A. Subaskaran

Allirajah Subaskaran, born in ‘72, is basically the definition of a self-made boss. He’s a Sri Lankan Tamil guy who started Lycamobile back in 2006—yeah, the company that’s now all over the globe, in like, 21 countries. People say it has five billion customers. Five. Billion. That’s wild, right? Not just content with taking over the telecom world, he jumped into movies too. Lyca Productions, his film gig based out of Chennai, kicked off with Kaththi in 2014 and then went straight for the big leagues with 2.0, a science fiction flick that’s supposed to be India’s priciest film ever. After announcing that monster budget, Lyca Productions turned into the richest film company in Asia. The guy just doesn’t quit. But it’s not just about business with him. Subaskaran and his mom, Gnanambikai, set up The Gnanam Foundation in 2010 to help folks who really needed it—especially after the mess of the Sri Lankan Civil War. The idea? Not just handouts, but teaching people skills so they can actually make a living. They’ve teamed up with all sorts of charities, like the British Asian Trust and Muslim Aid, and even built 150 homes for families in Vavuniya. He’s racked up awards too—Best Overall Enterprise, International Entrepreneur of the Year, all that jazz. Lyca Mobile even beat out big names like Vodafone and O2 for best MVNO in 2013. Subaskaran’s story is all hustle, heart, and some serious ambition.