From Small Town Struggles to Becoming a Tech CEO: This MP Man Is Changing Rural India Forever

Durgesh Ojha’s inspiring journey from stitching clothes and odd jobs in Madhya Pradesh to becoming a tech CEO. He founded Hybrid Internet, bringing wireless connectivity to India’s remote regions.

Durgesh Ojha

Image Credit: twitter

For Durgesh Ojha, access to the internet changed everything. Today, the 36-year-old entrepreneur is dedicated to making it accessible in India’s most remote villages. Born in Guna, Madhya Pradesh, to a carpenter father, he grew up facing financial struggles. His turning point came when a computer training centre opened in his town. From there, he moved step by step towards building his company, ‘Hybrid Internet’.

Doing odd jobs to survive

Right from his childhood, Durgesh had to do multiple jobs to make ends meet. When he was in the 5th grade, he would go to a neighbour's house to watch TV. While there, he picked up tailoring. By the time he reached the 10th grade, he had learned to stitch shirts and pants. To help with the family income, he would also assist other tailors during the busy wedding seasons. In between all this, he even worked with photographers to earn some extra money.

Entering the world of computers

In the 8th grade, Durgesh's elder brother told him about a computer training centre. He joined immediately and learned not just how to operate a computer, but also hardware and repairing. This skill helped him get his first job later on. In 2009, he and a friend started a cyber cafe and computer repair shop in Guna with borrowed money. But due to financial problems, they had to shut it down within a year. To pay off the debt, Durgesh was forced to drop out of his studies and find work.

Back home to start his own business

In 2010, he moved to Ahmedabad and found a job using his technical skills. He carefully watched how big companies there operated and learned the ropes of running a business. With a renewed dream of starting his own company, he returned to Guna in 2012. He launched 'Hybrid Computer Solutions', a firm that provided security services like CCTV installation. In 2014, he discovered that it was possible to provide internet wirelessly, and that's when he shifted his focus. In April 2015, he renamed his company to 'Hybrid Internet'.

Wireless internet for the remote

"We are an internet service provider, just like Airtel. But instead of providing internet only through wires, we work with wireless technology. That's why we can provide service in remote areas where internet hasn't reached," Ojha explains. Today, Hybrid Internet's services are available in places like Mizoram, Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh, Ladakh, and Jammu & Kashmir.

Over the last few years, he has reached a point where he draws a salary of ₹3 to ₹5 lakh per month. But for him, the satisfaction of bringing internet to ordinary people is far greater than financial success. Providing internet to an orphanage in Tawang, Arunachal Pradesh, and connecting about 300 hospitals in Ladakh—250 of which got internet for the very first time—are some of the biggest achievements for Ojha and his team. Bringing internet to places with harsh weather and poor infrastructure is a huge challenge, but Durgesh is extremely satisfied with the work he is doing.