Meet Renjith Balakrishnan: The man who left his job at Facebook to start his own chess ecosystem
What makes someone leave a job at Facebook and start a chess academy from scratch? After working in top companies for almost 15 years, Renjith Balakrishnan decided to build something of his own, not just for himself, but for the community he came from. His simple gesture to help his relative slowly grew into Premier Chess Academy - an organization that now supports over 150 people. To create a vibrant chess ecosystem, the academy has grown beyond just online teaching. Today, it also organizes large-scale tournaments, including events with good prize funds. Read the story to know how one brave step grew into something bigger. Photo: Renjith Balakrishnan
Meaning over momentum
A lot of people pray to get a job at a top-tier company. It’s seen as the ultimate career dream. It feels like a symbol of success, stability, and prestige. The pay is great, the perks are amazing, and the brand name alone carries weight. So, walking away from that… most people would call it “crazy”. Actually, it should be called what it truly is: brave. Renjith Balakrishnan is one of those brave people. He left his job at Facebook to build something of his own.
“I carried a deep desire to return to India and make a meaningful impact in the community I came from,” Renjith says.
He had spent over 15 years working in companies like Yahoo, Salesforce, and Facebook. But the turning point came when he attended a live conference by the then President of India, Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam, where he spoke passionately about India 2020 and the issue of brain drain. Those words struck Renjith’s mind. He started imagining a different kind of success, not just for him, but for others. He set a goal for himself: to create 100 jobs through his own company. This long-held dream started coming into reality in 2020.
The COVID-19 lockdown put a pause on many people’s dreams, but it became a catalyst for Renjith. Many were struggling to make ends meet, and one of them was Renjith’s relative, a chess coach by profession. Renjith wanted to help him. So, after discussing with his close friend, Deepak Subramani, a fellow IIM Bangalore graduate, he created a flyer to promote online chess classes. He shared it with his friends as well as on Facebook and went to bed. By morning, his inbox was flooded!
“I was flooded with messages from interested parents asking about next steps- something I hadn’t fully planned for. Suddenly, I found myself acting as the admin, responding to queries, organizing classes, and learning about the chess ecosystem from scratch,” Renjith recalls.
There was just one problem. The business was not even formed. There was no payment system and no formal coaching structure. But there was an overwhelming demand. He had to make faster decisions to make this work. That’s when his speed and problem-solving instinct came into play. He registered the company in the US so they could start accepting payments - something that would have taken months in India. This “impromptu” project quickly became the foundation of Premier Chess Academy. He soon started building a team to turn this into a full-fledged academy. Today, it has over 150 people, including chess coaches, counselors, and admin staff.
Not just an Academy, but an Ecosystem
From the beginning, Renjith knew that his focus was not just on running chess classes. He wanted to build a sustainable ecosystem where coaches could earn with dignity, arbiters were respected, and chess was more than a side activity.
“One of the early challenges I faced was hearing from people that two chess coaches could never work together under the same umbrella. They cited several failed companies- even those led by grandmasters—as proof. But my experience at Facebook had shown me the incredible power of community, and I knew that with the right mindset and values, collaboration was possible.”
Today, Premier Chess Academy provides stable livelihoods to its coaches. And you would be surprised to know that some of these coaches earn more than engineers! The team includes people like Mohammed Salih, a Paralympian who found purpose and financial stability through PCA. Not to forget, his close friend and co-founder, Deepak Subramani, has played a key role in building this academy.
What keeps the academy going is the perfect balance of structure, transparency, and culture. Their team, what they lovingly call the “PCA Family” learns, grows, and celebrates everything together.
“I don’t miss corporate life”
If you ask Renjith if he missed his previous job, he would immediately answer, “Not for a second.” He knows that this is where he was always meant to be.
“I never miss my previous job because I genuinely feel fulfilled with what I’m doing now. The social impact, the challenging and meaningful chess projects, and the opportunity to support a growing community give me a deep sense of purpose.”
Online to offline to tournament
Once the online model of PCA was successful, Renjith started focusing on its offline presence. In 2022, they set up a kiosk at the Chess Olympiad in Chennai. They got the chance to interact directly with global players and the Indian chess community.
“People kept asking us, ‘What’s next?’ That sparked the idea of taking our presence offline,” Renjith recalls.
In October 2022, they launched their first offline center in Trivandrum, Kerala. They didn’t stop here. To grow the ecosystem further, they felt the need to organise tournaments as well. So they organised their first event, “World Chess Fiesta” in November 2023 with a Rs. 2.7 lakh prize fund. It just showed how strong their impact was in the chess community!
Now, Renjith is preparing to launch another bigger initiative: Kerala Chess Premier League (KPCL) with a huge prize fund of Rs. 25 lakh. Their idea is to create 14 chess hubs across Kerala. If this becomes successful, it could become a good model for other states as well and maybe even inspire a national league in the future.
“We wanted to bring the spirit of teamwork into chess and do it at a scale that attracts corporate sponsorship and builds long-term value for the sport,” Renjith explained.
Chess is at the heart of Premier Chess Academy. But Renjith’s vision stretches even further. He wants to connect the world through chess and empower the next generation, not just in the game, but in life. PCA has already started working towards 360° education through initiatives like Yabot, Strawket, and ActivePass (Strawket and ActivePass are managed by their batchmate Dinesh KK). These solely focus on sports events, creative thinking, and holistic development for children.
I believe India has the potential to become a global chess powerhouse, but this requires equal support and opportunities across all states, not just the traditional strongholds. - Renjith Balakrishnan
Sometimes, it doesn’t matter whether the path you chose is an easy or difficult one; what matters is if it’s a meaningful one. All of us carry a dream. All of us can relate to Renjith. But not many take that leap. Such stories remind us from time to time that dreams should not be put on hold. They should be chased!