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Anirudha Yerunkar
He is working as Chief Sub Editor with India.com and has experience in Digital Media and YouTube. He has covered Budget 2023, 2024, 2025 for reputed channels. Born and brought up in Mumbai, he is an e ... Read More
Rakesh Chopdar, the founder of Azad Engineering, started his journey by learning engineering skills while working in his father’s factory. Through hard work and innovation, he built a billion-dollar company, proving that success does not require formal education but passion and determination.
The Hyderabad-based company, which launched its IPO in December 2023, is backed by cricketer Sachin Tendulkar. The market cap of the company, a producer of turbines and parts for aircraft, is around Rs 5499 crore on February 5, 2024.
As a young man in his mid-20s, Rakesh worked at his father’s factory, which manufactured nuts and bolts. One day, a customer visited the factory, holding an aerofoil component, and discussed the challenges of finding a high-quality, cost-effective supplier for such parts. Rakesh convinced the customer to let him try manufacturing the aerofoil. A few months later, Rakesh delivered a product that amazed the client, marking the start of his journey.
This event laid the foundation for Azad Engineering, a company that today sets global benchmarks in the aerospace and energy manufacturing sectors.
At just 17, Rakesh dropped out of high school due to poor academic performance. His inability to pass the 10th grade led to ridicule from family and friends, who labeled him “incapable” and a “failure.” To escape the taunts, he began working at his father’s factory, Atlas Fasteners.
While working there, Rakesh gained hands-on experience with machinery and business operations, transforming himself into a self-taught engineer without ever stepping into a college.
In 2008, Rakesh used his skills and confidence to start his own company, Azad Engineering. Operating from a 200-square-meter shed in Balanagar, Hyderabad, he began with a second-hand CNC machine. The company’s turning point came when it secured an order from a European firm to manufacture aerofoils for thermal power turbines. This order brought Azad Engineering into the global spotlight.
Rakesh’s enthusiasm for innovation has driven the creation of products that challenge even the most skilled engineers worldwide. His company specializes in high-precision components for gas, steam, and aero engines.
One of Azad Engineering’s notable achievements is a partnership with India’s defense research organization, DRDO, to manufacture hybrid turbo-gas generator engines. The company has also collaborated with global giants like Rolls-Royce on various projects.
Azad Engineering produces components for multiple industries, parts that operate 30,000 feet below the surface for drilling devices. Components for aircraft that fly 30,000 feet above the ground and rotating parts for nuclear turbines.
From a modest beginning, Azad Engineering achieved a revenue of Rs 350 crore. Today, the company’s market valuation exceeds $1 billion, cementing its place as a global leader in precision engineering.
His success story continues to inspire aspiring entrepreneurs across India and beyond.
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