Jay Chaudhry, CEO, Chairman and Founder, Zscaler, and one of the richest Indian Americans, has donated handsomely to Sankara Eye Foundation, USA and was the Keynote Speaker at their ‘Be the Light Gala’ in New York last October. Parveen Chopra interviewed him for the Cover Feature in The South Asian Times on Sankara Eye Foundation, nominated Organization of The Year 2023.
The South Asian Times: What did you like about Sankara Eye Foundation, USA to start supporting them?
Jay Chaudhry: I came to know Sankara well in the past couple of years and thought it was a very noble cause. I was fascinated especially by their dedication over the past 25 years. Lots of nonprofits come and go. SEF, USA’s staying power and commitment are very special.
I met Murali and his team and was impressed by their conviction, passion, dedication, and the work they have been doing. So, I said, let’s try to help.
What appealed to me was that SEF, USA is not run by a big, hierarchical organization, where from what you give very little reaches the beneficiaries. In contrast, SEF people are on the ground.
Did you visit any of the eye hospitals they support in India?
Jay: I have not. But hopefully, during the next trip, I’ll get a chance to do so. I do go to India because 40% of my company Zscaler’s 7,000 employees are in India. Offering good opportunities to people in India who are bright, sharp, and ambitious is my way of giving back. In fact, we opened Zscaler’s India office in Bangalore before the Bay Area office.
Do you intend to support SEF, USA in the future?
Jay: Yes, I plan to support them, though I haven’t thought about the numbers. SEF people are good guys, they are not pushy; they are mindful and respectful. But they execute a good plan to build eye hospitals. Ideas are a dime a dozen. I look at startups all the time. But SEF has a burning desire to get to a million eye surgeries every year. And if you have conviction, a burning desire, you go make things happen.
Indian Americans are doing well here and many give to good causes. Do you think they should do more?
Jay: I think it’s always better to give more because there are lots of needy people. I think the causes that make an impact are more important than the donation amounts. Look at Sankara, they don’t raise tons of money, but what they get goes to a very noble cause. I think education is also important. To be able to help in that field, I have also been involved in the American India Foundation (AIF). I got involved when Covid happened. Many of Zscaler employees in India were calling for help, for example, not finding a hospital bed with oxygen for a loved one. We made calls and rushed a bunch of things.
So, yes, we all can do more than what we do.
How do you handle the pressure of being responsible for the welfare of 7,000 of your employees?
Jay: I do work hard. But as I say, do your best, and leave the rest to God. Yes, it is a big responsibility to make sure the company does well. Zscaler has a market cap of $33 billion. The savings of most of our people are in stock. But there is also the satisfaction that hundreds and hundreds of our employees have benefited. Last time I was in India, one of our systems engineers in Bangalore wanted to touch my feet, so grateful he felt for the standard of living his job has given him.
I believe happiness is a state of mind. It has nothing to do with money. Perhaps it’s my upbringing. My parents were small-scale farmers in Himachal Pradesh. I learned honesty, integrity, and hard work from them.
About Jay Chaudhry
Jay Chaudhry has founded a series of successful companies, including AirDefense, CipherTrust, CoreHarbor, SecureIT, and Zscaler, which became a public company in 2018. He has a history of introducing innovations that address the demand for securely enabling emerging technology trends.
Jay has received many accolades for his accomplishments including Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of The Year twice.
Jay earned an MBA in Marketing, an MS in Computer Engineering, and an MS in Industrial Engineering — all from the University of Cincinnati, Ohio. He also completed the Executive Management Program from Harvard Business School.
In India, he studied Electronics Engineering at IIT BHU Varanasi.
