Raj Sardana, born in Delhi in 1960, transformed his life from humble beginnings to creating a multi-billion dollar business in the United States. A recent Forbes report highlighted him as one of the rare Indian entrepreneurs who has built an empire from scratch, starting with an H-1B visa.
Sardana’s family faced significant hardships after migrating during the 1947 partition. Living in basic government housing with minimal amenities, his parents placed a strong emphasis on education, which laid the foundation for his later success. Sardana moved to the U.S. in 1981, enrolling at Georgia Tech to pursue a master’s degree in mechanical engineering. With only $100 to his name, he worked at the university cafeteria to support himself.
After graduating, Sardana secured an H-1 visa and started working at Howmet Aerospace. By 1987, he was employed at Teledyne CAE, working on engines for Tomahawk missiles. However, the end of the Cold War in 1990 led to the halt of missile production and the loss of his job.
Facing a mortgage, a young daughter, and parents to support, Sardana decided to leave corporate America behind. With just $25,000 in savings, he took a leap of faith and launched his own business. Over the following decade, his venture grew into Innova Solutions, an IT services company that now employs more than 50,000 people worldwide and boasts a $2 billion valuation.
