Early Life
Bharat Desai was born in November 1952 in Kenya to Gujarati Indian parents. He spent his childhood in Mombasa, Kenya, and Ahmedabad, India. His educational journey led him to earn a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, followed by an MBA in finance from the Stephen M. Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan.
Rise to Success
Desai's career began with Tata Consultancy Services (TCS). In 1980, alongside his wife Neerja Sethi, Desai co-founded Syntel from their apartment in Troy, Michigan, with an initial investment of $2,000. The company started with modest beginnings, generating $30,000 in sales in its first year. Under Desai's leadership as chairman, Syntel grew to become a major IT services company. Syntel's revenue reached $900 million before being acquired by Atos SE in 2018 for $3.4 billion.
Key Business Strategies
Syntel's success was built on key strategies, including a focus on IT consulting and outsourcing services. The company provided services to various sectors, including banking, finance, healthcare, and retail. Syntel's business model included a strong emphasis on offshore development centers, particularly in India, to enhance cost-efficiency and service scalability.
Philanthropy
Wanting to bolster the spirit of entrepreneurship, the Desai Sethi Family Foundation became a founding supporter of U-M's Desai Family Accelerator in 2014.
