F. C. Kohli
F. C. Kohli | |
---|---|
Born | Faqir Chand Kohli 19 March 1924 MIT (MS) |
Occupation | Co.Executive |
Known for | Pioneering contribution to Indian IT Industry |
Awards | Padma Bhushan |
Faqir Chand Kohli (19 March 1924 – 26 November 2020) was a co-founder and the first CEO of TCS
Early life
Kohli was born in
After his father's death during his final year in college, he applied for, and was selected by, theCareer
After completing his MS at MIT, Kohli trained in
He went on to work for Tata Consulting Engineers in 1966, before returning to become the director of Tata Electric Company. During this time, he is noted to have introduced the use of digital computers for power system design and control including the use of the
In 1969, he helped set up the Tata Consultancy Services, at the request of J. R. D. Tata, the group chairman, after Tata Electric company installed a computer system to control the power lines between Mumbai and Pune, making it the third utility company in the world to install such a system.[14] After internally serving a few of the Tata Group companies, TCS went on to sign its first contract with Burroughs Corporation for software services, in 1972.[14][15] He would go on to become the company's first CEO and also serve as its deputy chairman.[7][12][14] He would lead the company for the next three decades before stepping down as the CEO in 1996.[15][16] The company is the largest Indian IT services company by market capitalization and the most valuable company within the Tata group as of 2020.[16]
He was also associated with other companies within the Tata Group including being on the board of Tata Sons, Tata Industries, Tata Unisys, Tata Electric Company, Tata Honeywell, and Tata Technologies Singapore. He had also been the chairman of Tata Elxsi India, and WTI Advanced Technologies.[13] Outside of the Tata Group, he has been a director on the board of Airline Software Development Consultancy India, Airline Financial Support Services India, Abacus Distribution Systems, and Triveni Engineering Works.[13]
He was president and chairman of Indian IT services advocacy body, NASSCOM, between 1995 and 1996.[13] In this role, and later as a part of the body's executive committee, he helped shape global partnerships and showcase opportunities to deliver IT services from India.[16] He was also associated with professional organizations like the Computer Society of India, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers New York, the Institution of Electrical Engineers, the Indian National Academy of Engineering, and the Institute of Management Consultants of India.[11][13]
Kohli also played an important role in the advancement of technical education in the country. In 1959, under a request from
He held executive and leadership roles in
After his retirement he continued to remain connected with technology advocacy and was known to have driven efforts toward adult literacy, water purification, and regional language computing efforts, in addition to being involved with TCS in an advisory role.[17][18]
He is referred to as the father of the Indian IT industry, for his role in setting up the
Honours
In 2002, Kohli was awarded the
Other awards and honours:
- Dadabhai Naoroji Memorial Award, 2000.[21]
- Lifetime achievement award, The Economic Times, 2002[22]
- Kohli Center on Intelligent Systems (KCIS), at IIIT Hyderabad, 2015[23]
- Lifetime Achievement Award, All India Management Association (AIMA), 2017[24]
Personal life
Kohli was married to his wife Swarn, a consumer-rights activist and lawyer, and had three children.[25][5] He died on 26 November 2020, of a heart attack. He was aged 96.[26][27][3]
Positions held
Company Name | Position | Year |
---|---|---|
Tata Infotech Limited | Director | 1977 |
Bradma of India Limited | Director | 1982 |
WTI Advanced Technology Limited | Chairman | 1988 |
Tata Elxsi (I) Limited | Director | 1989 |
Tata Technologies (Pte) Limited, Singapore. | Director | 1991 |
Triveni Engineering Works Limited | Director | 1994 |
HOTV Inc., US. | Director | 1999 |
Engineering Analysis Center of Excellence Pvt. Limited | Director | 1999 |
eBIZ Solutions Limited | Director | 1999 |
Edutech Informatics India (P) Limited | Director | 2000 |
Technosoft SA, Switzerland | Director | 2000 |
Sun F&C Asset Management (I) Pvt. Limited | Director | 2000 |
Aerospace Systems Pvt. Limited | Director | 2000 |
Media Lab Asia Limited | Director | 2002 |
Books
- Kohli, F. C. (2012). The IT Revolution in India. Rupa Publication India Pvt Ltd. ISBN 9798129108127.
