The success story of Suhas Gopinath

The story of this 22-year-old Bangalore boy who launched his own firm at the young age of 14 years. Gopinath(born November 4, 1986) is the CEO and co-founder of Globals Inc.-an up- coming IT company that produces Web sites and software, employs 400 people around the world and become a national icon. The Limca Book of Records - the Indian version of the Guniess Book of Records - lists him as the world's Youngest Chief Executive. Suhas Gopinath started a software company at the age 14 and since become one of the most remarkable success stories of the Indian IT boom. Now he's 22 and runs a world-class business with 400 employees. In 2005, an investing firm from Houston, Texas offered him $100 milliom for majority stake in Globals. He refused,"after several months of discussions, admittedly". The reason for his negative response:"Why should I sell my baby?" The transformation During the mid-1990s, the first Internet cafes began opening up in Bangalore, with one going into operation next door to Gopinath's house. My brother Shreyas took me there. I was fascinated. The Internet changed my life, he says. He spent every spare minute online. He learned himself how to build Web sites. He spent every rupee he had in the internet cafe, says his mother. Gopinath admits, I had been a good student up until then. After I discovered the internet, I was an average student. Before finding cyberspace, he had dreams of becoming a veterinarian. His first project In 1998, when he was 13, Gopinath launched his first website: www.coolhindustan.com. I wanted to provide Indians all over the world with a forum to post public events, tips for eating out and every thing else they're interested in, he recalls. The Web site became popular - including with hackers in Pakistan. They attacked cool Hindustan and replaced the Web site's logo with "Cool Pakistan". That was a terrible experience, Suhas says today. He abandoned the project. By then, talent scouts in Silicon Valley had already heard of Suhas Gopinath and the company "Network Solutions" invited the young Indian to its head quarters in San Jose, California. It was the first time he had ever boarded a plane and the first time he had been Outside India's borders. They offered me a job. They also would have paid for my education in the United States, he says. His answer, though, was no, why should I do for another company what I could do for my own? About his company L to R: -Suhas Gopinath, former president Abdul Kalam. Gopinath wasn't going to wait four years. He cheated: Along with three friends, he registered his company in San Jose. online, of course, he says. He wanted to name the company "Global Solutions", But that name was already taken. He opted for Globals. Today, he still regrets that he wasn't able to start his company in Bangalore. India's most important politicians know the young man. He was even granted a private conversation with President Abdul Kalam. I told him that the age limit for starting a company has to be removed, Gopinath says. Kalam promised him support, but so far nothing has changed. The law wasn't the only obstacle, though. Potential customers cancelled their orders when they learned their business partner was barely 14. Many people didn't take him seriously he remembers. As soon as he began sprouting facial hair, he grew moustache, though he has, on the advice of friends, since shaved it off. Ultimately, Gopinath managed to overcome every obstacle. World gradually spread about his company's abilities and Gopinath hired more and more people and opened up more offices. He became the boss, employer and chief executive - all in mid puberty. Most of his employees are just young: The average age is 21 with the oldest being a ripe old 26 and the youngest 12. Gopinath is unable to give the latter a full time job - that would amount to child labor. But we gave him a computer with internet connection, Gopinath says, Now he works for us sometimes on Web design. 200 Customers the World Over Gopinath's company is into web-based and software solutions, mobile and e-commerce solutions - besides making web sites for corporates, advertisers and educational institutions. Meanwhile Global has amassed 200 customers across the globe and now has offices in 11 countries with some 65 percentage of company turn over coming from Europe. The young Indians have become particularly good at identifying unfilled market niches. They developed a software product for schools, for example, allowing a teachers to easily enter grades and attendance and enabling parents to check that their childrens are showing up to class - a kind of electronics class register. The Indian government was thrilled with the idea and recently contracted Globals to set up the program in 1,000 schools. Now That he is 21, Gopinath is thinking of transferring the company headquarters to India - even though some 125 people now work for Globals in San Jose against only 25 in Bangalore. What would be happen to the employees in the United States? We'II see, Gopinath says. "The new developments are coming mainly from Bangalore". Going to university on the side L to R: M.R.Gopinath-Suhas' father, Shri. M V Rajashekaran-Minister, Suhas Gopinath, Kala Gopinath-Suhas' mother) Gopinath's father, M.R Gopinath, once a scientist at the Defense Ministry, now acknowledges that his son made the right choices during the last seven years. They are proud parents, but they still haven't let him go. "To us, it's important that he gets a degree, the father says. "Education is the most important thing in India".

