Patna: Tech entrepreneur Sabeer Bhatia, best known as the co-founder of Hotmail, addressed thousands of aspiring entrepreneurs during a virtual bootcamp organised by the Chandragupt Institute of Management Patna (CIMP) in collaboration with TiE Patna on March 12. The online session, titled “The Human Algorithm: Scaling Success from Hotmail to HotCoin”, drew around 6,000 participants including students, founders and startup enthusiasts.
The event opened with a welcome address by Prof Dr Rana Singh, director of CIMP, who described Bhatia as a pioneer whose work transformed global communication. Singh said the institute aims to encourage innovation and entrepreneurship among students, adding that the interaction offered a rare opportunity for young innovators to learn directly from a global technology figure.
During the session, Bhatia reflected on his journey from launching the world’s first web-based email service, Hotmail, to exploring emerging technologies such as blockchain through his latest venture, HotCoin. He told participants that genuine innovation requires questioning established systems and developing unique skills rather than following traditional career paths.
“From Hotmail to HotCoin, my journey has always been about pushing boundaries with ideas that are truly innovative and new,” Bhatia said. “Success does not come from following traditional paths. It comes from developing skills, questioning conventions and daring to think differently.”
Prof Ramesh Jhadhav, professor of entrepreneurship at Jharkhand University of Technology and BIT Sindri and a member of the TiE founding team, emphasised the broader role of entrepreneurship in building supportive ecosystems. He said initiatives like the bootcamp help nurture the next generation of innovators and encourage young founders to translate ideas into ventures that create social and economic impact.
The session concluded with a vote of thanks from Kumod Kumar, chief executive of the CIMP Business Incubation and Innovation Foundation and president of TiE Patna chapter. Participants also took part in a question-and-answer session with Bhatia, where they discussed startup challenges, innovation and the future of digital technologies.
