There is an entrepreneur in every person—some live longing to be one and some take the plunge to become one. For those on the fence, this is a story that can make a difference. N R Panicker’s life and journey, from a poverty-stricken childhood in a village to becoming a successful entrepreneur and then letting go of all that he had built at the peak of his career, is a gripping tale of despair, triumph, failure, and success.

N R Panicker is the Founder, Chairman and Managing Director of Accel Limited, and a highly acclaimed and awarded entrepreneur who painstakingly created a successful enterprise from humble beginnings. He was born into an impoverished family in an obscure village in Kerala. Bearing a lot of hardships, he became an Engineer and then created Accel Limited, one of the earliest start-ups in the Indian IT industry, which went on to become one of the most respected IT services companies in the country, employing thousands of IT professionals. His determination to lift his family from poverty to prosperity made him take several adventurous steps. He was a dreamer who saw to it that he pursued his dreams without giving up, despite several failures. He embraced opportunities that came his way and worked towards a positive outcome.

His professional journey started in Delhi, in 1977, with HCL. While steadily climbing up the ladder of success, he left his job to pursue entrepreneurship by starting Accel in 1991. With almost nil capital, he grew it into a 500-crore turnover enterprise. After exiting his flagship company Accel Frontline Ltd through a strategic sale, Panicker continues his journey as a serial entrepreneur with a growing presence in the IT, media and realty domains. ‘The Joy of Dreaming’ is an inspirational book which takes you through the exciting journey of a village boy from humble beginnings to becoming a successful entrepreneur.