Nutrition tips for better health

Time Live it up people… Conquer your calories one by one Calories Consumer Calories Burner 6:30 AM 7:30 AM Wake up and stretch – lazybones! Start your day with fruit, fiber and 30 minutes of fitness. Zip off to earn a living. 1 Mixed fruit cup 60 cals 1 cup oatmeal cereal 240 cals Alternate days 1 egg poached or boiled 77 cals Jogging 200 cals Walking 120 cals 9:30 AM Mid day smart snack with a banana and yogurt Hydration time 1 banana 75 cals 1 cup lo-fat yogurt 100 cals 11:00 AM Nuts!!! Take a walk around the office 6 almost 45 cals+ 1 walnut 20 cals+ 10-20 raising. 60 cals Total. 125 cals Strolling 30 cals 1:30 PM Lunching – Whole grains a must. A little bit of vegetable. Also have a little bit of veg or non veg protein Hydrate please 1 serv. Vegetable 80 cals 1serv. Veg Protein (beans) 145 cals 1 serv. Non-veg protein (chicken or fish) 290 cals Total. 225-370 cals Walk to the pantry 30 cals 3:00 PM 3:30 PM Have a cup of green tea or black tea grab that fruit as your e-mail 1 apple/ orange/ guava 60 cals 5:30 PM Have a granola bar on us, as you run out from work. You men out there may have two. Zip or traipse down those stairs as you head home. Only the uncool wait around for crowded elevators. 1 granola bar (35g) 140 cals Orange juice/apple juice 115-130 cals Water-0 cals Going up and down the stairs 120 steps 50 cals Walk to the car park 35-50 cals 6:00 PM 45 mins Gymming, walking, jogging playing a sport – Energies and feel alive. Hydrate that blood. Burn baby burn ! Gym 200-400 cals Jogging 300-330 cals 7:30 PM Din-din! Soup and salad with fish or chicken Hey vegetarians! Heap on those protein laden lentils with low fat paneer Have vegetables your way, any style 1 bowl soup (veggie) 110 cals 1 cup salad 150 cals 1 serv. Fish 275 cals 1 serv. Chicken 350 cals Total. 535-610 cals 9:00 PM Deeezert – Gelato with chlled fruit. If mithai or ie cream are a must watch your serving size 1 cup gelato 150-200 cals ½ cup fruit 50-75 cals or 1 pc. Kaju Katti 117-120 cals Total. 120-275 cals 10:30 PM A warm glass of milk 1 cup low fat milk 100-105 cals Eat regularly and get moving ! Start your day with a good breakfast. Breakfast fills your “empty tank” to get you going after a long night without food. And it can help you do better in college and at work. Easy to prepare breakfast include cold cereal with fruit and low-fat milk, whole-wheat toast with fruit jelly, Yogurt with fruit, idli sambhar, or even last night’s vegetable with two rotis! ........................................................................................................................................................................................ Eat regular meals. Skipping meals can lead to out-of-control hunger, often resulting in overeating. When you’re very hungry, it’s also tempting and easy to forget about good nutrition. So have small frequent meals through out the day that help curb hunger. But don’t eat so much that your snack becomes an entire meal. ........................................................................................................................................................................................ Get moving! It’s easy to fit physical activities into your daily routine. Walk, bike or jog to see friends. Take a 10-minute activity break every hour while working on those overdue reports. Avoid watching TV for long period. Climb stairs instead of taking an escalator or elevator. Try to do these things for a total of 30-40 minutes every day. Start with a warm-up that stretches your muscles. Include 20 minutes of aerobic activity, such as running, jogging, or dancing. Then cool-down with more stretching and deep breathing. ........................................................................................................................................................................................ Snack smart. Snacks are a great way to refuel. Choose snacks from different food groups-a glass of low-fat milk and a few graham crackers, an apple or low-fat yogurt and raisins, or some dry cereal. If you eat smart at other meals, cookies, chips and candy are ok for occasional snacking. ........................................................................................................................................................................................ Balance your food choice- don’t eat too much of any thing. You don’t have to give up foods like pizzas, French fries and ice cream to eat healthy. You just have to be smart about how often and how much of them you eat. Your body needs nutrients like protein, carbohydrates, fat and many different vitamins and minerals such as vitamins C and A, iron and calcium from a variety of foods. Balancing food choices from the Food Guide Pyramid and checking out the Nutrition Facts Panel on food labels will help you get all these nutrients. ........................................................................................................................................................................................ Eat more whole grains, fruits and vegetables. These foods give you carbohydrates for energy, plus vitamins, minerals and the magic word fiber. Besides, they taste good! Try breads such as whole-wheat, or bajra and methi rotis. Bananas, strawberries and melons are some great tasting fruits that are high in fiber. Try vegetables raw, on a sandwich or tossed up in a crunchy salad. ........................................................................................................................................................................................ Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. Preferably with plain water or fresh fruit juice without sugar. Fluids not only help replace lost body water (sensible & insensible perspiration) they also help in the process of digestion and absorption. Fluids help flush out toxic waters from the body, and apart from quenching thirst, give a feeling of satisfaction. Prevents formation of kidney stones and helps maintain both body temperature and blood pressure. ........................................................................................................................................................................................ Say no to smoking: Avoid excessive consumption of alcohol and caffeinated drinks and if at all should be in moderation. Liberal amounts of green tea can be had. ........................................................................................................................................................................................ Eat a handful of nuts every day: Eating a handful of nuts five or more times a week reduces the risk of heart attack by almost 60%. Eating nuts reduces obesity as it gives satiety with out oiling on too many calories; they also help lower levels of LDL cholesterol and build better bones. A new even links eating nuts to a lower risk for cancer and inflammation. ........................................................................................................................................................................................ Keep an eye on both type of fat and quantity of fat that you eat. Modify Dietary Fat intake, ie. Both quantity and quality of fat in your diet. Do not take more than 30-40 g of fat/day not more than 25-30% of calories/day should be from fats. Include heart-healthy sources of fat (vegetable sources) 1. Increase intake of Omega-3 Fats (fish, flaxseeds, walnuts, canola oil, and soybean products.) 