"Would've Made Rs 1 Lakh Crore": Aircel Founder C Sivasankaran Shares "Two Mistakes" He Regrets The Most
C Sivasankaran, the founder of bankrupt cellular operator Aircel, recently opened up about the regrets that still weigh on him. Speaking on the podcast with Ranveer Allahbadia, the entrepreneur spoke about his journey of losing Rs 7,000 crore and then bouncing back. He also shared two simple factors that cost him the fortune of a lifetime - not learning Hindi and not relocating to major cities like Delhi or Mumbai earlier in his career.
"If I had learned Hindi, I would have attracted all 140 crore Indians," Mr Sivasankaran said, adding, "And if I had moved to Delhi or Bombay when I was younger... I would have definitely made Rs 1 lakh crore."
Watch the podcast below:
The self-made tycoon further explained how geography and language left him isolated from India's power corridors. "I don't want to take loans. I attract money," he told Allahbadia. "At 68, I've never borrowed Rs 100 in personal capacity," he shared. Yet, despite his entrepreneurial instincts and knowledge, Mr Sivasankaran revealed that his biggest deals slipped through not because of a lack of vision, but possibly because of a lack of connection.
"I made two mistakes," he said. "Not learning Hindi. And not moving to Delhi or Bombay. That's it," he told Allahbadia.
Elsewhere in the podcast, the entrepreneur also revealed his most expensive purchases before he filed for bankruptcy. He shared that he invested heavily in real estate and bought multiple houses across the world.
"What was the most expensive purchase you had made?" Ranveer Allahbadia asked Mr Sivasankaran. "One island," he replied.
The entrepreneur revealed that he used to own two islands in Seychelles, which he has now sold. He said that he bought the islands because he wanted to feel like he was living in his own country called "Republic of Siva". "And then I bought houses in Seychelles, America, Canada, London... I had a desire to have a country of residence in all continents, so I bought it," Mr Sivasankaran said.
"When I bought houses I lived in a fancy house - Rs 524 crores, 71 bedrooms. Then they demolished it. But I bought back half of that house," the entrepreneur shared. "Now I have a 2-acre plot, but I don't want to build the house. First I want to solve all the problems," he said.
Mr Sivasankaran also revealed that before bankruptcy, he also owned a 14-acre house in Fremont, California, which had a helipad, and a mansion in Canada, which won awards.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
News18
17 minutes ago
- News18
Influx Healthtech IPO Allotment: A Step-By-Step Guide To Check Status Online Today, Know Latest GMP
Last Updated: According to market observers, the GMP of the Influx Healthtech IPO is 22.92%, indicating decent listing gains for investors. Influx Healthtech IPO Allotment: The initial public offering of Influx Healthtech has received a whopping 201.35 times subscription, indicating huge interest from investors. Investors are now eagerly awaiting its allotment even its latest GMP shows a strong 22.92% listing gains. The allotment of the Influx Healthtech IPO is expected to be finalised today, Monday, June 23, in the evening. Once the IPO allotment is finalised, investors will start receiving bank debit messages, most probably in the evening. They can also check their allotment status on the websites of the NSE as well as registrar Maashitla Securities Private Limited. The allotment is expected to be finalised in the evening today, Friday, June 20. The allotment status can be checked by following these steps: Step 1: Visit Maashitla Securities' portal — Step 2: Under 'Select Company', choose 'Influx Healthtech Ltd'. Importantly, if the company's name is not visible in the drop-down list, it means the allotment has not been finalised yet. According to market observers, the GMP of the Influx Healthtech IPO is 22.92%, indicating decent listing gains for investors. The GMP is based on market sentiments and keeps changing. 'Grey market premium' indicates investors' readiness to pay more than the issue price. Influx Healthtech IPO Listing Date The shares of Influx Healthtech Ltd will be listed on the NSE Emerge on June 25. The Influx Healthtech IPO was open for subscription between June 18 and June 20. It is a book-built issue worth Rs 58.57 crore, comprising a fresh issue of 50 lakh equity shares worth Rs 48 crore and an offer for sale of 11 lakh shares aggregating to Rs 10.56 crore. On the final day of bidding on Friday, the SME IPO received an overwhelming 201.35 times subscription, garnering bids for 81,71,71,200 shares as against 40,58,400 shares on offer. The retail and NII participation stood at 117.68 times and 481.10 times, respectively. Its qualified institutional buyer (QIB) category got a 137.87 times subscription. The price of the Influx Healthtech IPO was fixed at Rs 96 apiece. Influx Healthtech Ltd's revenue increased 5% and its profit after tax (PAT) rose 19% between the financial year ending with March 31, 2025, and March 31, 2024. Rarever Financial Advisors Pvt Ltd is the book-running lead manager of the Influx Healthtech IPO, while Maashitla Securities Private Limited is the registrar for the issue. The market maker for Influx Healthtech IPO is R K Stock Holding Private Limited. Influx Healthtech Ltd, founded in September 2020, is a healthcare-focused CDMO with three manufacturing units in Thane, producing tablets, capsules, powders, liquid orals, and softgels.
India.com
19 minutes ago
- India.com
Good news for Anil Ambani, another company settles Rs 2730000000 loan of…, with…
Anil Ambani was already in the news for settling down the debt of his many companies. Now once again it has settled the debt with another company. In a recent exchange filing it stated that it has fully settled a Rs 273-crore loan, including interest, owed by its wholly owned subsidiary JR Toll Road Pvt Ltd (JRTR) to Yes Bank Ltd. It stated, '' A wholly owned subsidiary of the Company (along with the Company as Corporate Guarantor), has entered into an addendum to the Settlement Agreement today with Yes Bank Limited (YBL) for the entire outstanding debt obligation of ~INR 273 crore (including interest) owed by JRTR to YBL, and has duly paid the entire settlement amount.'' Anil Ambani Company Debt Reduction Debt reduction has become a primary focus for Anil Ambani. Reliance Infrastructure: Paid off Rs 3,300 crore of debt in FY 2025, becoming debt-free. Rosa Power Supply Company: Cleared Rs 485 crore of debt, achieving debt-free status. Reliance Power: Settled a loan of Rs 3,872 crore earlier. JR Toll Road Pvt Ltd, a special purpose vehicle established by Reliance Infrastructure, is responsible for the development, operation, and maintenance of a 52-kilometer segment of National Highway 11, connecting Jaipur and Reengus in Rajasthan. The project was executed under the Design-Build-Finance-Operate-Transfer (DBFOT) model, featuring a highway expansion from four to six lanes. Operations commenced in 2013, coinciding with the start of toll collection.
Hindustan Times
20 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Watch with Kannada numerals and Karnataka's iconic crest goes viral: 'Decolonize your mind'
BJP MP Tejasvi Surya criticizes Karnataka's Rs 18,000 crore tunnel road project, calling it unscientific and financially unsound. He questions the project's feasibility, high toll costs, and potential public fund drain, challenging the government's transportation strategy.
