Infosys Office Boy to CEO: Story of Dadasaheb Bhagat from Rs 9,000 salary to founding India's own Canva

Dadasaheb Bhagat: 10th Pass Infosys Office Boy to CEO

We often hear that to build a successful business, one needs a substantial amount of money. But some people achieve great things powered by nothing but a big dream. Dadasaheb Bhagat's story is a real-life example of going from rags to riches, starting from a point where no one believed he could succeed.

Dadasaheb came from a small village in Maharashtra's Beed district, an area known for drought, where farming was difficult. In his family, education wasn't a big priority. He studied only until the 10th standard and later completed a simple ITI course, which typically prepares people for blue-collar factory jobs.

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He moved to Pune for work and started a job that paid him Rs 4,000. He soon realized that this wasn't enough to build a life. An opportunity then arose for a position as an office boy at the famous company Infosys, which offered a salary of Rs 9,000. For him, the extra Rs 5,000 was a big deal, so he took the job without a second thought.

His job was physically demanding, involving tasks like cleaning and running errands across a large guest house. While doing this hard work, he noticed the Infosys employees who worked on computers, earning comfortably. This was his turning point. He realized that while physical labor was tough, using one's mind could lead to a better and more prosperous life.

He asked people how he could get a job like theirs. When they learned he only had a 10th-grade education, they told him it would be difficult. However, they pointed him towards graphic design and animation, fields where creativity matters more than formal degrees.

This advice sparked a memory. As a child, when his parents went away for work, he stayed in a boarding school. Next to his school, a painter used to work on temple paintings, and Dadasaheb learned drawing from him. He had a natural talent for art.

He decided to pursue this path. While working his night shift as an office boy, he spent his days learning design. Within a year, he became a professional designer, finally earning money by working on a computer.

Instead of trying to get a job at a big company like Infosys (which required degrees), he started his own journey. He began a design company, but the path wasn't always smooth.

When the COVID-19 lockdown hit, he had to shut down his Pune office and return to his village. Life there was simple and cost very little. He decided to use this as an opportunity. He cut down his expenses and focused all his resources on building his product.

The village had problems with electricity and the internet. So, he and his team went up a hill, set up a workspace near a cowshed, and started working from there. It was from this remote hillside that his company, 'Design Template,' began to take shape. He even started training local kids in design. His work gained attention, and his inspiring story was eventually covered by news channels and even praised by Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his 'Make in India' initiative.

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Today, Dadasaheb's company creates design templates, similar to global platforms like Canva. His vision is to reduce India's dependency on foreign design software and provide world-class, Indian-centric design assets.

His advice to everyone is to try many different things. You will eventually discover what you are truly passionate about, be it design, technology, or marketing. If you focus on that, you will surely become successful.

Dadasaheb's journey proves that with passion, hard work and creativity, no dream is too big, and no starting point is too small.