In India’s fast-growing startup ecosystem, few names shine as brightly as Girish Mathrubootham. As the founder and executive chairman of Freshworks (formerly Freshdesk), he transformed a small Chennai-based venture into one of the first Indian SaaS (Software as a Service) companies to list on the NASDAQ. His journey, marked by bold choices, humility, and customer obsession, has inspired countless entrepreneurs. This blog takes a closer look at his life, his leadership style, and his impact on the global SaaS industry.
Early Life and Education
Girish Mathrubootham was born and raised in Tamil Nadu in a middle-class family. From a young age, he displayed curiosity about technology and a strong desire to build things that help people. He studied electrical and electronics engineering at a local college and later earned an MBA. These early years laid the foundation for his problem-solving mindset and his ability to blend technical know-how with business acumen.
Learning the Ropes at Zoho
Before venturing out on his own, Girish spent over a decade working at various technology companies, including AdventNet (which later became Zoho). At Zoho he gained hands-on experience in product management, engineering, and global customer support. He learned how to build scalable software and how to serve customers across continents from an Indian base.
These years were critical in shaping his philosophy of “building for the world from India.” He saw firsthand that Indian engineers could compete globally, and he began to dream of creating his own company.
The Freshdesk Spark
The defining moment for Girish came when he read about a customer’s bad experience with a well-known software company’s support policies. That frustration triggered an idea: why not build a customer support product that is simpler, more affordable, and genuinely empathetic to the end user?
In 2010, armed with this conviction, he co-founded Freshdesk with a small team in Chennai. Operating from a tiny apartment, they built the first version of the product with a focus on ease of use and value for money. Within months, Freshdesk started acquiring customers globally, proving that a SaaS company from India could sell directly to the world.
Rebranding to Freshworks and Scaling Up
As the product suite expanded beyond helpdesk software—adding CRM, IT service management, and marketing tools—the company rebranded to Freshworks in 2017. This was not just a name change but a reflection of a broader vision: to become a full-fledged customer and employee experience platform.
Under Girish’s leadership, Freshworks scaled rapidly. It opened offices in the United States, Europe, and Asia, while maintaining its engineering and product base in India. This global-local hybrid model became a blueprint for many Indian SaaS startups.
NASDAQ Listing: A Historic Milestone
In September 2021, Freshworks made history by becoming the first Indian SaaS company to list on the NASDAQ. The IPO was oversubscribed and valued the company at billions of dollars. For Girish, it was a validation of a decade of hard work and proof that Indian software companies could create world-class products and achieve global scale.
The listing also inspired a wave of confidence in India’s SaaS ecosystem. Entrepreneurs and investors began to see that building for the world from India was not just possible but could be highly successful.
Leadership Style: Empathy and Customer Obsession
Girish Mathrubootham is widely respected for his empathetic leadership style. He often says that business is not just about numbers but about people—employees, customers, and partners. Under his stewardship, Freshworks nurtured a culture of openness, learning, and customer-first thinking.
He has also been an advocate for mental health, diversity, and inclusion in the workplace. His approachable demeanor and willingness to share his mistakes as well as his successes have endeared him to the startup community.
Championing Indian SaaS
Beyond running Freshworks, Girish has played a key role in mentoring and supporting other Indian SaaS founders. He co-founded SaaSBOOMi, a community for Indian SaaS entrepreneurs to learn from one another and scale collectively. This initiative has become a catalyst for knowledge sharing and has helped create a vibrant SaaS ecosystem in India.
Through angel investments and mentorship, he has encouraged a new generation of founders to think globally and build products that can compete with the best.
Focus on Innovation and Product-Led Growth
Another victory for Girish has been his unwavering focus on product-led growth. From the start, Freshworks relied on intuitive design, self-service sign-ups, and quick deployment rather than heavy enterprise sales. This approach allowed it to acquire tens of thousands of customers at relatively low cost and build a strong brand among small and mid-sized businesses worldwide.
Girish’s emphasis on innovation has kept Freshworks at the cutting edge of customer engagement and IT service management solutions, enabling it to compete with far larger incumbents.
Giving Back and Staying Grounded
Despite his global success, Girish Mathrubootham has remained rooted in his values. He often credits his upbringing and his time at Indian institutions for shaping his worldview. He has supported education and entrepreneurship programs in Tamil Nadu and beyond, aiming to create opportunities for others just as opportunities were created for him.
He also frequently speaks about the importance of humility and long-term thinking—lessons he learned from mentors and experiences during Freshworks’ early struggles.
Lessons for Aspiring Entrepreneurs
Girish’s journey offers several lessons for founders:
- Build from a real problem. Freshdesk was born from a genuine frustration with poor customer support.
- Think global from day one. Girish focused on overseas markets early, giving the company a large addressable market.
- Invest in culture. A healthy company culture drives sustainable growth.
- Be patient but bold. It took over a decade for Freshworks to reach NASDAQ, but the vision never wavered.
These principles are now part of the playbook for Indian SaaS startups.
The Road Ahead
Today Girish serves as executive chairman of Freshworks, focusing on long-term strategy while a professional CEO handles day-to-day operations. He continues to champion India as a hub for high-quality, globally competitive SaaS products.
With the rapid adoption of AI, automation, and cloud solutions, Freshworks is well positioned to expand its product offerings. Girish has expressed interest in leveraging artificial intelligence to deliver even more intuitive and proactive customer experiences—keeping the company ahead of the curve.
Conclusion
Girish Mathrubootham’s story is more than a tale of entrepreneurial success; it is a symbol of India’s transition from an outsourcing destination to a product innovation hub. By combining empathy, innovation, and global ambition, he has shown that a world-class SaaS company can be built from Chennai and compete head-to-head with Silicon Valley.
His victories—launching Freshdesk, scaling it into Freshworks, taking it public, mentoring other founders, and advocating for a thriving Indian SaaS ecosystem—are milestones not just for him but for the entire Indian startup community. As the SaaS wave continues, his legacy will likely inspire countless more founders to build boldly, think globally, and lead with empathy.
