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{{Use Indian English|date=July 2016}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2020}}

{{Infobox person
| name = Ajai Chowdhry
| image = Ajai_Chowdhry.jpg|alt=Ajai Chowdhry
| caption = Ajai Chowdhry
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1950|8|29}}
| birth_place = [[Mount Abu]], [[Rajasthan]], India
| nationality = Indian
| occupation = Founder, HCL, Chairman: National Institute of Foundry and Forge Technology (NIFFT),Ranchi,
IIIT -Naya Raipur
| alma_mater = [[Jabalpur Engineering College]]
| spouse = Kunkun Chowdhry
| children = Kunal Chowdhry, Akshay Chowdhry
| awards = [[Padma Bhushan]]
| website =
| footnotes =
}}

'''Ajai Chowdhry''' (born 29 August 1950) is one of the six founder members of HCL. A highly decorated Indian Industry icon, today he is an inspiration for young Indians. He is currently the Chairman-Board of Governors at National Institute of Foundry and Forge Technology (NIFFT), Ranchi,International Institute of Information Technology, Naya Raipur.

==Early life and education==
Ajai's parents migrated to India, from Pakistan, during the [[Partition of India]], along with six children. They came to a refugee camp in Delhi. Later, Ajai's father picked up a job in Mount Abu, to get the accession of the princely states. Ajai was born in Mount Abu, on 29 August 1950. Ajai is the youngest of the seven siblings. In 1955, his father joined [[Indian Administrative Service]].

Ajai Chowdhry did his schooling from Christ Church School, Jabalpur. He passed out of school in 1966. Thereafter, he graduated with a Bachelor of Engineering (Electronics and Telecom) degree, from [[Jabalpur Engineering College]], in 1971. He has also completed an Executive Program from the [[University of Michigan]], in 1994.

==Career==
Beginning his career in 1972, Ajai Chowdhry worked with DCM Data Products. In 1975, he quit his job to start Microcomp.

Ajai Chowdhry has been a key force in driving the growth of HCL. He led the foundation of HCL's overseas operations, starting with Singapore in 1980s and later expanded to the other South Asian Markets. Ajai Chowdhry was also a key force in driving the growth of HCL Infosystems, the flagship company of the group. He took over the reins of HCL Infosystems in early 90s and became the Chairman of the company in 1999. His leadership infused tremendous energy taking the company from a turnover of Rs. 400.6 crores (US$89 mn) in 1994 to Rs. 11, 542 crores (US$2.6 bn). The company today has emerged as the country's information-enabling powerhouse and was also awarded 'Business Superbrands' by The Brand Council and rated the Most Trusted Indian IT Brand by Economic Times in 2010–11.

Ajai Chowdhry was nominated by the Hon’ble President of India to be the Chairman for IIT Hyderabad and then the Chairman of IIT-Patna.

Ajai Chowdhry has been appointed as the Chairman of [[IIITNR|IIIT Naya Raipur]], for evolving IIIT—Naya Raipur as one of the foremost IIITs in the country under his guidance.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2019-08-11|title=AI is not just for engineers, managers need it too: IIIT-Naya Raipur chairperson Ajai Chowdhary|url=https://indianexpress.com/article/education/artificial-intelligence-is-not-just-for-engineers-managers-need-it-too-iiit-naya-raipur-chairperson-ajai-chowdhary-5891089/|access-date=2021-01-27|website=The Indian Express|language=en}}</ref>

Ajai Chowdhry is the Chairman of the Electronics Sector Skills Council.

Ajai Chowdhry is the Chairman of the National Institute of Foundry & Forge Technology.

Ajai Chowdhry is also currently the Co-Chairman of the Working Group for Development of Innovation and IP in the ESDM sector.

In 2021, he has also been appointed as an Esteemed Member of the Consultation Group on the Science, Technology and Innovation Sector by the Vice Chairman, NITI Aayog.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-06-23|title=HCL Co-founder Ajai Chowdhry joins NITI Aayog Science and Tech vertical as an esteemed member|url=https://www.ciol.com/hcl-co-founder-ajai-chowdhry-esteemed-member-science-technology-niti-aayog/|access-date=2021-06-23|website=CIOL|language=en-US}}</ref>

==Other activities==

Ajai Chowdhry is focusing on incubating entrepreneurship by aiding start-ups. He is also on the Board of Indian Angel Network. He is also on the Investment Committee of the IAN Fund and the EDF Fund. He mentors many start-ups.

Ajai Chowdhry set up a Charitable Trust called 'Swayam' which is committed to provide education support to deserving children who cannot afford good education. Also he has worked on providing solar power to many villages around, Jabalpur.

Ajai Chowdhry has constantly been driving a vision of "IT for the masses" and has been on several government committees working towards taking PC and broadband into every village in India.

