The current age of nano chips and nanotechnology has created another set of nano wonders — the co-founders of an IT product development company — brothers Shravan Kumaran, 13, and Sanjay Kumaran, 12. The two are studying in the XI grade and VII grade, respectively, at Vaels Billabong International School, Chennai.
Shravan is the Co-founder and President of their company GoDimensions, while his younger sibling is the other Co-founder and CEO.
The two brothers, the youngest mobile application programmers in India and among the youngest in the world, have developed seven mobile applications that are currently available on Apple Inc’s App Store. Besides, they have created three Apps for Google Inc’s Android Play store. Till date, these Apps have been downloaded more than 60,000 times from 62 countries, they say.
So, how did it all start? “We were always interested in computers. We would fiddle with our dad’s computer, initially,” says Shravan with a smile.
Their father, an IT professional, started them on QBasic and Java. They then moved on to mobile Apps themselves. By 2011, the two brothers had already developed about 150 test Apps.
Soon, GoDimensions (www.godimensions.com) followed. Their first App was a game called Catch Me Cop, where a conman escapes a prison and there is a nationwide hunt for him. There are multiple levels of this App, with varying speeds and cops. It was released in January 2012, and downloaded in over 25 countries, they say.
They are now planning an App through which users get latest tech news. For instance, when a new technology or gadget is released in the US, it takes months for it to reach countries like India. Users of the App get information on the release as it happens globally, they say.
So, how do the two handle the fame and recognition that have come their way?
“Initially, some of our school friends would open doors for us, and address us with a ‘sir’. That was funny. But we put a stop to it. We wanted to lead a normal life and have normal friends,” says Shravan.
The two boys have visited scores of schools, colleges and management institutes across India, addressing about 60,000 students and sharing their experiences.
Recently, they spoke at IIM-Bangalore’s flagship event, Eximus as the youngest entrepreneurs in India. Besides they have made a slew of presentations at various forums in India, including the CII and the DRDO, as well as addressed a gathering of over 200 CEOs in South Korea.
“Till date, we have earned $600 from the download of the Apps,” says Sanjay. Going forward, they aim to scale it up into a global NewGen mobile Apps company, with 50 per cent of global smart phones running their Apps.
“But we will give 15 per cent of whatever we earn to charity,” they say.
Clearly, the nano entrepreneurs have taken inspiration from IT sector philanthropists Bill Gates, Narayana Murthy and Azim Premji.