25 Defining Moments of Indian IT

1956

The Computer Arrives

The first digital computer comes to India estd. 1956, 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.

1959

Small Steps

TIFRAC, Indias first indigenous computer developed at TIFR, was commissioned in
1959. It was used extensively between 1960-64 by TIFR, BARC and a number of
other government laboratories, educational institutions, and private
organizations.

1968

Tatas TCS

Tata group buys a mainframe IN 1968 for doing the data processing work for its
group companies and starts seeking external customers for time-sharing. The
division, called TCS, was headed by a reputed engineer PM Agarwala but upon his
death, a young power engineer, Fakir Chand Kohli, is made the GM.

1971

Formation of the Electronics Commission

Electronics Commission constituted in February 1971 in Bombay under the
Chairmanship of Prof MGK Menon.

1974

Birth of the Industry

TCS converts a Hospital Information System from Burroughs Medium Systems COBOL
to Burroughs Small Systems COBOL on an ICL 1903 for a US client. Indias
software export industry is born IN 1974.

1975

Budding Growth

CMC incorporated as Computer Maintenance Corporation in 1975 with Dr Roddam
Narsimhan as its first Chairman and Dr Prem Gupta as MD.

1976

History in the Making

The youngest head in DCM DPs history, Shiv Nadar, quits IN 1976 and with
six other friends starts Microcomp with a capital base of Rs 1.75 lakh. The
company is rechristened HCL and history is made.

1977

The Indigenous Center of Excellence

National Informatics Center (NIC) is set up in 1977 with UNDP assistance
having Dr N Seshagiri as director general.

1978

CastawayIBM Exits

IBM exits from India on June 1, 1978 as it could not agree with FERA
regulations.

1981

Rise of the Icon

NR Narayana Murthy, a software professional working with Patni Computer
Systems in Bombay, launches a data center called Infosys in a Pune garage with
six friends for Rs 10,000 in 1981.

1982

Dataquest is Launched

Indias first IT publication, Dataquest is launched by Pradeep Gupta in
December 1982.

1983

A Roadmap for Growth

Dy Governor of RBI appointed as the Chairman of the Rangarajan Committee, formed
in 1983 to advise the government on the computerization roadmap for nationalized
banks.

1984

Securing a Place

New Computer Policy announced on November 19, 1984, days after Rajiv Gandhi
assured power. For the first time, the IT industry is accorded a special
position. Among other things, import duties for peripherals were reduced,
foreign equity participation was allowed, import of computers was liberalized
and software got recognition as a separate industry.

1986

Bending the Rules

The First Software Policy announced on December 19, 1986; few key guidelines
included making the export commitment of software exporters more stringent,
defining software exports as body shopping, delicensing the domestic industry,
emphasis on training and opening up import of software.

1988

The Catalyst Nasscom Founded

Nasscom is formed in 1988, thanks to the efforts of Harish Mehta, Saurabh
Srivastava, Prakash Ahuja, and Shashi Bhatnagar, with the aim to become a
catalyst for the growth of a software-driven IT industry in the country.

1989

New Openings

Jack Welch meets Sam Pitroda and Jairam Ramesh in 1989 over a breakfast
meeting and the seeds of offshore outsourcing of software services to India were
sown.

1990

A Visionary takes Over

The UK-returned accountant-turned award winning documentary
film-maker-cum-graphic designer Dewang Mehta is hand picked by Harish Mehta and
appointed as Executive Director of Nasscom in 1990.

1994

Swept by the Outsourcing Wave

John McDonald, the comptroller at American Express, is convinced by Raman
Roy to open an operational center for Asia Pacific in India in 1994. The Indian
BPO industry is born.

1995

The Internet Revolution

VSNL launches Indias first full Internet service for public access in 1995, the
Gateway Internet Access Service (GIAS). It was available immediately from
Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata and Chennai and subsequently Pune and Bangalore, while
users from other locations connected through the I-NET, an X.25 network accessed
through leased lines or at a concessional dial-up rate from almost anywhere.

1993

A Toast to Success

Infosys listed on BSE IN 1993 at Rs 145 per share compared to the IPO price of
Rs 95 per share.

1998

Formation of the Task Force

The National IT Task Force is formed by the Government of India in 1998. Its
108 recommendations are accepted in a record time.

1998

Realization of a Dream

Rajesh Jain sells off IndiaWorld to Satyam for Rs 500 cr in 1998; the Indian
dotcom dream begins.

1999

Another First

Infosys becomes the first Indian company to get listed in the NASDAQ in 1999.

2001

Change of Guard

Dewang Mehta passes away in 2001; Kiran Karnik takes over as Nasscom President.

2003

A Landmark Deal

Bharti signs landmark IT outsourcing deal with IBM in 2003.

2004

The Billion-Dollar Club

Indian software companies cross the billion dollar barrier in 2004. TCS
breaks the ceiling first, followed by Wipro and Infosys.

2007

Eka, the Super Computer

Computational Research Laboratories (CRL), a Tata subsidiary, developed
cluster platform of HP Servers dubbed as Eka. The 'Supercomputer' was ranked as
the World's fourth fastest computer (at a staggering 117.9 Teraflop or trillions
of calculations per second) in the Top 500 list released at an international
conference on high performance computing in Reno, Nevada. This is the first time
that India has broken into the top 100, let alone in the top Ten club.

Rajneesh De

rajneeshde@cybermedia.co.in