This CEO Sold Mojris at Traffic Signals

Bangalore: Not all the CEOs come with an inherited wealth and fame, many struggle to accomplish their goals and so did Gautam Shiknis who used to live in one of the chawls in Mumbai, but now have become the CEO of a company, mChek which is the world’s largest payment service mobile company. In an interview he says, “For two years from when I was four, I would sell mojris on the street at traffic signals, standing on tiptoe to reach the car windows.”

At a very young age he had witnessed the dark side of humanity like frequent beatings of children, violent disputes between neighbor’s and continues struggle for survival, while he used to stay with his grandparents and two siblings. So one of his collections of short stories was Meet Moriarty which was about the dark side in people and which has gained critical acclaim in 2004. This book is also an inspiration for Shiknis.

What actually drove him to achieve what he currently is, as he said, “A constant hunger for knowledge and education. I don't believe in this culture of needing a 'break' to make it, to get a step ahead. You only need to believe in yourself to achieve what you want.”