Meet man, one of India’s richest scientists, who built Rs 100000 crore company, failed in class 12 but…

Murali Divi is a true inspiration and a testament to perseverance. He founded Divis Laboratories, which has a market cap of over Rs 1 lakh crore and ranks among the top three producers of active pharmaceutical ingredients (API). But Murali Divi's modest beginnings began in a small Andhra Pradesh town where his father worked for the government. Previously, Murali Divi's father supported his family with a Rs 10,000 monthly pension. 

Even after failing the Class 12 exam, Murali Divi persisted in pursuing his goals. He studied hard to become a chemist and then made the decision to come to the United States in 1976 to begin his career as a chemist. As per Forbes India, Divi left for the US at the age of 25, with only Rs 500 in his hand. He worked for numerous companies and made about $65,000 annually. He was given Rs 250 to begin his career at Warners Hindustan Company. Still, with $40,000 and no plans for the future, he chose to return to India.

Determined to succeed, Murali Divi partnered with Kallam Anji Reddy in 1984 to build Cheminor, which was later merged with Dr. Reddy's Laboratories in 2000. After working at Dr. Reddy's Labs for six years, Murali Divi launched Divi's Laboratories in 1990 and started developing commercial processes for the manufacturing of APIs and intermediates. In 1995, he set up the company's first manufacturing facility at Choutuppal, Telangana. Later in 2002, he launched the company's second manufacturing utility near Visakhapatnam.

He completed his graduation from MIT, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, and completed the Bachelor of Pharmacy course at the College of Pharmaceutical Sciences. His success has also made him one of the richest scientists in India, with a net worth of $6.4 billion.