandran, Founder & CEO.
According to Demy Dcruz, Vice President – Sales, “Our new expansion into India fulfils that critical value and represents a strategic step in growing our company. We look forward to building a successful team here.”

“With that foundation, Kerala is primed to enter into the next phase of support for Fortune 100 companies by supporting their marketing campaigns and by taking on more advanced Big Data focused roles.”

For a Greater Cause

The new facility currently employs about 70 people and plan to hire another 30 more by end of 2017. While over 80% of the employees are hired from around the local areas, applicants from distant towns are also provided hostel facility. This has been a shot in the arm for scores of educated youth from rural areas who had to migrate to cities for employment, thereby reversing the talent-drain experienced in those areas.

At a time when the focus is to create a digital India, that can empower itself through entrepreneurship, Corporate360 has become a trailblazer, showing how leveraging the digital economy can lead to the creation of jobs, improvement in the confidence and skill level of youngsters and spread equitable growth throughout the region. Speaking of the impact generated by this move, Varun is ecstatic, “Happiness! Making a difference in others through societal impact with our work brings ultimate joy and is a key aspect of our definition of success. That is what we constantly aim for.”

Bridging Gaps and Building Bridges

The journey was never an easy one. Sajeev recollects, “In the beginning, we had difficulty sourcing the right talent. They would come to the interview and ask us the questions. We had to bridge the trust deficit and build our credibility. We were able to overcome with time and slowly we built the team you see today. Another challenge we had to overcome was to orient our employees to the company culture and ethos. We invested heavily into developing our resources and helped them adapt and adjust.” The success of Corporate360 has created a buzz in the society with community leaders and politicians looking to emulate this model in their constituencies as well.

The story of Corporate360 serves as an inspiration and an example for other aspiring entrepreneurs. Reflecting on his journey so far, he says, “The learning never stops. Every day is a new start. Innovative products to solve problems, winning customers, increasing revenue and profitability and ensuring sustainability are the key aspects that will help build a successful business. Define an efficient process and culture, improvise regularly – build a team who believes in your vision”

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