If it wasn’t for his politician father, Jay Vijayan could have possibly been dabbling in Tamil Nadu’s political arena today. Instead, the 48-year-old has built one the world’s latest unicorns, California- headquartered Tekion Corp.
In the 1990s, Jay’s father K Vijayan, a long-time leader of the Indian National Congress in Tamil Nadu, tore away his son’s candidature form for the local councilor elections to goad him into taking a salaried job. “He tore away my application form,” Jay tells Forbes India over a Zoom call from California. “I was young… we wanted to change things and everybody told me that I will win by default since my father was a leader. But he pushed me to pursue a regular job.”
Today, he looks back at his father’s decision with gratitude. “He certainly did the right thing,” emphasises Jay.
In October, Tekion became a unicorn after it raised $150 million in a Series C financing round. A cloud technology company that Jay founded in 2016, Tekion offers a software as a service (SaaS) platform for the automotive industry that helps connect customers, car manufacturers, and dealers on its cloud-based platform, helping create seamless experiences from buying a car to managing its inventory and spare parts.
“There is a trust issue in the industry,” says Jay. “Customers don’t trust dealerships. Dealerships don’t trust the original equipment manufacturer (OEM). And OEMs don’t trust dealers. If the OEM and the dealer can provide transparency to the customer and the best experience, then it’s a win-win situation. That’s what we are solving with Tekion.”
This story is from the November 20, 2020 edition of Forbes India.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the November 20, 2020 edition of Forbes India.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Home-Cooked Meal Is Now Greatly Valued
The pandemic has also brought with it an improved focus on hygiene, use of technology in dining, rise of cloud kitchens and resurgence in popularity of Indian ingredients
Paytm 3.0 - Reaching Near Breakeven In Two Years
As of 2020, Vijay Shekhar Sharma’s super app for financial services had run up losses in thousands of crores. Now, as digital payments gets yet another boost courtesy Covid-19, he’s hopeful of reaching near breakeven in two years
THE PANDEMIC HAS CAUSED WOMEN GREATER LABOUR PAIN
Covid-19 has shown that women are more likely to face the brunt of job losses than men, and find fewer opportunities when they want to resume. That apart, several have to deal with increased hours of unpaid work at home and even domestic abuse
LEADERSHIP WILL BE ABOUT SEEING THE BIGGER PICTURE
Leaders must not only guard their teams first during a crisis, but also deal with stakeholders with respect and dignity. And apart from pursuing business goals, they should remain committed to our planet and the environment
PHILANTHROPY SHOULD BE HUMBLE, BUT NOT MODEST
Apart from building a flexible and resilient framework for the future, philanthropists, civil society and the government must work in tandem so that every rupee is absorbed on the ground
INTEGRATED HEALTH CARE, TECH WILL DISRUPT SECTOR
While clinical research will get a boost, having a skilled workforce and public spending on health care will be challenges in the near term
DIGITALISATION WILL HELP IN VALUE CREATION
As the pandemic brings technology and innovation to the core of business and daily life, the next decade will see about 150 million digital-first families in India
Industry 4.0: Climate Revolution?
Augmenting sustainability alongside digital capabilities is an economic, competitive and global opportunity for India’s businesses, but regulations need to reflect intent
EV Dream Still Miles Away
Electric vehicles have remained a buzzword in India for years. But not much has moved on ground due to high upfront costs, range anxiety and charging infrastructure
Living Waters
A virus has caused us to scramble for oxygen but our chokehold on the environment is slowly strangling the very waters that breathe life into us. The virus is a timely reminder: We are merely consumers, not producers of life’s breath on this planet
