New Delhi (India), March 27: When Sankalp Srivastava, co-founder of i8CLOUD, chose Lucknow as the base for his IT company, many questioned his decision not to move to startup hubs like Bangalore and Gurgaon. After gaining valuable experience in the United States for close to a decade with leading consulting firms, including Deloitte and Mercer, Sankalp joined hands with his partner, Prashant Sharma, a Mercer veteran, and initiated their venture in 2021. Their enterprise, i8CLOUD, has emerged as a noteworthy technology consulting and advisory firm.
The inception of i8CLOUD was driven by the aspiration to create a technology consulting company that could serve some of the world’s largest corporations from India’s Tier 2 cities. Both founders recognized the rich talent pool in their hometowns, Lucknow and Bhubaneswar, but also noted a glaring absence of opportunities for this talent to flourish locally.
i8CLOUD, a bootstrapped startup, first commenced operations in Lucknow, later expanding to Bhubaneswar. In three years, the firm has significantly impacted the IT consulting landscape in its domain, serving over 50 medium to large US-based corporations. Moreover, i8CLOUD’s engagement with the local academic community through campus placements in engineering colleges in Lucknow marks a significant milestone. The firm has also extended internship opportunities to students from prestigious institutions such as IIT Kanpur, IIM Shillong, Manipal University and the University of Wisconsin. This engagement with academia enriches the student experience and strengthens the company’s talent pipeline, ensuring a steady influx of fresh, innovative minds into the industry.
i8CLOUD’s growth trajectory over the past
three years is inspiring. The company has expanded its team to nearly 40 full-time employees and contractors across the US and India. This growth has been underscored by profitability from day one. The founders’ commitment to their roots is evident in their plans for the future. i8CLOUD is poised for further expansion, aiming to increase its full-time workforce. This ambition is not just about scaling a business but about igniting a change in the entrepreneurial landscape. Sankalp and Prashant envision a future where entrepreneurs can thrive without leaving their hometowns and contributing to their local economies and communities.
For more information, please visit – http://i8cloudconsulting.com/
