Meet Neeraj Singh Who Overcame IIT Rejection And Co-founded Rs 25,000 Crore Company

Neeraj Singh

New Delhi: Neeraj Singh's success story is a powerful testament to the timeless principle that persistent effort ultimately yields results. Starting from humble roots in Rajasthan and progressing through the realms of the tech industry, Neeraj's journey has been marked by unwavering dedication and an unrelenting pursuit of his aspirations.

Neeraj Singh originally from Rajasthan grew up in a middle-class setting as a military dependent. He attended Army schools for a substantial part of his early years and his introduction to computers took place during the year 1997.

In that period, computers comprised of three primary elements: a monitor, a CPU, and a keyboard. Before computers all documentation and tasks were handwritten and the arrival of computers greatly streamlined and hastened these processes. Neeraj found this aspect particularly fascinating.

Neeraj's father became a computer instructor for the Indian Army after the incorporation of computers in central government services. He opted to pursue a career in computer science during Class 11. Later, he enrolled in IIT coaching in Kanpur but after a year of study he was unable to pass the exam which led him to return back home.

As a result of his father's overseas assignment, Neeraj wished to stay close to his family prompting him to join the IPM Institute of Technology and Management in Gwalior for his computer science studies. Neeraj was part of the college's second graduating batch in 2005. He joined the Centre for Diploma in Advanced Computing (CDAC) an institution recognized for developing Param, India's first supercomputer.

Following an extensive education, Neeraj secured a position at JDA Software. After gaining experience there he transitioned to IVY Comptech an online gaming startup, where he contributed to the development of casino games including the creation of a jackpot game.

Initially declining a job offer from Flipkart, Neeraj Singh changed his mind after friends emphasized the company's bright prospects. During his time at Flipkart, he forged connections with Lalit Keshre, Harsh Jain, and Ishan Bansal who eventually became the co-founders of Groww. In 2017, they collectively launched Groww, where Neeraj Singh currently holds the position of Chief Technology Officer (CTO). The company is currently valued at Rs 25,000 crore (USD 3 billion).