Kiran Karnik

Quiet strength



Kiran Karnik had some commendable work behind him, at ISRO and Discovery
Channel. But in the IT industry it was "Kiran who?" when his name was

announced as Nasscom president following Dewang Mehta's demise. Not many were

sure that the soft-spoken Karnik would be able to take up Mehta's mantle. Five

years down, the doubters are silenced. Karnik has proved to all that there is

resolute will behind the quiet and courteous exterior. During his tenure, the

software and services industry has seen explosive growth, despite the several

crises on the way-which Nasscom responded to very effectively: the

anti-outsourcing wave in the US, the BPO data theft scandals, the H1B visa

issue. Karnik has also effectively turned Nasscom from a one-man crusade into a

professionally-run organization.