ET AWARD LIFETIME.....Helping India Reboot and Take its `Place in the Sun'

ET AWARD LIFETIME.. Helping India Reboot and Take its `Place in the Sun'   ...and the award goes to LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT S RAMADORAI Non-exec Vice-chairman, TCS When most Indians were dreaming of getting a US green card, S Ramadorai turned it down to work for what was then a fairly small company , Tata Consultancy Services. When he took over as CEO and MD of the company from FC Kohli in 1996, the Indian information technology industry was in its infancy and TCS had about $150 million in revenue. TCS now employs 3,35,000 people and has over $15 billion in revenue. Ramadorai shepherded the IT industry through its first major slowdown when the internet bubble burst. Ramadorai had the ability to foresee technology waves and take the right calls in a field where obsolescence could occur overnight. He also led the transformation of TCS from a division of Tata Sons to a publicly held firm in 2004. Last year, it broke through the `5 lakh crore mark in market capitalisation,  a fitting tribute to Ramadorai who was getting ready to retire as vice-chairman of the TCS board last October. People who have worked with Ramadorai, describe him as soft-spoken, hardworking and gritty . TCS CEO N Chandrasekaran attributes a keen sense of discipline as one of the most important qualities he imbibed from Ramadorai. The government awarded Ramadorai the Padma Bhushan, the third-highest civilian honour, in 2006. He also received the Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 2009 for his contribution to Indo-British economic relations.Recognition came in other forms, too. The BSE, Asia's oldest stock exchange, selected him as chairman of its board because it was losing business to its more tech-savvy rival, National Stock Exchange. After retiring as CEO and MD of TCS, life has in some ways become busier for him. He is now chairman of the Indian operations of AirAsia, a venture that marks the Tata Group's return to the aviation industry. He also heads the National Skill Development Corporation and advises the PM on how India can benefit from its demographic dividend. Ramadorai won the Lifetime Achievement Award for his contribution in shaping TCS, and after retirement, steering the Skill India programme. “Ram is a rare person who has switched seamlessly between UPA and NDA,“ one juror noted. Another juror mentioned how  Ramadorai had been awarded the CBE by the UK government. “I think corporate India and the IT industry has shown what India can offer to the world,“ Ramadorai said in response to winning the award. “When you look at the programmes the Prime Minister is championing -Make in India, Skill India -it is all about building our intellectual capital, and I am glad to be part of that agenda. I look forward to this country taking its place in the sun.“ ET19OCT15