HCL Founders began their journey in 1976 when six engineers — Shiv Nadar, Ajai Chowdhry, Arjun Malhotra, Yogesh Vaidya, Subhash Arora and D.S. Puri — decided to build an Indian technology company. They pooled savings, borrowed money and even sold a car to raise ₹1.87 lakh. Their first workplace was a modest barsati in Delhi’s Golf Links. The team initially operated as Microcomp and believed that microprocessors would transform computing. Despite licensing challenges and limited resources, they partnered with UP Electronics Corporation and eventually created Hindustan Computers Limited, or HCL. HCL later developed the HCL 8C, recognised by the company as India’s first indigenous computer, in 1978. Early customers included IIT Kharagpur and IIT Madras. For students and aspiring entrepreneurs, the story highlights the importance of innovation, persistence, technical knowledge and taking calculated risks even with limited resources.
HCL Founders: How Six Engineers Built India’s First Indigenous PC
