From Peon To CEO

“The mind is the limit. As long as the mind can envision the fact that you can do something, you can do it, as long as you really believe 100 percent.”

- Arnold Schwarzenegger

When he graduated in 1998 with a BA degree from Government College, Dhaliara near his village in Himachal Pradesh, he hadn’t ever used a computer. He was jittery about his future when a friend told him that a computer course would enable him to get a job paying Rs.5000 a month. He came to Chandigarh in search of a job. Very soon he realised that being just a graduate could not help one get a job unless one acquired some professional qualification in addition. Securing a job as a peon at the local Aptech Computer Education Centre, he managed to fund his one-year computer course. To save money, he often had to skip meals, because he knew that his simple parents could not support him.

Meet Chhotu Sharma, founder CEO of CS Group. Sharma is a certified Microsoft software developer and has been training IT professionals in Microsoft technologies since the past 12 years. He is recognised as the “Guru of Microsoft Technologies”. For his excellent work in the field of education, he was conferred with the title of “Himachal Gaurav” by the Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh in the year 2007.

Working as a peon, Chhotu had to spend the whole day at the centre, which afforded him a lot of free time to practice his computer lessons. He also started guiding other students with their programming lessons, in the process of discovering his personal skills as a teacher. He decided to make a career in the field of computers. After becoming a certified Microsoft software developer, Chhotu continued teaching. He bought himself a bicycle, which he would ride to reach various homes for his tuitions in computers. He was also offered a job as a part-time Computer Instructor in Aptech. By 2000, he was earning enough to buy a motorbike and his first PC, with which he started his own computer institute in a rented two-room flat. In six months, he had 80 students and more computers all in a bigger place!

"Working as a peon, Chhotu had to spend the whole day at the centre, which afforded him a lot of free time to practice his computer lessons"

His students have been picked by Fortune 500 companies including Microsoft, Accenture, TCS, Infosys and others. In the year 2009, he established CS Soft Solutions Pvt. Ltd, a company offering complete IT solutions in multifarious IT applications. He claims that the reason for his success is his strong penchant for excellence on the professional and personal fronts, combined with a sincere and honest approach towards life. His qualities of sincerity and honesty are easily absorbed by his students, ensuring their success in life.

Today, he teaches advanced software development to more than 1000 students in his own Chandigarh-based institute named CS Infotech and has about 125 employees working in CS Soft Solutions, his software development company in Mohali. Chhotu also helps those in need: he reaches out to deserving students, funds marriages and helps youngsters from his village get an education. The following testimonials of some of his students speak volumes for his prowess: ‘Behind every successful man, there is a woman,’ says Mark Twain. The woman in Chhotu Sharma’s life is Shalini Sharma! An embodiment of patience and optimism, and possessing sharp analytical as well as people management skills, Shalini has herself trained thousands of students in the last 10 years. With her prowess in a wide array of languages such as C, C++, C# ASP. Net, Visual Basic, Ajax, Silver Light etc, she is a trainer at CS Infotech and Director at CS Soft Solutions Pvt Ltd.

“Back in my village, I never thought I’d get this far,” says Chhotu. “But all it takes is a little extra education and effort to make it work.” When asked about his future plans, Chhotu Sharma says, “By providing total solutions we tend to move further for the accomplishment of our vision viz, to be the leader in industry-oriented quality education and training, and be the country’s premier institute for certification in the field of ICT.”