1956-1965: The Beginning

1956:

The first digital computer comes to India, as the Indian Statistical

Institute in Kolkata installs a Hollerith Electronic Computer, HEC-2M, brought

from England. Initially, it handled a number of scientific problems from all

across the country, including trajectory analysis for artillery cannons for the

Defense. It was, in fact, the first computer brought to Asia, outside of Japan.

1960: The

Operations Research Group (ORG) set up by Vikram Sarabhai, the first market

research organization in the country created to expedite a scientific approach

to collect and scrutinize information for supporting and optimizing business

operations.

AK Watson comes visiting and meets prime minister

Jawaharlal Nehru. In fact, it was at Nehru's insistence that IBM opened up

office in India in 1951.

1958: ISI

installs the URAL digital computer brought from Russia with a grant from United

Nations Technical Assistance Board (UNTAB). Both HEC-2M and URAL were used by

ISI till 1964 when IBM installed the 1401. Dr Dwijish Datta Majumdar, Prof MM

Mukherjee and Prof Amaresh Roy were the pioneers in running both HEC-2M and

URAL.

1959:

TIFRAC, India's first indigenous computer developed at TIFR, was

commissioned. It was used extensively between 1960-64 by TIFR, BARC and a number

of other government laboratories, educational institutions and private

organizations.

1961:

India's first commercial computer installed by ESSO Standard Eastern of

Bombay.

1962: The

Defense Ministry sets up a Computer Center under Major General Balasubrahmanian

(then only a major) from the Army Services Corps; he is also appointed technical

secretary of the Advisory Group on Computers in Defense.

1963:

Under the guidance of the eminent economist, John K Galbraith, IIT-Kanpur

becomes the first institute in India to start Computer Science education on an

IBM 1620 system, then a novelty even in many North American and European

universities.

Following the Chinese War, the Government feels the need for

a strong indigenous electronics base for security and national development.

Sets up an Electronics Committee under the Chairmanship of Dr Homi J Bhaba.

1964:

The ISIJU, the first indigenous digital computer, developed in India

through a joint collaboration between the ISI and Jadavpur University. It was a

second generation advanced machine that was transistor-driven.

1965: The

Computer Society of India (CSI) founded in Hyderabad with Prof. R Narsimhan as

the Founding President and Major General Balasubrahmanian as the Founding

Secretary. The first CSI Convention is organized in Kolkata.

Prof HN Mahabala starts the Computer Science division at

IIT-Kanpur. Prof V Rajaraman devises its program and guides its future growth as

Head of Computer Center division.

• TIFR, Bombay acquires CDC 3600