\nAjai Chowdhry, former Founder of HCL, has been a key driving force behind the IT company’s exponential rise to success. He took over as the Chairman of HCL Infosystems in 1999 and was one of the key people responsible for growing the company into a $6.5 bn global enterprise today. Ajai is currently the Chairman of the Electronics Skills Council and Member of the Scientific Advisory Committee to Cabinet (SAC – C). He also holds the position of the Co-Chairman of the Working Group for Development of Innovation and IP in the ESDM sector.\nIn 2011, Ajai received the prestigious Padma Bhushan, one of the highest civilian honours, as recognition of his consistent contribution in building the IT industry of the nation. Amongst a slew of other awards he has won, includes the "India Innovator of the Year Award" at the CNBC TV18 India Business Leader Awards in 2010, the Cybermedia Business ICT Award 2013 for Lifetime Achievement in ICT in January 2014. Most recently, in August 2014, he has been 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.\n