Fakir Chand Kohli

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Fakir Chand Kohli (born February 28, 1924) is regarded as the "Father of the Indian Software Industry." He was the first General Manager of Tata Consultancy Services, a leading Indian software consultancy company. He has also worked as the Deputy General Manager of the Tata Power Company.

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[edit] Education

B.Sc. Electrical Engg - Queen's University Canada

S.M. Electrical Engg - Massachusetts Institute of Tech, USA

Doctor of Engineering - University of Walterloo, Canada

Doctor of Technology - Robert Gordon University,Aberdeen U.K

Doctor of Engineering - University of Roorkee

[edit] Positions Hold

1977 – Director, Tata Infotech Ltd.

1982 - Director, Bradma of India Ltd.

1988 - Chairman, WTI Advanced Technology Private Ltd.

1989 - Director, Tata Elxsi (I) Ltd.

1991 - Director, Tata Technologies (Pte) Ltd., Singapore.

1994 - Director, Triveni Engineering Works Ltd.

1999 - Director, HOTV Inc., USA.

1999 – Director, Engineering Analysis Center of Excellence Pvt. Ltd.

1999 – Director, eBIZ Solutions Ltd.

2000 - Director, Edutech Informatics India (P) Ltd.

2000 - Director, Technosoft SA, Switzerland.

2000 - Director, Sun F&C Asset Management (I) Pvt. Ltd.

2000 - Director, Aerospace Systems Pvt. Ltd.

2002 - Director, Media Lab Asia Ltd.

[edit] Journey in TCS

Fakir Chand Kohli, a name almost synonymous with the house of Tata. No, make that a name synonymous with the Indian information technology sector. Kohli spent his entire career overseeing the ebb and flow of a sector that, despite the slowdown, still rules the roost in corporate India. Though not a software engineer, he was entrusted the task of running the infant, one-year-old Tata Consultancy Services in 1969.

Since then, FC Kohli has grown in stature, and for a long, long time was seen as the thought leader of the IT industry.

When Kohli joined TCS, it was a fledgling six-member unit. And one of the first projects it won was managing the punch-card operations of Tisco, a group company. Kohli laid down a growth plan for TCS which would be the envy of software companies even today. He wanted TCS to stand on its own feet. To do that the company had to grow at 100 per cent every year for the next five years — which it did.

TCS, under Kohli, followed the Tata philosophy of developing local industry. Under him, there was also a strong emphasis on research and development. TCS’s achievements today are innumerable, just like those of Fakir Chand Kohli himself.

Kohli was responsible for building up the image of TCS in the US market by bagging the company's first overseas client. Kohli, on a visit to the US (1973-74) as director of the Institute of Electrical & Electronics Engineers, made a detour to Detroit. And what followed is history.

Kohli's unplanned visit to the Burroughs office in Detroit, then the second largest hardware manufacturer after IBM, to ask for software assignments was prompted by the need to attain technological capabilities which could not have been achieved by catering only to the domestic market. Though TCS was not known to Burroughs, Kohli's charm was enough to win the hardware giant over.

In those days, there was very little to distinguish a software service company from an IT staffing service as most of the projects were done on-site.But Mr Kohli saw into the future. TCS started moving more of its business offshore under his direction. This process was successfully initiated and it peaked under Mr Kohli's tutelage. The shift was marked by the installation of IBM mainframe 3090 in the TCS offices in Chennai.

TCS, under Kohli, followed the Tata philosophy of developing local industry.

The company does not make great profits from domestic projects. But Mr Kohli has been quoted as saying that these projects are important to train the people. "We train them here and then send them abroad where they acquire new skills. Once they return, they use those skills in the domestic segment. So the workforce movement between overseas and domestic projects is somewhat a continuous process," he says.

R&D always topped Kohli's agenda. One of his key initiatives within TCS was the focus on research and development. TCS is one of the few Indian software companies that is said to spend 5 per cent of its revenues on R&D.

[edit] Social Service

Brainchild of F.C. Kohli, the pilot education projects is being implemented in Andhra Pradesh and holds good promised for a country which is facing a widening gap between the literate and the illiterate.

"Five villages are being initially covered in Andhra Pradesh where 100 volunteers are involved in teaching rural people to identify 300 to 500 words," Kohli said explaining TCS's approach to educating the rural poor in the shortest possible time.


[edit] Honors

Fakir Chand Kohli, former deputy chairman of Tata Consultancy Services, has been awarded the Padma Bhushan, one of India's highest civilian honours, for his contribution to the Indian software industry. He is widely acknowledged as the "father of the Indian software industry." The awards were announced by the President of India on January 25, on the eve of India's Republic Day.

He has been named the recipient of the Dadabhai Naoroji Memorial Award for the year 2000.

In December 7, 2000. The Madras Management Association (MMA) Award is received by Mr. Kohli in recognition of outstanding leadership in Business Chennai.

The All India Management Association (AIMA) conferred Padma Bhushan Mr F. C. Kohli with the Lifetime Achievement Award for Management on Feb 21, 2002. At a glittering ceremony, Dr. (Smt) Najma Heptullah, Hon'ble Dy. Chairperson of the Rajya Sabha and President of the Council of Inter Parliamentary Union, presented the award to Mr Kohli.

Other Awards and Distinctions :

Gold Medal and Cash Award for paper on `Economics of Long Distance, Extra High Voltage Transmission Lines'.

Gold Medal from Central Board of Irrigation and Power, for the best paper on `Inter-System Contracts and Organisational Requirements for Economic Operation of Inter-connected Systems'.

Dr.V.M. Ghatge prize for lecture on `Automation in Power Systems Operations'.

Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Centennial Gold Medal "for extraordinary achievement and deserving of special recognition".

Scroll of Honour from Institution of Engineers, "for profound dedication to the progress and advancement of the Engineering Fraternity".

Electronics Man of the Year Award -1989 by the Electronic Component Industries Association.

Dataquest award for Lifetime contribution to Information Technology, 1995.

QIMPRO Platinum Standard Award (QIMPRO Foundation) for Outstanding Contribution in the field of Quality, 1999.

National Award, Delhi Telugu Academy, 2000.

Juran Quality Award, Indian Merchants Chamber, 2000.

Lifetime Achievement Award, Indian National Academy of Engineering, 2000.

Business Leadership Award, Madras Management Association, 2000.

Lifetime Achievement Award, World HRD Congress, 2001.

Vocational Excellence Award, Rotary Club of Mumbai Downtown, 2001.

National Citizens Award, “for outstanding contribution in the field of Information Technology”, 2001.


[edit] External links


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