Just over a decade ago, Freshworks founder Girish Mathrubootham noted that Chennai’s tech scene was still in its infancy, with venture capitalists hesitant to travel there because there weren’t enough opportunities to fill their calendars with meetings.
Fast forward ten years and Freshworks has made its debut on the Nasdaq stock exchange with a valuation exceeding $10 billion. This event marked a significant milestone for both Freshworks and the city’s tech ecosystem, while also and sending a message to other companies that Chennai is worth investing in.
Below are some companies that have followed suit.
Multinational Companies in Chennai
- Toast
- TransUnion
- Pfizer
- Bounteous
- CSC
- Freshworks
Top Multinational Companies in Chennai
Intelsat is a provider of the Wi-Fi signal that keeps airline passengers connected to the internet and entertained while traveling. Broadcast, cable and direct-to-home distribution are also among Intelsat’s offerings. The company, based in McLean, Virginia, has nine offices in the United States and 11 around the globe, including in Chennai.
Pfizer ranks among the world’s leading research-driven pharmaceutical and biomedical companies, dedicated to creating and producing medications and vaccines for both humans and animals. Some of its most recognized products include Zoloft, Viagra, Xanax and a Covid-19 vaccine.
Freshworks is an enterprise SaaS platform that aims to offer affordable, easy-to-use software solutions for marketing, sales, customer support and IT. Founded in Chennai and now headquartered in San Mateo, California, it works to help businesses manage customer interactions and grow relationships. Freshworks operates across multiple global offices, including three locations in India.
CSC provides a variety of business, legal, tax and digital brand services to companies around the globe, with a team of 8,000 professionals in over 140 jurisdictions. Based in Wilmington, Delaware, the company has 34 offices but offers employees the flexibility to work either in the office or from home.
Udemy, an edtech company, offers organizations what they need to effectively train and upskill employees — and the same tools to let workers train themselves. Courses offered include leadership, business analytics and intelligence, and web development. Udemy has 11 offices worldwide, including one in Chennai.
Full-service marketing consultancy Bounteous helps brands create memorable digital experiences. Founded in Chicago in 2003, the company has grown to a team of over 1,800 talented professionals, with offices located throughout the United States and India.
Arrow Electronics provides businesses with solutions and expertise across areas ranging from consumer electronics development to supply chain optimization and implementing cloud strategy. The company’s presence in the Asia-Pacific region extends into India where Arrow Electronics has operations in Chennai and other cities.
TransUnion is a leader in information and insights, dedicated to building trust in global commerce by combining various data sources to provide a complete view of each consumer. With its headquarters in Chicago, TransUnion has a strong global presence, with offices in more than 35 cities worldwide.
Caterpillar is a global maker of mining and manufacturing equipment, turbines, engines and locomotives. The company, based in Irving, Texas, has more than 110,000 employees around the world in 150 locations, including Chennai.
Toast is a cloud-based software company that offers restaurants an all-in-one platform for fintech solutions, including everything from point-of-sale and payments to supplier management, digital ordering, delivery and marketing. Toast operates on multiple continents, including North America, Europe and Asia.
