Ajai Chowdhry

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Ajai Chowdhry
Ajai Chowdhry
Ajai Chowdhry
Born (1950-08-29) 29 August 1950 (age 73)
NationalityIndian
Alma materJabalpur Engineering College
OccupationFounder, HCL, Chairman: National Institute of Foundry and Forge Technology (NIFFT),Ranchi, IIIT -Naya Raipur
AwardsPadma Bhushan

Ajai Chowdhry (born 29 August 1950) is one of the six founding members of HCL (Hindustan Computers Limited). He is currently the Chairman-Board of Governors at National Institute of Foundry and Forge Technology (NIFFT), Ranchi, International Institute of Information Technology, and Naya Raipur.

Early life and education[edit]

Ajai's parents migrated to India, from Pakistan, dalong with six children, during the ⠀⠀Partition of India⠀⠀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 to 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 at Christ Church School, Jabalpur. He graduated from school in 1966. Thereafter, he graduated with a Bachelor of Engineering (Electronics and Telecom) degree, from Jabalpur Engineering College, in 1971. He also did an Executive Program at the University of Michigan, in 1994.

Career[edit]

Beginning his career in 1972, Ajai Chowdhry worked with DCM Data Products. In 1975, he quit his job to start his own company named "Micro comp".

Chowdhry worked as the Chairman of IIIT Naya Raipur in 2019.[1]

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.[2]

Ajai Chowdhry was a member of the National Manufacturing Competitiveness Council (NMCC), which is an apex body providing advisory inputs for shaping government policy.[3]

Ajai Chowdhry was the Chairman of the CII National Committee on Technology.[4]

Ajai Chowdhry was a panellist at the USC Forum on Globalization and Innovation.[5]

In 2010, Ajai Chowdhry co-chaired the ‘World Economic Forum on Africa in Tanzania.[6]

Awards and accolades[edit]

  • In 2011, the Government of India awarded Ajai Chowdhry with Padma Bhushan, the third-highest civilian award, recognising his consistent contribution to the Indian IT industry.[7]
  • In 2014, Ajai Chowdhry was honoured with the Cybermedia Business ICT Award 2013 for Lifetime Achievement in ICT by Narendra Modi.[8]
  • 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.[9]
  • In 2009, Ajai Chowdhry was ranked third in the "Power List of 75 Most Powerful Brand Builders of India".[10]
  • In 2009, Ajai Chowdhry was adjudged among "India Inc’s Most Powerful CEOs" by The Economic Times.[11]
  • The Foundation of Indian Industry and Economists presented Ajai Chowdhry with the "Best IT Man of the Year" award in 2007.[12][13]

References[edit]

  1. "AI is not just for engineers, managers need it too: IIIT-Naya Raipur chairperson Ajai Chowdhary". The Indian Express. 11 August 2019. Retrieved 27 January 2021.
  2. Task Force, Department of Information Technology (6 January 2010). "Report of Task Force to suggest measures to simulate the growth of IT, ITES, and Electronics Hardware manufacturing industry in India" (PDF). Ministry of Communications & Information Technology, Government of India. Archived from the original (PDF) on 11 May 2012. Retrieved 27 April 2012.
  3. NMCC. "Ajai Chowdhry". Archived from the original on 17 May 2012.
  4. CII (May 2009). "CII Communiqué" (PDF). Confederation of Indian Industry.
  5. USC (26 February 2011). "Panelists, USC Forum on Globalization and Innovation". University of Southern California. Archived from the original on 26 May 2012. Retrieved 26 April 2012.
  6. World Economic Forum (5 May 2010). "Africa 2010 - Ajai Chowdhry". World Economic Forum. Archived from the original on 30 September 2012.
  7. CXOtoday (5 April 2011). "Ajai Chowdhry awarded Padma Bhushan". Archived from the original on 16 May 2012. Retrieved 2 April 2012.
  8. "CyberMedia ICT Awards: Ajai Chowdhry gets DQ Lifetime Achievement Award". DATAQUEST. 17 January 2014. Retrieved 23 June 2021.
  9. "IIT Roorkee's Honorary Doctorate for Ajai Chowdhry". Business Standard. 15 November 2010.
  10. Communications Today (10 March 2009). "Ajai Chowdhry". Archived from the original on 4 March 2016.
  11. "Director Report". The Economic Times. June 2009.
  12. "Ajai Chowdhry". World Economic Forum. World Economic Forum. Retrieved 20 January 2022.
  13. "Ajai Chowdhry: Brief Biography". Reuters. Reuters. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016.
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