Early Life
Neerja Sethi was born and raised in India. She earned degrees in mathematics and computer science before pursuing a Master's in Business Administration from Delhi University. After relocating to the United States, she began her career in technology consulting.
Rise to Success
In 1980, Neerja Sethi co-founded Syntel with her husband, Bharat Desai, in Troy, Michigan, with an initial investment of $2,000. The company provided IT consulting and outsourcing services, growing from a small start-up to a global powerhouse. Syntel went public in 1997. Syntel was acquired by Atos SE for $3.4 billion in 2018, which resulted in Sethi getting an estimated $510 million for her stake.
Key Business Strategies
Sethi's key strategies included a focus on building long-term client relationships, a strong internal culture, and providing cutting-edge IT services to clients. Syntel's emphasis on building long-term client relationships and a strong internal culture set it apart. The company generated $924 million in revenue in 2017, and it had 23,000 employees, with 80% of them located in India.
Philanthropy
Through the Desai Sethi Family Foundation, Neerja Sethi has supported initiatives focused on education, healthcare, women's empowerment, and environmental sustainability. Sethi and her husband joined The Giving Pledge in 2025, committing to give away the majority of their wealth to philanthropic causes.
