Vinod Saraf gave up his high-profile CEO job at 38 to pursue his dream of starting his own business, which is now worth Rs 15,500 crore.
Vinod Saraf, the man behind Vinati Organics with a market cap of Rs 20,000 crore, rose from a middle-class background to lead a top Aditya Birla company. However, at 38, he left it all to pursue his dream of entrepreneurship, earning him the moniker “beggar-to-billionaire” (B2B).
Born in Rajasthan to a small trader, Vinod Saraf was the eldest of seven siblings. Despite modest circumstances, he excelled in academics, graduating as a state topper at 17 and earning his MBA from BITS Pilani as a gold medallist at 19.
Despite his early education in Hindi medium, Vinod’s sharp mind caught the attention of a textile entrepreneur. He spent over a decade working in various textile companies before joining a Birla company. Working alongside Aditya Birla, Vinod rose to become the managing director of MRPL. He has also worked at Grasim Industries, Modern Syntex, and Bhilwara Group.
Despite being a young leader of a company at under 40, Saraf took a big risk by giving up his corporate career and pursuing his dream of entrepreneurship. When he founded Vinati Organics in 1990 to produce a niche chemical called Isobutyl Benzene, he never anticipated its enormous growth. Saraf utilized equity investment, bank loans, listing, and personal savings to fund the company.
After facing quality issues, Vinati Organics saw a turnaround when Vinati, after whom the brand was named, joined the company. With a degree from Wharton and a consultant’s help, she made the company one of the largest ibuprofen makers globally by volume. She now heads the company as CEO and MD. In 2019, Vinod Saraf became a billionaire, and as per Forbes 2023, his net worth is over Rs 15,500 crore ($1.9 billion).
