IT Honchos Who Have Been Awarded the Padma Bhushan are a Shining Inspiration for Millions: Industry Leaders

Natarajan Chandrasekaran, Satya Nadella, and Sundar Pichai are the IT industry veterans who have received the Padma Bhushan awards this year

In what came as an encouraging development, three pre-eminent personalities from the IT industry - Natarajan Chandrasekaran, , CEO, Tata Sons, Satya Nadella, CEO, Microsoft and Sundar Pichai, CEO, Alphabet and Google - have been conferred with the prestigious Padma Bhushan award earlier this year. This news is heartening and extremely encouraging for the IT industry considering the ups and downs that most companies have undergone owing to the pandemic. 

These awards will be conferred by the President of India at a ceremonial function which will be at the Rashtrapati Bhawan usually in March or April. “It’s an honor to receive a Padma Bhushan Award and to be recognized with so many extraordinary people. I’m thankful to the President, Prime Minister, and people of India, and look forward to continuing to work with  people across India to help them use technology to achieve more,” said Satya Nadella, CEO, Microsoft on Twitter after receiving the award in January 2022.

Industry veterans have appreciated the development and praised the Indian Government for giving the IT industry its much deserved impetus. “Congratulations to the three titans of the tech industry - N. Chandrasekaran, Sundar Pichai and Satya Nadella for being conferred the Padma Bhushan. Their contributions to the tech industry and the U.S. – India corridor have been remarkable. They inspire a generation and reaffirm that technology has the power to change the world for better,” said Som Satsangi, SVP and Managing Director, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, India to Dataquest.

This move, industry leaders say, will set a shining example for other industrialists and start-up entrepreneurs. CP Gurnani, MD and CEO, Tech Mahindra, said: “Satya(m) Sundar(am), Sekaran is the new chant of a brave new world! Technology has been the super glue that held the world together in the past two years, and I am delighted that the government has recognized three stellar pillars of this Industry with the Padma Bhushan. Each one of them is a shining inspiration for millions not just in India, but across the world and the recognition will spur thousands of curious young minds to imagine, ignite and innovate technology for good.”

The Padma awards are announced on Republic Day every year, and are given in various disciplines of activities such as art, social work, public affairs, science and engineering, trade and industry, medicine, literature and education, sports, and civil service. ‘Padma Vibhushan’ is awarded for exceptional and distinguished service; ‘Padma Bhushan’ for distinguished service of high order and ‘Padma Shri’ for distinguished service in any field.

This year the President has approved conferment of 128 Padma Awards including 2 duo case wherein the Award is counted as one. The list comprises 4 Padma Vibhushan, 17 Padma Bhushan and 107 Padma Shri Awards. 34 of the awardees are women and the list also includes 10 persons from the category of Foreigners, and 13 posthumous awardees.