From a Delhi barsati to India’s first indigenous PC: How six engineers built HCL with Rs 1.87 lakh and a belief in technology

In 1976, six young engineers founded what would become HCL with just Rs 1.87 lakh and a belief that microprocessors would transform computing. Working from a Delhi barsati and navigating India's strict technology regulations, they developed the HCL 8C, an indigenous computer that was smaller, more affordable and efficient than larger systems of the era. Their journey highlights how curiosity, resourcefulness, persistence and engineering innovation can turn limited resources into a technology breakthrough.