Sanjeev Bikhchandani is an Indian entrepreneur best known as the founder of Info Edge. He started the company in 1995 and helped build it into a well-known name in India’s internet business sector.
Info Edge owns popular online platforms such as Naukri.com, which helps people search for jobs. The company also has interests in education, real estate and other online services.
Sanjeev’s business journey is interesting because he did not begin with a large office or a big team. He started with a simple idea: use the internet to help people find jobs and help companies find employees.
At that time, the internet was still new in India. Many people did not know how online services would change everyday life. Sanjeev saw an opportunity and decided to work on it.
His journey shows how a small business idea can grow when it solves a real problem.
Early Life and Education
Sanjeev Bikhchandani was born on June 29, 1963, in India. His father was a doctor.
He completed his schooling at St. Columba’s School in New Delhi. Later, he studied Economics at St. Stephen’s College, Delhi University.
After college, he worked for a short time before joining the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad (IIM Ahmedabad), where he completed his MBA in 1989.
His education helped him understand business, markets and management.
After completing his MBA, he joined Hindustan Milkfood Manufacturers, which was later known as GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare in India. He worked there for a few years.
Although he had a stable job, he wanted to build a business of his own.
Leaving His Job to Start a Business
Sanjeev left his job in 1990 to explore business opportunities.
Starting a business was not easy. He did not have a large amount of money or a ready-made business plan that guaranteed success.
In the early years, he worked on different ideas. He and his team tried to understand which services people and companies would pay for.
These early efforts helped him learn about customers, sales and the difficulties of running a small company.
He later found an opportunity in the growing need for information about jobs and salaries.
Starting Info Edge
Sanjeev Bikhchandani founded Info Edge in 1995 with a small team.
The company began by collecting and sharing information that could help people make career decisions. At that time, finding information about jobs and salaries was much harder than it is today.
Newspapers were an important source of job advertisements. People often had to search through printed pages to find suitable openings.
Sanjeev saw that the internet could make this process easier.
He wanted to build a service where job seekers could find opportunities and employers could reach suitable candidates.
This idea later became the foundation of Naukri.com.
The Beginning of Naukri.com
In 1997, Info Edge launched Naukri.com.
The website allowed companies to post job openings and job seekers to search for vacancies online.
This was a new way of finding work in India. Many people were still learning how to use the internet, and not every company was ready to move its hiring process online.
Naukri.com had to show both employers and job seekers why an online job platform could be useful.
The company worked to add more job listings and make the website more helpful.
As internet use increased, more people started using online job services. Companies also began to see the value of reaching candidates through the internet.
Over time, Naukri.com became one of India’s best-known job search websites.
How Naukri.com Grew
Naukri.com’s growth was connected to changes in India’s job market and internet use.
More companies were hiring employees across different cities and industries. Job seekers wanted an easier way to learn about openings without depending only on newspapers or personal contacts.
Naukri.com gave them one place to search for jobs.
Employers could also use the platform to advertise vacancies and find people with the skills they needed.
Info Edge continued to improve the website and its services.
The company developed tools for recruiters and added features to help job seekers manage their searches.
This helped Naukri.com build a strong position in the online recruitment market.
Building Info Edge Beyond Naukri.com
Sanjeev Bikhchandani did not want Info Edge to depend on only one website.
Over time, the company invested in other online businesses.
One of these was 99acres.com, a property website where people can search for homes, flats, plots and commercial properties.
Info Edge also became associated with Jeevansathi.com, a matrimonial website that helps people look for marriage partners.
Another platform, Shiksha.com, provides information about colleges, courses, entrance exams and education options.
These businesses helped Info Edge reach people at different stages of life.
Someone might use Naukri.com to find a job, Shiksha.com to choose a course, 99acres.com to search for a property or Jeevansathi.com to look for a life partner.
Building several websites also helped the company spread its business across different markets.
The Importance of the Internet
When Info Edge started, the internet was not widely used in India.
Over the years, internet access became more common. Computers became more affordable, and later smartphones made online services easier to use.
These changes created new opportunities for companies such as Info Edge.
People began using websites to search for jobs, compare properties and find information about education.
Businesses also became more comfortable using online platforms to reach customers.
Info Edge grew by focusing on services that people needed and by improving its websites as technology changed.
Info Edge Becomes a Public Company
Info Edge reached another important stage when it entered the stock market.
The company launched its initial public offering (IPO) in 2006 and was listed on Indian stock exchanges.
This gave the company access to public investment and made it possible for people to buy its shares.
The listing was an important milestone in the company’s growth.
It also brought greater public attention to Info Edge and its online businesses.
Naukri.com remained the company’s main business, while its other platforms gave it opportunities to grow in different areas.
Investing in Other Startups
Sanjeev Bikhchandani also became known for investing in other businesses.
Through Info Edge and its investment activities, the company supported several startups.
One well-known example is Zomato, the food delivery and restaurant discovery business. Info Edge invested in Zomato during its early years.
Info Edge also invested in other businesses, including Policybazaar’s parent company, PB Fintech.
These investments gave Info Edge a role in the growth of India’s startup sector beyond its own websites.
Investing in startups can bring good returns, but it also carries risk. A young company may grow quickly, take many years to become profitable or fail to meet its goals.
Sanjeev and Info Edge took these risks while looking for businesses with long-term potential.
Sanjeev Bikhchandani’s Business Approach
Sanjeev’s business journey shows the value of patience and careful planning.
Naukri.com did not become a major website in one day. The company had to build its listings, attract employers and convince job seekers to use the service.
The same was true for Info Edge’s other platforms. Each business needed time to understand its customers and build a place in the market.
Another important part of his approach was focusing on a clear problem.
Naukri.com helped people find jobs. 99acres.com made it easier to search for properties. Shiksha.com helped students compare education options.
These services were built around needs that people already had.
Info Edge also continued to invest in technology and new businesses as the internet market changed.
Challenges in His Business Journey
Sanjeev Bikhchandani faced several challenges while building Info Edge.
In the early years, internet use in India was limited. The company had to convince people that online services could be useful and reliable.
It also had to build a business model that could support its costs and help it grow.
Competition became another challenge. New websites and digital platforms entered the job, property and education markets.
Info Edge had to keep improving its services to remain useful to customers.
Its startup investments also involved risk. Not every investment will perform well, and the value of a business can change over time.
These challenges required careful decisions and a long-term view of business growth.
Awards and Recognition
Sanjeev Bikhchandani is widely recognised for his work in India’s internet industry.
He has received several business honours during his career, including the Padma Shri in 2020 for his contribution to trade and industry.
His work helped show that internet businesses could grow in India by solving everyday problems.
Naukri.com became an important part of the country’s online job market, while Info Edge expanded into other digital services and startup investments.
Conclusion
Sanjeev Bikhchandani’s business journey started with a simple idea and a willingness to take risks.
He founded Info Edge in 1995 and launched Naukri.com in 1997. The website helped change how many people in India search for jobs.
Over time, Info Edge expanded into property, education and matrimonial services. It also invested in other startups, including Zomato and PB Fintech.
His journey shows that a business does not always need to start with a large amount of money or a complicated idea. It can begin by solving a problem that many people face.
By staying focused on customer needs and adapting to changes in technology, Sanjeev Bikhchandani helped build Info Edge into an important company in India’s internet business sector.
