25 Defining Moments of Indian IT

Skewed growth, a number of firsts, tragic exits, landmark deals and pioneering personalities, Indian IT
has been defined by this and much more. Here is a compilation of 25 such moments that shaped Indian
IT into what it is today

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.