References
- ^ Business Week. Archived from the originalon 10 November 2006. Retrieved 6 June 2007.
- ^ "Cognizant rising by Chennai beach". Archived from the original on 17 March 2014. Retrieved 27 November 2020.
- ^ a b "FC Kohli, founder of TCS and father of India's IT industry passes away at 96". The New Indian Express. 26 November 2020. Archived from the original on 26 November 2020. Retrieved 26 November 2020.
- ^ a b "FC Kohli, father of Indian IT industry, passes away". Deccan Herald. 26 November 2020. Archived from the original on 26 November 2020. Retrieved 26 November 2020.
- ^ a b c d Bhattrai, Sushmita (15 January 2020). "Two Countries, Two Lives". Seniors Today. Archived from the original on 19 September 2020. Retrieved 26 November 2020.
- ^ Baruah, Ayushman (26 November 2020). "FC Kohli, doyen of Indian IT, dies". mint. Archived from the original on 27 November 2020. Retrieved 26 November 2020.
- ^ a b c d "Personality of the Issue - Mr. F. C. Kohli". IEEE Bombay Section. 1 March 2002. Archived from the original on 24 November 2002. Retrieved 2 September 2016.
- ^ "Dr. Faqir Chand Kohli". Archived from the original on 15 April 2013.
- ^ "India's IT Guy As director of Tata Consultancy Services, F. C. Kohli, SM '50, launched the Indian IT outsourcing industry". Retrieved 5 June 2013.
- ^ "IT Industrialist & India's largest software exporter, FC Kohli has died at the age of 96". 26 November 2020. Archived from the original on 27 November 2020. Retrieved 26 November 2020.
- ^ a b c Shinde, Shivani (4 February 2015). "40 Years ago... and now- Faqir Chand Kohli: The original Indian techie". Business Standard India. Archived from the original on 30 July 2019. Retrieved 26 November 2020.
- ^ a b c "DR. FAQIR CHAND KOHLI" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 8 March 2012. Retrieved 5 June 2013.
- ^ a b c d e f g "F C Kohli". Rediff. Archived from the original on 24 May 2010. Retrieved 5 June 2013.
- ^ a b c d Chandrashekhar, Anandi. "FC Kohli, first CEO of TCS and father of Indian IT industry, passes away at 96". The Economic Times. Archived from the original on 26 November 2020. Retrieved 26 November 2020.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-07-048366-8. Archivedfrom the original on 27 November 2020. Retrieved 26 November 2020.
- ^ from the original on 27 November 2020. Retrieved 26 November 2020.
- ^ "F.C. Kohli | Indian businessman and engineer". Encyclopedia Britannica. Archived from the original on 17 May 2019. Retrieved 26 November 2020.
- ^ ANI. "FC Kohli made pioneering efforts to develop IT industry: Ravi Shankar Prasad". BW Businessworld. Archived from the original on 27 November 2020. Retrieved 26 November 2020.
- from the original on 27 November 2020. Retrieved 26 November 2020.
- ^ "Padma Awards Directory (1954-2013)" (PDF). India Ministry of Home Affairs. Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 October 2015. Retrieved 2 September 2016.
- ^ TCS's F.C. Kohli gets honoured[permanent dead link]
- ^ "Dr F C Kohli conferred ET lifetime achievement award". Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 6 August 2015.
- ^ "FC Kohli Center on Intelligent Systems".
- ^ "All India Management Association - 2017 Awards". www.aima.in. Archived from the original on 27 November 2020. Retrieved 26 November 2020.
- ^ Krishna, Jayant. "FC Kohli: A Lifetime of Repaying Gratitude to India". BW Businessworld. Archived from the original on 27 November 2020. Retrieved 26 November 2020.
- ^ "India's IT sector pioneer FC Kohli dead". Reeba Zachariah. The Times of India. 27 November 2020. Archived from the original on 27 November 2020. Retrieved 27 November 2020.
- ^ "Founder and first CEO of Tata Consultancy Services FC Kohli passes away". CNBC TV18. 26 November 2020. Archived from the original on 27 November 2020. Retrieved 26 November 2020.