In a significant move for the digital engineering sector, Persistent Systems is set to acquire Nagarro in a deal valued at $1.3 billion. This development has prompted Nagarro co-founder Manas Human to reflect on the company's remarkable journey, from its humble beginnings in a small office to becoming a global force, and how this acquisition signals the next major shift in technology.
From Dibrugarh to a Global Stage
Manas Human's path to co-founding one of the world's largest digital engineering companies is one of considerable distance and transformation. Born in Dibrugarh, Assam, he spent parts of his childhood in Iraq before moving to Delhi as a teenager. His academic pursuits led him to a PhD in supply chain management from IIT Delhi and an MS in manufacturing systems engineering from Stanford University, where he was a fellow at the Stanford Institute of Manufacturing and Automation.
By the 1990s, while residing in California, Human found himself increasingly drawn to the burgeoning software industry. He recalled to the Times of India that in the world of code, "Everybody spoke the same language."
The Genesis of Nagarro
This fascination with software spurred Human and a collective of entrepreneurs to merge two smaller firms, giving birth to Nagarro. The company's unique name, it turns out, was discovered by chance. While searching for an available internet domain, the founders stumbled upon the word in a Robert Ludlum novel, where it was described as "spirits emerging and spirits coming together." Human admitted, "We thought it was a real word. Later we found out that it wasn’t. We just liked the idea, took the URL, and that has been our flag for 30 years now."
Years of Patient Growth and Rapid Acceleration
Nagarro's early years were characterized by steady, deliberate progress. Human recounted that it took the company five years to reach $1 million in annual revenue, ten years to hit $5 million, and fifteen years to achieve $20 million. The $150 million mark was crossed after two decades. However, the pace dramatically accelerated in the subsequent seven years, during which Nagarro's revenue soared to nearly $1 billion, establishing it as one of the fastest-growing digital engineering firms globally. The company, initially part of the German IT services group Allgeier, was spun off and listed independently on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange in December 2020.
"We wanted to build the best engineering outcomes for our clients and work with the world’s best companies," Human stated. He attributed their success to this dedication, explaining, "Because we spent all that effort, we were able to ride that growth when the digital revolution took off. We designed around lean, small teams and highly skilled people, not staffing pyramids."
Culture, Identity, and the Future
Even as Nagarro expanded, it maintained its distinctive operating model, characterized by decentralized "two-pizza" teams and a non-hierarchical structure aimed at preserving its startup culture. With Persistent Systems now poised to acquire Nagarro, Human views this as another pivotal moment in technological evolution.
Beyond business, Human's journey took a deeply personal turn in 2022 when, at 50, he officially changed his surname from Fuloria to Human. In an essay published on LinkedIn, he explained that identities based on caste, religion, nationality, and ethnicity were increasingly fueling global conflict and polarization. The change, he wrote, was a symbolic affirmation of a simple conviction: "Whatever other identities I may have, I am human first."
As for his role in what comes next for Nagarro, Human remains clear. "The most important thing is not roles or titles. The most important thing is that the baby that you have grown reaches great heights," he affirmed. "I am very much here."