Built a Rs 5,000 cr empire. But Dr A Velumani 'runs away fast' from these kind of people

Time of India

12-05-2025

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About Dr A. Velumani
In today's fast-paced, high-pressure world, emotional intelligence is becoming just as crucial as professional skills. And when a man like Dr A. Velumani , the founder of Thyrocare and a self-made billionaire , shares his thoughts on human behaviour, it's worth paying attention. In a recent tweet, the Rs 5,000 crore entrepreneur offered a refreshingly honest take on the kinds of people he encounters and why he gravitates toward some — and instinctively distances himself from others.Dr A. Velumani, known for building Thyrocare from scratch and scaling it into a Rs 5,000 crore enterprise, isn't just a business mind, he's a keen observer of people. In a tweet that reads more like a life lesson than a status update, Velumani reflected on the range of personalities he's come across in recent interactions. From youth to elders, rich to poor, he emphasised that his conversations aren't motivated by business interests or socialising, but by a curiosity to understand how people live.He identified two broad emotional spectrums: those who show zero emotion and those who are highly emotional. Within the emotional group, he further broke it down into two stark opposites. On one side are the optimists- people who radiate happiness, express gratitude, keep smiling, and uplift those around them. Velumani admits he enjoys spending time with such individuals. But on the other end are the constant complainers- those who grumble, blame, hurt others with negativity, and stay withdrawn. Of them, he writes simply: "I wish to runaway fast."Dr. A Velumani was born in a small village near Coimbatore to a landless farmer, he grew up in a humble household where his mother sold buffalo milk to make ends meet. From these modest beginnings, he went on to earn a PhD in Thyroid Biochemistry while working at BARC . But his real leap came when he founded Thyrocare, a diagnostic empire built from scratch.In 2021, Dr. Velumani grabbed national attention when he sold a majority stake in Thyrocare to PharmEasy for a staggering Rs 4,500 crore. What made the deal remarkable wasn't just the number, but how he got there. Owning over 66% of the company at the time, Velumani had built his stake the old-fashioned way, through years of disciplined reinvestment, without relying on loans, investors, or headline-making fundraising. It was a rare feat in India's startup landscape, underscoring his belief in bootstrapped growth and long-term value creation.