Ajai Chowdhry works closely with the Government of India, for various endeavours and initiatives. Ajai Chowdhry has been part of several Government of India committees. These endeavours aim at increasing IT proliferation in India, and also towards facilitating the growth of the IT and Electronics industry in India. In August 2009, the Department of Information Technology, Ministry of Communications & IT and the Government of India
constituted the IT Task Force, under the leadership of Ajai Chowdhry.<ref name="MIT-Task-Force">{{cite web
| url = http://www.mit.gov.in/sites/upload_files/dit/files/Task_Force_Report-new_21211%282%29.pdf
| title = Report of Task Force to suggest measures to simulate the growth of IT, ITES, and Electronics Hardware manufacturing industry in India
| publisher = Ministry of Communications & Information Technology, Government of India
| author = Task Force, Department of Information Technology
| date = 6 January 2010
| access-date = 27 April 2012
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120511151709/http://mit.gov.in/sites/upload_files/dit/files/Task_Force_Report-new_21211(2).pdf
| archive-date = 11 May 2012
| url-status = dead
}}</ref>

Ajai Chowdhry was a member of National Manufacturing Competitiveness Council (NMCC), which is an apex body providing advisory inputs for shaping government policy.<ref name="NMCC-member">
{{cite web
| url = http://nmcc.nic.in/html/AjayChowdhry.htm
| title = Ajai Chowdhry
| author = NMCC
| url-status = dead
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120517053429/http://www.nmcc.nic.in/html/AjayChowdhry.htm
| archive-date = 17 May 2012
}}
</ref>

Ajai Chowdhry was the Chairman of CII National Committee on Technology.<ref name="CII-NCT">
{{cite web
| url = http://www.cii.in/webcms/Upload/communique_May09.pdf
| title = CII Communiqué
| publisher = [[Confederation of Indian Industry]]
| author = CII
| date = May 2009}}
</ref>

Ajai Chowdhry was a panelist on the USC Forum on Globalization and Innovation.<ref name="USC-Forum-Panel">{{cite web
| url = http://viterbi.usc.edu/admission/professionalprograms/usc-forum-india/panelists/
| title = Panelists, USC Forum on Globalization and Innovation
| publisher = [[University of Southern California]]
| author = USC
| date = 26 February 2011
| access-date = 26 April 2012
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120526052520/http://viterbi.usc.edu/admission/professionalprograms/usc-forum-india/panelists/
| archive-date = 26 May 2012
| url-status = dead
}}</ref>

In 2010, Ajai Chowdhry co-chaired the ‘[[World Economic Forum]] on Africa' in Tanzania.<ref name="WEF_Co-chair">
{{cite web
| url = http://www.weforum.org/videos/africa-2010-ajai-chowdhry
| title = Africa 2010 - Ajai Chowdhry
| publisher = [[World Economic Forum]]
| author = World Economic Forum
| date = 5 May 2010
| url-status = dead
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120930041737/http://www.weforum.org/videos/africa-2010-ajai-chowdhry
| archive-date = 30 September 2012
}}
</ref>

==Awards and accolades==

* In 2011, Government of India awarded Ajai Chowdhry with [[Padma Bhushan]], the third-highest civilian award, recognising his consistent contribution to the Indian IT industry.<ref name="CXOtoday-PadmaBhushan">{{cite web
| url = http://www.cxotoday.com/story/ajai-chowdhry-chairman-hcl-awarded-padma-bhushan
| title = Ajai Chowdhry awarded Padma Bhushan
| author = CXOtoday
| date = 5 April 2011
| access-date = 2 April 2012
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120516082648/http://www.cxotoday.com/story/ajai-chowdhry-chairman-hcl-awarded-padma-bhushan/
| archive-date = 16 May 2012
| url-status = dead
}}</ref>

* In 2014, Ajai Chowdhry was honoured with the Cybermedia Business ICT Award 2013 for Lifetime Achievement in ICT by Shri [[Narendra Modi]].<ref>{{Cite web|date=2014-01-17|title=CyberMedia ICT Awards: Ajai Chowdhry gets DQ Lifetime Achievement Award|url=https://www.dqindia.com/cybermedia-ict-awards-ajai-chowdhry-dq-lifetime-achievement-award/|access-date=2021-06-23|website=DATAQUEST|language=en-US}}</ref>
* In 2014, Ajai Chowdhry was awarded Honoris Causa (D. Sc.) by the Indian Institute of Information Technology, Design & Manufacturing, Jabalpur in recognition of the significant contribution he has made to the Indian IT industry and thought leadership in the field.
* In 2010, Ajai Chowdhry was conferred the Honoris Causa, Doctorate of Science, by [[IIT Roorkee]].<ref name="Business_Standard-Doctorate">
{{cite web
| url = http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/iit-roorkee8217s-honorary-doctorate-for-hcl-founder-chairman-ajai-chowdhry/414884/
| title = IIT Roorkee’s Honorary Doctorate for Ajai Chowdhry
| work = [[Business Standard]]
| date = 15 November 2010}}
</ref>

