Ajai Chowdhry (born 29 August 1950) is one of the six founding members of

HCL HCL may refer to: Science and medicine * Hairy cell leukemia, an uncommon and slowly progressing B cell leukemia * Harvard Cyclotron Laboratory, from 1961 to 2002, a proton accelerator used for research and development * Hollow-cathode lamp, a spe ...

(Hindustan Computers Limited). He is currently the Chairman-Board of Governors at

National Institute of Foundry and Forge Technology National Institute of Advanced Manufacturing Technology (NIAMT) formerly known as the National Institute of Foundry and Forge Technology (NIFFT) is a premier public engineering and research institution in Ranchi. It was established in 1966 by ...

(NIFFT), Ranchi, International Institute of Information Technology, and Naya Raipur.

Early life and education

The parents of Ajai moved from Pakistan to India along with their six children, during the

Partition of India The Partition of British India in 1947 was the Partition (politics), change of political borders and the division of other assets that accompanied the dissolution of the British Raj in South Asia and the creation of two independent dominions: ...

. They arrived at a camp for refugees in Delhi. Later, in order to obtain the accession to the princely realms, Ajai's father took a work in Mount Abu Ajai was born on August 29, 1950, in Mount Abu. The youngest of the seven siblings is Ajai. In 1955, his father joined

Indian Administrative Service The Indian Administrative Service (IAS) is the administrative arm of the All India Services of Government of India. Considered the premier civil service of India, the IAS is one of the three arms of the All India Services along with the Indian ...

. Ajai Chowdhry attended Christ Church School in Jabalpur for his formal education. He completed his education in 1966. A Bachelor of Engineering (Electronics and Telecom) degree was awarded to him later. from

Jabalpur Engineering College Jabalpur Engineering College (JEC) is an institute located in Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, India. It is the oldest technical institution in central India and the 15th-oldest in India. It is the first institute of India to have started the Electron ...

, in 1971. He also completed a programme for executives at the

University of Michigan , mottoeng = "Arts, Knowledge, Truth" , former_names = Catholepistemiad, or University of Michigania (1817–1821) , budget = $10.3 billion (2021) , endowment = $17 billion (2021)As o ...

, in 1994.

Career

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. 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. Ajai Chowdhry was a member of the National Manufacturing Competitiveness Council (NMCC), which is an apex body providing advisory inputs for shaping government policy. Ajai Chowdhry was the Chairman of the CII National Committee on Technology. Ajai Chowdhry was a panellist at the USC Forum on Globalization and Innovation. In 2010, Ajai Chowdhry co-chaired the ‘

World Economic Forum The World Economic Forum (WEF) is an international non-governmental and lobbying organisation based in Cologny, canton of Geneva, Switzerland. It was founded on 24 January 1971 by German engineer and economist Klaus Schwab. The foundation, ...

on Africa in Tanzania.

Awards and accolades

* In 2011, the Government of India awarded Ajai Chowdhry with

Padma Bhushan The Padma Bhushan is the third-highest civilian award in the Republic of India, preceded by the Bharat Ratna and the Padma Vibhushan and followed by the Padma Shri. Instituted on 2 January 1954, the award is given for "distinguished service ...

, the third-highest civilian award, recognising his consistent contribution to the Indian IT industry. * In 2014, Ajai Chowdhry was honoured with the Cybermedia Business ICT Award 2013 for Lifetime Achievement in ICT by

Narendra Modi Narendra Damodardas Modi (; born 17 September 1950) is an Indian politician serving as the 14th and current Prime Minister of India since 2014. Modi was the Chief Minister of Gujarat from 2001 to 2014 and is the Member of Parliament from ...

. * 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 Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee (abbreviated IIT Roorkee) is a technical university located in Roorkee, Uttarakhand, India. It is the oldest engineering institution in India, and was founded as the College of Civil Engineering in Bri ...

. * In 2009, Ajai Chowdhry was ranked third in the "Power List of 75 Most Powerful Brand Builders of India". * In 2009, Ajai Chowdhry was adjudged among "India Inc’s Most Powerful CEOs" by The Economic Times. * The Foundation of Indian Industry and Economists presented Ajai Chowdhry with the "Best IT Man of the Year" award in 2007.

References

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