SPJIMR alumnus shares his transformative journey from entrepreneur to billion-dollar success

SPJIMR Marketing and Communications Dept.

Sunil Bhatia’s (PGDM, Class of 1989) career journey is a testament to the power of continuous learning, adaptability, and strategic thinking. From navigating the complexities of private equity-backed enterprises to leading billion-dollar businesses, Mr. Bhatia has carved a path of extraordinary success in the global technology industry. His leadership at Infogain, where he transformed the company into a unicorn, exemplifies his ability to drive exponential growth and create lasting impact. His experiences at the S. P. Jain Institute of Management and Research (SPJIMR) played a pivotal role in shaping his approach to business and leadership.

Sunil’s SPJIMR Journey
A Transformative Experience

“SPJIMR taught me how to learn.”

Learned How to Learn

• Gained structure
• Development a Lifelong thirst for knowledge

Mindest
Shift

• Adopted a growth mindest
• Transformed his approach to challenges

Clearer, Bigger Thinking

• Bridged business, government & tech
• Built skills to lead & connect globally

The early days: Learning how to learn

“My time at SPJIMR taught me how to learn,” Sunil recalls. Coming from a background where structured learning was not intuitive, SPJIMR introduced him to a framework that reshaped his mindset. This experience instilled in him an insatiable hunger for knowledge, which has remained a guiding force throughout his career.

Beyond academics, the institute provided Sunil with the skills to communicate effectively across diverse stakeholders—whether in business, government, or technology. “SPJIMR gave me the canvas to think bigger and communicate better,” he says. These foundational skills later proved invaluable as he led high-growth companies and engaged with global investors, partners, and employees.

Becoming a learning machine in a machine-learning age

Sunil attributes much of his success to his ability to embrace lifelong learning. “Be a learning machine in a machine learning age,” he advises. His ability to constantly acquire new knowledge positioned him ahead of industry trends. A prime example of this was his early adoption of platform business models.

In 2014, before the world fully grasped the potential of platform-based companies, Sunil pivoted Infogain into a platform company, setting it on the trajectory to becoming a unicorn. His deep curiosity led him to MIT, where he studied platform strategies, giving Infogain a competitive edge in digital transformation services.

Entrepreneurial success: Building and scaling a billion-dollar business

Sunil’s career has been defined by bold, strategic decisions rooted in long-term thinking. With over 25 years of experience leading and scaling businesses, particularly those backed by private equity, he has consistently driven growth and innovation across the technology sector.

As the President and CEO of Infogain, Sunil invested his life savings into the company and spearheaded its remarkable transformation. His pivotal decision to shift Infogain into a platform-based business model unlocked new revenue streams, enhanced scalability, and positioned the company as a dominant industry player. Under his leadership:

Infogain was recognised among the global top 50 engineering digital transformation services firms by Everest.

The company became a trusted partner to Fortune 100 enterprises.

Its valuation grew more than 10x in just five years, culminating in a billion-dollar exit.

Prior to Infogain, Sunil successfully led the turnaround of Blue Star Infotech Ltd., took the business private, and orchestrated a reverse merger with Infogain. His expertise in scaling businesses also stems from leadership roles at global giants like Accenture in San Jose and IBM in Singapore.

Beyond entrepreneurship, Sunil remains deeply committed to leadership, mentoring, and driving digital transformation. Drawing from the principles he learnt at SPJIMR, which recognised him with the Distinguished Alumnus Award in 2023 and to which he committed INR 10 crore to support innovation and start-up initiatives, he continues to guide organisations toward sustainable growth, ensuring that innovation remains at the heart of every business decision. Under SPJIMR’s WISE Tech, the Sunil Bhatia Start-up Hub (SBSH) was established through his generous endowment. The hub is dedicated to nurturing grassroots entrepreneurship across India by providing early-stage entrepreneurs with the knowledge, resources, and networks necessary to build and scale successful businesses.

Advice for future business leaders

For those embarking on their professional journey, his key advice is:

Enjoy the process – The time at SPJIMR is invaluable. While career concerns and placements may seem overwhelming, it is important to take a step back and appreciate the learning experience.

Be a learning machine – The world evolves every decade, and so do most professionals. Staying ahead requires a commitment to lifelong learning.

Play the long game – Success is a marathon, not a sprint. Rather than chasing short-term gains, the focus should be on long-term value creation. While immediate gratification may be tempting, true success comes from strategic, sustained effort over time.

Takeaways from this journey

Sunil Bhatia’s journey from an SPJIMR student to a successful entrepreneur and industry leader underscores the power of education, resilience, and strategic thinking. His insights serve as a roadmap for those looking to build impactful careers in an ever-changing business landscape.

As professionals navigate their career paths, he emphasises the importance of cultivating a learning mindset, embracing change, and thinking beyond immediate outcomes. The lessons from leaders like Sunil Bhatia serve as inspiration to aim higher, adapt faster, and create lasting value in the business world.