* In 2010, Ajai Chowdhry was presented the "ELCINA-EFY Electronics Man of the Year Award", by the Electronic Industries Association of India (ELCINA).<ref name="ELCINA-EFY-Year-Man">
{{cite web
| url = http://news.efytimes.com/e1/th%20ELCINAEFY%20Awards%20Announced/51433
| archive-url = https://archive.today/20130122005602/http://news.efytimes.com/e1/th%20ELCINAEFY%20Awards%20Announced/51433
| url-status = dead
| archive-date = 22 January 2013
| title = 35th ELCINA-EFY Awards Announced
| author = EFYTimes News
| date = 24 September 2010
}}
</ref>

* In 2009, Ajai Chowdhry was ranked third in the "Power List of 75 Most Powerful Brand Builders of India".<ref name="CommunicationsToday-Power-List">
{{cite web
| url = http://www.communicationstoday.co.in/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1396&Itemid=156
| title = Ajai Chowdhry
| author = Communications Today
| date = 10 March 2009
| url-status = dead
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160304030842/http://www.communicationstoday.co.in/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1396&Itemid=156
| archive-date = 4 March 2016
}}
</ref>

* In 2009, Ajai Chowdhry was adjudged among "India Inc’s Most Powerful CEOs" by The Economic Times.<ref name="ET-Powerful-CEO">
{{cite web
| url = http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/directorsreport.cms?companyid=10506&year=2009&prtpage=1
| title = Director Report
| work = [[The Economic Times]]
| date = June 2009}}
</ref>

* In 2007, Ajai Chowdhry was named the "Dataquest IT Person of the Year 2007", for his focus on the Indian domestic market, and his belief in the potential of computer hardware manufacturing in India.<ref name="DQ-Person-2007">
{{cite web|author=CIOL|date=12 December 2007|title=Ajai Chowdhry is Dataquest IT Person of the Year 2007|url=https://www.ciol.com/hcls-ajai-chowdhry-dataquest-it-person-year-2007/|access-date=26 April 2012}}
</ref>

* In 2006, EFY presented the "Electronics Man of the Year - 2006" to Ajai Chowdhry, for being instrumental in driving the growth of HCL Infosystems.<ref name="EFY-2006">{{cite web
| url = http://www.efytimes.com/e1/fullnews.asp?edid=10002
| archive-url = https://archive.today/20130122041629/http://www.efytimes.com/e1/fullnews.asp?edid=10002
| url-status = dead
| archive-date = 22 January 2013
| title = Ajai Chowdhry, EFY `Electronics Man Of The Year' 2006
| author = EFYTimes News
| date = 3 February 2006
}}</ref>

* Wisitek Foundation presented Ajai Chowdhry with the "Corporate Ratna – IT Industry of the Millennium" Award.<ref name="Wisitek-Corporate_Ratna">
{{cite web
| url = http://www.businessandeconomy.org/27072006/storyd.asp?sid=116&pageno=1
| title = The Colonial Maestro
| author = Business & Economy}}
</ref>

* In 2004, Skoch Consultancy awarded Ajai Chowdhry with the 'IT Man of the Year' title.<ref name="Skoch-Year-Man">
{{cite web
| url = http://www.skoch.in/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=960&Itemid=1182
| title = Skoch Challenger Awards 2004
| publisher = Skoch
| date = 19 February 2004}}
</ref>

* The Foundation of Indian Industry and Economists has presented Ajai Chowdhry the "Best IT Man of the Year" award.<ref name="Reuters-Year-Man">
{{cite web
| url = http://in.reuters.com/finance/stocks/officerProfile?symbol=HCLI.NS&officerId=320170
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160304085335/http://in.reuters.com/finance/stocks/officerProfile?symbol=HCLI.NS&officerId=320170
| url-status = dead
| archive-date = 2016-03-04
| title = Ajai Chowdhry: Brief Biography
| publisher = [[Reuters]]
| author = Reuters}}
</ref>

==References==
{{reflist|30em}}

{{PadmaBhushanAwardRecipients 2010–19}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Chowdhry, Ajai}}
[[Category:1950 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Businesspeople from Rajasthan]]
[[Category:Indian chief executives]]
[[Category:University of Michigan people]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Padma Bhushan in trade and industry]]

Ajai Chowdhry - Revision history

UpdateBot at 11:38, 19 June 2022

>GreenC bot: Rescued 1 archive link. Wayback Medic 2.5