Abin’s Inspirational Story Featured in Rediff Gaining Global Attention
The Rediff post ‘The Dyslexic Who Built a 30 Crore Business’ that celebrated the journey of our then CEO, present Managing Director Abin Jose Tom, has caught widespread global attention. The article throws light on an inspirational story worth telling—Abin’s expedition, which has been a result of persistence, confidence, and consistent effort.
The post featured in Rediff Get Ahead speaks about the journey of this 33-year old entrepreneur who was determined to do business from a very tender age. Abin was curious about making electronic goods and started assembling computers at the age of nine, which ignited his instincts to run a business even as a school kid.
By portraying the transition of Abin from a determined and confident kid running a business from childhood to the owner of a 30 crore business, the rediff featuring article speaks about an exciting ride towards success that was crafted with passion!
Rediff Featuring Article about the Story of Abin
Brought up in a village near Kottayam, Abin had been passionate about electronics from a very young age. He started selling torches for a small profit. Abin’s motto of reinvesting whatever profit he makes from the business is a practice that began at the age of 10 and he still follows it without fail at Webandcrafts!
Despite moving to Chennai for studies, Abin got no degree—the only paper he passed was graphics since it needed only drawings. Abin was too good at mathematics and amazing at practicals—but he struggled to read or write anything.
The story of the Taare Zameen Par movie was something Abin could relate to in his life. Abin remembers and relates himself to the boy Ishan Avasthi in the movie ‘Taare Zameen Par’. During Abin’s engineering course, his friend did a study on what was wrong with him and realised that he had a language disability—he is dyslexic. However, the story doesn’t end here; the birth of an innovation-driven digital transformation company was awaiting his touch.
How Webandcrafts Was Born
He wasn’t just passionate about entrepreneurship; he was driven to it. Since the financial situation at home was not great, life was difficult during the college days. All the business activities, including assembling computers, were at a standstill after moving to Chennai. His granduncle, mentor and social activist, Joseph Mattappally, suggested that he start working on software.
In the year 2009, Abin started a new business in the city with an initial investment of Rs. 1500. Abin decided to buy the domain and server to start designing websites with the investment. Joseph Sir named the company Webandcrafts. His first job paid him Rs. 5,000, and it eventually multiplied with more projects and opportunities added to the trail.
More inquiries started coming in and as suggested by one of his friends, Clint Antony partnered with him, where they did business together for Rs. 30,000 in 2009. In 2010, Clint became the first employee for the company with a salary of Rs 10,000.
By the end of the year, he had employed a programmer and earned a revenue of 2-3 lakhs. After his engineering, the revenue he made was around Rs. 4.5 lakhs. In 2012, the office at Koratty Infopark was opened. The recent news of Abin gifting a Mercedes to Clint Antony for being a pillar of support since the beginning has created a buzz on social media.
Determination That Won Global Attention
Abin’s successful endeavours caught the attention of the then US Secretary of Commerce, Penny Sue Pritzker, who spoke about Abin and Webandcrafts, the company he founded, in her speech at ICANN’s 51st meeting held in Los Angeles in 2014.
Today, this 200 million IT company has more than 430 employees. and WAC is offering its services, including branding, mobile app development, cloud services, eCommerce, cybersecurity, and digital marketing, across 35 countries.
Digital Empire Built with the Vision of Boundless Growth
During the last 10 years, Webandcrafts, now WAC, has witnessed 50% to 70% growth year after year. The company expects 300% growth in the coming year. In terms of growth, Abin doesn’t dream of a particular number or size but only envisions the company reaching its maximum potential. The featured article on Rediff Get Ahead reflects Abin Jose Tom’s long-term vision, which is the driving force behind each step he has been taking towards accomplishing every milestone with WAC.
