Chinnakannan Sivasankaran, once a successful and wealthy businessman, lost over ₹7,000 crores and witnessed the fall of his company, Aircel. This could have ended his career for good, but he decided he was not done and chose to try again.
The success of Mr. Chinnakannan Sivasankaran has mainly been attributed to his insight. By spotting and seizing trends that might lead to future markets, he accumulated a sizeable fortune. His ascent to fame is among India’s most inspirational business success stories.
However, it was short-lived. After facing serious financial difficulties, Aircel declared bankruptcy in 2018. But he made a comeback and refused to let this setback define him. This is the story of Chinnakannan Sivasankaran and his inspirational return as an Indian business tycoon, in the form of the Chinnakannan Sivasankaran comeback.
Early Life & Education
A Modest Start
Chinnakannan Sivasankaran, frequently referred to as C. Sivasankaran or just “Siva,” was not born into wealth. The story is a motivating rags-to-riches tale that showcases the ambition of a small-town boy who turns a small fabrication workshop into a telecom giant. Siva was born in a village in Tamil Nadu On July 29, 1956, with a modest upbringing. His father Chinnakannan, was a school teacher while his mother was a homemaker. He also had a sister named Shanthi Sivasankaran. He overcame nepotism and succeeded by pushing for success with ambition and tenacity.
Siva stated that he always tried to be extraordinary at everything he did, with an emphasis on creativity and quality. He came to see that success was more about performing everyday tasks with skill and commitment than it was about coming up with novel ideas. Despite holding a BA degree, Siva found himself drawn to economics and mathematics. He left for New York to teach computer programming early on, thanking his parents for their independence.
Siva also had a passion for the arts from his childhood, a hobby that his family was not able to support. Instead of conceding he displayed keen insight and came up with an alternative instead. These early experiences no doubt helped Chinnakannan Sivasankaran comeback gain momentum.
Most of his further education remains unknown. From what he has stated in public, we can infer that Siva attended a school in his hometown of Tamil Nadu and then went on to attend and graduate from Harvard Business School.
The Rise: From Sterling to Aircel
The Foundations: Sterling Computers and Early Ventures
Chinnakannan Sivasankaran didn’t start by building an empire out of nowhere. C. Sivasankaran started his first fabrication workshop in Chennai with modest means. With some seed money, Chinnakannan’s father most likely made the first investments, which he supplemented by taking on odd jobs, receiving small loans, and lowering labor costs by utilizing his skills.
He received his first big opportunity when Robert Amritraj, the owner of Sterling Computers, sold his company to him. Siva proceeded to sell his computers at a lower price than his competitors and transform the brand into one of the top computer companies in India.
Siva didn’t stop there, either, and negotiated a deal with India’s state-run telecom provider, MTNL, to move from Chennai to Delhi in 1992 after realizing that the telecom sector was about to be privatized. By 2004, he had secured cellular licenses for several Indian states. He subsequently sold them to his longtime friend Shashi Ruia of Essar for $105 million.
In 1998, he also founded India’s first DSL internet service provider, DishnetDSL, which he later sold in 2004 to Videsh Sanchar Nigam Limited (VSNL). He was also involved in other business ventures, such as opening a coffee Café Company known as Barista Café in the year 2000.
Siva stated he owes all his business success to the business formula that he utilized and still follows in his comeback. His formula prioritizes unmet needs, cash flow management in business, and trust-based growth, leveraging cash flow, market gaps, and superior value to attract capital, with his sister assisting him in many ventures by managing bank functions and providing strategic oversight.
Aircel: The Birth of an Empire
Featured – Chinnakannan Sivasankaran Comeback – Pic – Facebook
After discussing some of his early and obscure endeavors, let’s move on to his most successful business venture, which not only brought him recognition across India but also ultimately led to his bankruptcy and the emergence of the Chinnakannan Sivasankaran comeback.
Siva co-founded Aircel, one of India’s first private regional telecom service providers, in 1999. Siva also used some of his more aggressive business tactics to expand Aircel’s reach. By the early 2000s, Aircel had become one of India’s biggest telecom companies.
Siva’s efforts all culminated in 2005 when he sold Maxis Communications 74% of Aircel after realizing the company’s growing need for capital and industry expertise to expand.
Sivasankaran’s sale was lucrative, generating around $1.1 billion. He stated that he was successful enough to write a cheque of over ₹3,500 crores. Siva attributes his success to his drive for success and his conviction that one should never borrow money but rather draw it in, believing that charisma and empathy are more significant in the business world than IQ.
The Fall: Aircel Bankruptcy & Scandals
Siva became one of the wealthiest persons in India thanks to the success of Aircel, but his success was short-lived. As they struggled to pay off their debts, Aircel began taking out more loans over the years to keep their business afloat. Aircel had to take out further loans, which resulted in a vicious cycle where they accrued more debt.
By 2018, due to Aircel taking out several loans, his debts had risen to roughly ₹7000 crores. Siva also credits his failures to two consequential mistakes he made in the past: not learning Hindi and not moving to Delhi or Mumbai early on, declaring that he could’ve made over 100,000 crores instead.