2. Limit saturate fat to less than 13-2- grams per day. (Specially butter, dairy products & other animal sources) Avoid high fat meats such as hamburgers, hotdogs, sausage, bacon. Trim visible fat off all red meat. Reduce the frequency of desserts, milk chocolate, cake, pastries, and cookies etc. 3. Avoid Tran’s fats: Margarine. Non-dairy creamer for coffee ready made cake lcing etc most processed foods contain Tran’s fats (chips, cookies, cakes, candy, etc.) Eat regularly and get moving ! Start your day with a good breakfast. Breakfast fills your “empty tank” to get you going after a long night without food. And it can help you do better in college and at work. Easy to prepare breakfast include cold cereal with fruit and low-fat milk, whole-wheat toast with fruit jelly, Yogurt with fruit, idli sambhar, or even last night’s vegetable with two rotis! ........................................................................................................................................................................................ Eat regular meals. Skipping meals can lead to out-of-control hunger, often resulting in overeating. When you’re very hungry, it’s also tempting and easy to forget about good nutrition. So have small frequent meals through out the day that help curb hunger. But don’t eat so much that your snack becomes an entire meal. ........................................................................................................................................................................................ Get moving! It’s easy to fit physical activities into your daily routine. Walk, bike or jog to see friends. Take a 10-minute activity break every hour while working on those overdue reports. Avoid watching TV for long period. Climb stairs instead of taking an escalator or elevator. Try to do these things for a total of 30-40 minutes every day. Start with a warm-up that stretches your muscles. Include 20 minutes of aerobic activity, such as running, jogging, or dancing. Then cool-down with more stretching and deep breathing. ........................................................................................................................................................................................ Snack smart. Snacks are a great way to refuel. Choose snacks from different food groups-a glass of low-fat milk and a few graham crackers, an apple or low-fat yogurt and raisins, or some dry cereal. If you eat smart at other meals, cookies, chips and candy are ok for occasional snacking. ........................................................................................................................................................................................ Balance your food choice- don’t eat too much of any thing. You don’t have to give up foods like pizzas, French fries and ice cream to eat healthy. You just have to be smart about how often and how much of them you eat. Your body needs nutrients like protein, carbohydrates, fat and many different vitamins and minerals such as vitamins C and A, iron and calcium from a variety of foods. Balancing food choices from the Food Guide Pyramid and checking out the Nutrition Facts Panel on food labels will help you get all these nutrients. ........................................................................................................................................................................................ Eat more whole grains, fruits and vegetables. These foods give you carbohydrates for energy, plus vitamins, minerals and the magic word fiber. Besides, they taste good! Try breads such as whole-wheat, or bajra and methi rotis. Bananas, strawberries and melons are some great tasting fruits that are high in fiber. Try vegetables raw, on a sandwich or tossed up in a crunchy salad. ........................................................................................................................................................................................ Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. Preferably with plain water or fresh fruit juice without sugar. Fluids not only help replace lost body water (sensible & insensible perspiration) they also help in the process of digestion and absorption. Fluids help flush out toxic waters from the body, and apart from quenching thirst, give a feeling of satisfaction. Prevents formation of kidney stones and helps maintain both body temperature and blood pressure. ........................................................................................................................................................................................ Say no to smoking: Avoid excessive consumption of alcohol and caffeinated drinks and if at all should be in moderation. Liberal amounts of green tea can be had. ........................................................................................................................................................................................ Eat a handful of nuts every day: Eating a handful of nuts five or more times a week reduces the risk of heart attack by almost 60%. Eating nuts reduces obesity as it gives satiety with out oiling on too many calories; they also help lower levels of LDL cholesterol and build better bones. A new even links eating nuts to a lower risk for cancer and inflammation. ........................................................................................................................................................................................ Keep an eye on both type of fat and quantity of fat that you eat. Modify Dietary Fat intake, ie. Both quantity and quality of fat in your diet. Do not take more than 30-40 g of fat/day not more than 25-30% of calories/day should be from fats. Include heart-healthy sources of fat (vegetable sources) 1. Increase intake of Omega-3 Fats (fish, flaxseeds, walnuts, canola oil, and soybean products.) 2. Limit saturate fat to less than 13-2- grams per day. (Specially butter, dairy products & other animal sources) Avoid high fat meats such as hamburgers, hotdogs, sausage, bacon. Trim visible fat off all red meat. Reduce the frequency of desserts, milk chocolate, cake, pastries, and cookies etc. 3. Avoid Tran’s fats: Margarine. Non-dairy creamer for coffee ready made cake lcing etc most processed foods contain Tran’s fats (chips, cookies, cakes, candy, etc.)