Jeeva Ramachandran has drawn the road — and he’s already on it

(Jun 2, 2026) Jeeva Ramachandran, 27, is a consumer-insights professional at ITC and an Asia Book of Records holder from a village near Karur, Tamil Nadu — with no bus route to this day. The first graduate in his family, he taught himself English word by word, and has now mapped a public route to an international career.

For most children in Jeeva Ramachandran’s village, opportunities were limited and aspirations rarely stretched beyond the surroundings. Even today, no buses reach his village — to travel anywhere, you walk several kilometres to the nearest road. Jeeva grew up convinced his life would be different.

“From my childhood, I had a dream to achieve something. I didn’t know in which field, but I always wanted to be recognised for something unique.”

Limited means, limitless determination

His late father, a daily-wage labourer, died in a road accident two years ago; his mother runs a small grocery shop. With little guidance for higher studies, he became the first graduate across his extended family — funding it through part-time jobs in textile shops and work as a mason.

Building confidence, word by word

His biggest struggle was communication. Though he studied for a BA in English, college happened mostly in Tamil; in his MBA, classmates chatted in English even over tea breaks.

“I literally called my mother and told her I couldn’t continue there.”

Instead of walking away, he worked on himself — two or three new words a day, daily practice. “The important thing is to continuously improve.”

Chasing records after midnight

Inspired by a periodic-table record attempt, he memorised and typed all 118 elements in sequence — earning India and Asia Book of Records recognition in three minutes and 26 seconds, practising upstairs after 11pm while classmates slept.

A career built on performance

He began at Ramco Cements, where he says he was recognised seven times as a top performer, before joining ITC for market research and consumer insights. His first flights, first hotels, and first trips to Vietnam and Singapore came with the job.

“There was a time when I used to look at flights from below and wonder if I would ever travel in one.”

The road ahead — drawn in public

Now he wants a role abroad — not for glamour, but to learn another culture, sharpen his communication, and carry that perspective home to students in villages like his, where he has already returned as chief guest and handed out 300 pens and notebooks to around 500 students.

“A hundred people may say you can’t do it. But you should not listen to them. Even if I fail, I’ll smile.”

Follow Jeeva Ramachandran on LinkedIn.