A prominent factor in Aircel’s demise was the 2008 2G Spectrum Scandal, in which Siva himself was the whistleblower, revealing a scam that undermined public confidence in telecom services. The Indian Supreme Court then stepped in and ordered Aircel to move to a new spectrum.
The debts were a significant contributing cause to the downfall of the Indian businessman. Siva was capable, but he had a reputation for taking higher risks and using aggressive strategies to advance his goals. His insistence on taking significant risks would ultimately cause Siva and Aircel to accrue enormous debt to the point where they owed more than $2.2 billion (about ₹15,000 crores).
All of this culminated in 2018 when Aircel filed for bankruptcy, and Sivasankaran lost billions of dollars in wealth; however, it also marked the beginning of the Chinnakannan Sivasankaran Comeback that he achieved today.
The Comeback: Diversification & New Ventures
Following a billion-dollar loss and the bankruptcy of Aircel, Chinnakannan Sivasankaran turned his attention back to Donald Trump’s book and gained newfound motivation. He also stated that he held hope in the country’s judicial system and was sure of receiving justice in court.
The same day he filed for bankruptcy, he planned his return, bearing in mind that adversity would strengthen him and that this would mark the start of the Chinnakannan Sivasankaran comeback. In the same way that spoiled grapes turned into expensive wine, he compared his financial struggles to opportunities to become formidable and more valuable.
The Chinnakannan Sivasankaran comeback began when Siva expanded into technology, real estate, and retail, reevaluating past plans and revitalizing his “Barista” café business for global market expansion. Siva stated that earning his first $8 billion is his new goal, as he is no longer content with $2 million. He also wants to be the largest employer of over 200k digital employees globally.
The Chinnakannan Sivasankaran Comeback is currently making an effort to increase awareness of long-term preventive healthcare in India, concentrating on health sector initiatives, specifically in biotechnology research and anti-aging.
Sivasankaran’s resilience after Aircel’s bankruptcy, known as the Chinnakannan Sivasankaran Comeback, has significantly increased his estimated net worth to $24 million by 2025, mainly attributed to his stock holdings in ChampionX Corp. (CHX), an international provider of chemistry solutions, and Dover Corp. (DOV), a major manufacturer of innovative equipment in the world.
Awards and Achievements of Chinnakannan Sivasankaran
Founding of Aircel Telecom: Managed to found Aircel Telecommunications, one of the most prominent telecom service providers in India, during the early 2000s.
Recognition as a Leading Entrepreneur: Chinnakannan Sivasankaran was credited as one of India’s leading entrepreneurs during the early 1990s and 2000s.
Recognition as a Visionary: During his early, successful years operating Aircel, his work had a highly influential impact, leading people to regard Sivasankaran as a visionary.
Recognition of Barista Café Company in the F&B Industry: Sivasankaran’s “Barista” has been recognized as a premium coffee and café establishment.
Personal Life
Chinnakannan Sivasankaran is a very private man regarding his personal life, preferring not to divulge much. He and his wife, Girija Sivasankaran, have five children and six grandchildren. Their oldest son is currently residing in Canada, while their third son resides in Australia with his wife.
Although he tends to avoid discussions about his family, we know that they hold a special place in his heart. Siva recounts a life-threatening experience he had in a recent interview while flying from Singapore to Seychelles. When the engine failed, he was awoken and frantically sent his son an email wishing he could live longer. His wife was on his mind in his last moments before the crash.
Conclusion
Chinnakannan Sivasankaran, a man from modest origins, achieved great success in business with his company, Aircel. Everything fell apart when his company filed for bankruptcy in 2018. He managed to find new motivation, declaring himself broke but not poor, and began his comeback, the Chinnakannan Sivasankaran Comeback, employing creative business tactics and breaking into unexplored markets, with the new goal of making billions instead of millions and becoming the largest employer of digital workers in the world, with over 200k employees.
Chinnakannan Sivasankaran Quick Facts
Attribute
Details
Full Name
Chinnakannan Sivasankaran
Date of Birth
July 29, 1956
Place of Birth
Tamil Nadu, India
Early Life
Modest upbringing; self-made entrepreneur
Personal Life
Married to Girija Sivasankaran with five children. Family resides in India, Canada, and Australia.
Education
Attended local schools in Tamil Nadu; later studies at Harvard Business School (reported).
Major Positions Held
President and Founder, Sterling Computers Ltd.
Founder, Aircel Telecommunications.
Chairman of Siva Group, formerly Sterling Infotech Group
Owner and Strategic leader, Barista Cafe Company
Key Business Ventures
Sterling Computers.
One of the earliest Indian companies to popularize personal computers
Sterling Cellular Ltd. (Later Aircel)
One of the first private Telecom service provider in India
Siva Group (formerly Sterling Infotech Group)
A diversified conglomerate with global operations
Barista Coffee Chain
Acquired the coffee chain before eventually selling it.
