(May 29, 2026) For most children growing up in Jeeva Ramachandran’s village near Karur in Tamil Nadu, life followed a familiar rhythm. Opportunities were limited, public transport was almost non-existent, and aspirations rarely stretched beyond the surroundings. Even today, there are no buses reaching his village. To travel anywhere, one still has to walk several kilometres to the nearest road.
But Jeeva grew up believing his life would be different. Long before he entered corporate boardrooms, travelled internationally or earned recognition from national record books, he carried a conviction that he wanted to achieve something meaningful.
“From my childhood, I had a dream to achieve something,” he says in a chat with The Global Indian. “I didn’t know in which field, but I always wanted to be recognized for something unique.”
Today, the 27-year-old professional works with ITC after building a strong track record at Ramco Cements. He has earned recognition from the India Book of Records and Asia Book of Records for the fastest time to identify all elements of the periodic table, become the first graduate in his family, and transformed himself from a hesitant English speaker into a confident corporate professional.
Growing up with limited means but limitless determination
Jeeva comes from a lower middle-class family in rural Tamil Nadu. His late father, who passed away in a road accident two years ago, worked as a daily-wage labourer, while his mother ran a small grocery shop. “There are only around 80 to 100 houses in my village,” he says.
Educational exposure was limited and guidance for higher studies was almost absent. Yet Jeeva steadily pushed forward, eventually becoming the first graduate across his extended family. “I will always be proud of that,” he says.
To support himself, he also took up part-time jobs in textile and dress shops and even worked as a mason for pocket money. He completed his schooling and undergraduate studies in government institutions before pursuing an MBA and PGDM. He secured second rank in his biology-mathematics stream in Class 12, earning recognition from his school and local leaders.
Building confidence
One of Jeeva’s biggest struggles was communication. Although he pursued a Bachelor of Arts degree in English, most conversations during college happened in Tamil. Speaking fluent English felt intimidating, especially after entering management studies where classmates interacted comfortably in English.
“When I entered my MBA, everyone used to speak in English even during tea breaks,” he recalls. “I literally called my mother and told her I couldn’t continue there.”
For a while, he seriously considered quitting. But instead of walking away, Jeeva chose to work on himself consistently. He enrolled in spoken English and grammar classes, learned new vocabulary daily, and gradually built confidence through practice.
“Every day I picked up two or three new words,” he says. “The important thing is to continuously improve.” Alongside academics, he also learned typewriting and computer applications through PGDCA courses. Looking back, he believes much of his real education happened outside classrooms.
Chasing records after midnight
Jeeva’s fascination with science and memorisation eventually led him into the world of records. Inspired by a world-record attempt involving the periodic table, he challenged himself to memorise and type all 118 chemical elements in sequence within a limited time.
The preparation was intense. During his MBA days, while most classmates slept, Jeeva practiced late into the night.“After 11 o’clock, I used to go upstairs and practice,” he says. “My friends mocked me because they didn’t understand what I was trying to do.”
His persistence paid off. He earned recognition from the India Book of Records and Asia Book of Records after completing the challenge in just three minutes and 26 seconds.
Years later, his school invited him back as a chief guest speaker in recognition of his academic achievements, work experience and record feat. Addressing nearly 500 students, he also distributed 300 pens and 300 notebooks to students of Classes 10, 11 and 12.
For Jeeva, however, the records represented something larger than certificates. “They reminded me that even someone from my background could achieve something extraordinary,” he says.
Building a corporate career on performance
Jeeva began his professional career with Ramco Cements, where he worked for nearly three years and was recognised seven times as a top performer for market expansion and execution. Later, he joined ITC, where he currently handles market research, consumer insights, campaign execution and stakeholder management.
Even in highly competitive corporate environments, he consistently stood out for performance. “This quarter, I became the best performer in my branch,” he mentions. “There was a time when I used to look at flights from below and wonder if I would ever travel in one,” he says. “After joining ITC, I travelled by flight, stayed in luxury hotels and visited places like Vietnam and Singapore.” Those experiences, he says, once felt unimaginable.
Aiming to experience a larger world
Now, Jeeva hopes to take the next step in his journey by working abroad. His aspiration is not rooted in glamour, but growth. “I want to experience another culture, improve my communication, learn time management and understand a different way of life,” he says.
More than anything, he wants to continue evolving, the way he has throughout his life. What stands out most in Jeeva’s story is perhaps his relationship with failure. He speaks about setbacks without bitterness and ambitions without fear. “Hundred people may say you can’t do it,” he says. “But you should not listen to them.” Even if things do not work out, he believes trying matters more than the outcome. “I should not regret later thinking, ‘Why didn’t I try?’” he says. “Even if I fail, I’ll smile.”
For someone who began his journey in a village where even buses did not reach, that mindset may well be his greatest achievement of all.
- Follow Jeeva Ramachandran on LinkedIn