Inspiring Journey of the Turakhia Brothers: From Humble Beginnings to Billionaires
The Remarkable Story of Two Brothers
It is often said that fortune can change in an instant, provided our efforts are directed correctly and we persistently strive. Today, we delve into the inspiring tale of two brothers from Mumbai who have achieved remarkable success at a young age, leaving many in awe.
These brothers, who now enjoy a lavish lifestyle complete with chartered planes, luxury cars, and opulent mansions, are among the wealthiest individuals in the country. They are recognized as major figures in India's 'EdTech' sector. Over their 15-year career, they have founded nearly a dozen companies, selling five of them, which has propelled them into the ranks of India's richest.
Curious about their names? Meet Divyank Turakhia and Bhavin Turakhia, who are now recognized as leading entrepreneurs in the country. With personal assets worth thousands of crores, their success story is both inspiring and fascinating. Born into a middle-class family in Mumbai, the Turakhia brothers spent their childhood in the suburbs of Juhu and Andheri. From a young age, Divyank showed a keen interest in computers and programming, creating a stock market simulation game with his brother at just 13 years old.
As their interest in computers grew, their academic pursuits began to wane. Despite their father's insistence, they enrolled in a B.Com course but rarely attended classes, preferring to code together at home. After honing their coding skills, they planned to start a business, but the biggest hurdle was securing initial capital.
Eventually, they convinced their father to lend them ₹25,000 in 1998. At that time, they could never have imagined that 16 years later, they would be listed among billionaires. At just 16, Divyank and his 18-year-old brother Bhavin used this money to establish 'Directi', a company that provided domain names and internet services to Indian businesses. This venture later gave rise to 'BigRock', a leading domain registrar.
In 2001, the brothers developed a software program and have since launched a total of 11 startups under the Directi banner. Currently, the Directi Group employs 1,000 people and serves over a million customers, experiencing an annual growth rate of 120%. A few years ago, the Turakhia brothers sold four brands to Endurance International Group for ₹1,000 crores. Media.net, created to compete with Google's AdSense, has licenses with numerous publishers, ad networks, and international ad tech firms, operating from locations including New York, Los Angeles, Dubai, Zurich, Mumbai, and Bangalore, employing 800 staff members. Last year, Media.net generated ₹1,554 crores in revenue.
Notably, they sold their online advertising venture Media.net to a Chinese group for $90 million, surpassing Google and Twitter in the process. Despite lacking engineering degrees, both brothers are exceptional coders who built their empire independently. Today, the Turakhia brothers are celebrated as the 'First Indian Internet Entrepreneurs'. Isn't their story truly inspiring? We would love to hear your thoughts in the comments!