In the small town of Guna, Madhya Pradesh, a young boy would walk to a tailoring shop every day after school—not for work alone, but for wonder. Amid the hum of sewing machines and fabric being cut, there sat a television. To the outside world, it was an ordinary screen. But to Durgesh Ojha, it was a window into possibilities. In the flicker of that screen began the quiet ignition of a lifelong fascination with technology.
Durgesh, now the Co-Founder and Technology Lead at MUFT, recalls those days vividly. “I was maybe in 5th or 6th grade. I’d go there after school, not because I had to, but because I wanted to. That TV…it made me curious. It made me dream,” he shares. Curiosity, as it turns out, was more than a trait—it became his compass.
When he was just 13, he saw a relative handling a video camera at a wedding. It wasn’t just a gadget to Durgesh—it was a marvel. He asked if he could help, and was invited along—not to hold the camera, but to observe. One wedding turned into six before he was finally handed the lens. But for Durgesh, the wait wasn’t discouraging; it was motivating.
In the early 2000s, at the recommendation of his brother, Durgesh enrolled in a computer course. Another machine. Another mystery to unravel. He dove into not just using computers, but fixing them—cracking open the black boxes that had once felt so distant.
By 2009, he launched his own cyber café and computer repair firm—Hybrid Computer Solutions. It ran decently for a year, but like most first-time ventures, it came with its own share of trials and losses. To recover, he moved to Ahmedabad for a job, stayed a year, and returned to Guna—not by design, but by chance. That return, however, became the true beginning.
He restarted his brand, and this time, struck a deal to supply computers and CCTV systems. Then in 2014, another spark lit up his path—wireless internet. It wasn’t just exciting—it was essential. In areas like Guna, internet connectivity was a luxury. And Durgesh, having lived through that scarcity, knew its value intimately.
“I didn’t just want to use the internet. I wanted to bring it to people like me, who didn’t have it. Who couldn’t afford it. Who didn’t even know where to begin,” Durgesh says.
The road was far from easy. Information was scarce, vendors unreliable, and the industry fragmented. But with persistence, he learned—piecemeal, from multiple sources. He spent money not just on infrastructure, but on knowledge. Every mistake became a mentor.
In 2015, he started providing wireless internet as a franchisee. And slowly, from small villages to surrounding districts, connectivity began to spread.
One serendipitous Google search changed everything.
In 2016, looking for software to manage a local hotspot project, Durgesh stumbled upon MUFT Internet. At the same time, Jinesh Parekh, MUFT’s co-founder, was seeking a local ISP. Their paths converged over a shared need, and the alignment was instant. They met in Guna in 2017, brainstormed, dreamed, and ultimately—merged visions.
Today, eight years later, Durgesh leads MUFT’s operations and technology with purpose and pride. “Big telcos don’t look at villages—they look at revenue. But we come from scarcity. We build because we care. Our aim is to enable micro-ISPs across the remotest parts of India. We want to bridge the digital divide, sustainably and affordably.”
His humility remains his strength. He credits his team, speaks highly of collective growth, and strongly believes in sharing knowledge. “Gatekeeping doesn’t help anyone. If I know something that can help someone else, I will always share it.”
His advice to his younger self is refreshingly simple: “Plan less. Just give your best to what you’re doing. There’s no shortcut to hard work.”
Having overcome not just technical, but cultural and linguistic barriers—like learning English to communicate better in new regions—Durgesh’s journey is a testament to how struggle sharpens character. It’s why he pushes his team, and himself, out of comfort zones constantly.
Today, he finally allows himself a balance. He’s learning to play the flute—a long-standing dream—and spends his time traveling and running when he can. “It feels good to pause now and then. To breathe.”
Durgesh Ojha’s story isn’t just about technology—it’s about tenacity. It’s about a boy in a tailoring shop who followed his fascinations into a life of purpose. And as MUFT continues to grow, connecting the unconnected, it carries with it the values of someone who didn’t wait for opportunity—but built it, one connection at a time.