Archive · 12 Aug 2026
HCL Co-Founder Ajai Chowdhry Shares How Company Was Born
HCL is a famous computer company from India, but it did not start out big.
Fifty years ago, six friends decided they wanted to build an Indian computer.
Back then, computers were rare in India, and many people thought the idea seemed almost futuristic.
The friends collected a small amount of money together, about Rs 1.87 lakh.
One of them even sold his car to help.
Their first office was a tiny rooftop room in Delhi, and they did not even have a finished computer yet.
They had only a picture and a brochure, but they still went out to sell it.
Two big colleges ordered first, and later a textile mill gave them a chance even though a bigger company was competing for the same order.
After that, more and more customers came.
The founders' message is simple: dream big, take the risk, and just aspire.
HCL co-founder Ajai Chowdhry recounted the company's founding in a post on X that has nearly three lakh views, released as HCL turns 50.
The six founders pooled Rs 1.87 lakh through borrowed money, savings, and one colleague selling a car.
HCL's first office was a small barsati in Golf Links, Delhi, and its first computer existed only on paper as a brochure and mock-up.
The first orders came from IIT Kharagpur and IIT Madras before the team began convincing businesses.
In Coimbatore, HCL beat the larger and more established DCM DP for an order from Premier Mills, which led to five more orders and then ten.
- Who
- Ajai Chowdhry and the five other co-founders of Hindustan Computers Limited (HCL).
- What
- The story of how six friends founded HCL in 1976 with pooled savings of Rs 1.87 lakh, as recounted by co-founder Ajai Chowdhry.
- When
- The company was founded in 1976; the recollection comes as HCL turns 50 years old.
- Where
- India; the first office was a barsati in Golf Links, Delhi, with early orders from IIT Kharagpur, IIT Madras, and Premier Mills in Coimbatore.
- Why
- The six friends risked their careers to build an Indian computer at a time when the idea seemed almost fanciful.
- Company
- Hindustan Computers Limited (HCL)
- Founded
- 1976
- Initial capital
- Rs 1.87 lakh
- Founders
- Six, including Ajai Chowdhry
- First office
- Small barsati in Golf Links, Delhi
- First customers
- IIT Kharagpur and IIT Madras
- Key early win
- Order from Premier Mills, Coimbatore, beating DCM DP
- Milestone
- HCL turns 50 years old