Shiv Nadar: The Resilient Leader

Early Life:

Birth:

Shiv Nadar was born on July 14, 1945, in Moolaipozhi village, Tamil Nadu, India.

Family:

His parents were Sivasubramaniya Nadar and Vamasundari Devi. His mother is the sister of S. P. Adithanar, founder of Dina Thanthi newspaper.

Education:

Shiv Nadar studied at various schools, including Town Higher Secondary School in Kumbakonam and St. Joseph Boys Higher Secondary School in Trichy. He received a pre-university degree from the American College, Madurai, and a degree in Electrical and Electronics Engineering from PSG College of Technology, Coimbatore.

Career:

Nadar began his career at Cooper Engineering Ltd. in Pune in 1967 but soon left to start his venture.
He, along with his partners, founded Microcomp, which focused on selling teledigital calculators in the Indian market.
In 1976, HCL (Hindustan Computers Limited) was founded with an initial investment of Rs. 187,000.
In 1980, HCL expanded internationally with the opening of Far East Computers in Singapore.
In July 2020, Shiv Nadar handed over the leadership to his daughter, Roshni Nadar, who became the first woman chair of a listed Indian IT company.

Philanthropy and Education:

In 1996, Nadar founded SSN College of Engineering in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, and actively contributed to its development.
He played a role in the executive board of the Indian School of Business and served as chairman of the board of governors at IIT Kharagpur.
Nadar’s SSN Trust announced the establishment of two Vidyagyan schools in Uttar Pradesh in 2008 to provide free scholarships to rural students.
Shiv Nadar has committed more than $1 billion to philanthropy, primarily focusing on education through the Shiv Nadar Foundation.

Personal Life:

Shiv Nadar’s daughter, Roshni Nadar, is the chairwoman of HCL.
His wife, Kiran Nadar, is an art collector and philanthropist.

Awards and Accolades:

In 2008, Shiv Nadar was awarded the Padma Bhushan by the Government of India for his contribution to the IT industry.
Madras University awarded him an honorary doctorate degree in 2007.
He received the E&Y Entrepreneur of the Year 2007 (Services) award.
Forbes listed him among the 48 Heroes of Philanthropy in Asia Pacific in 2011.
India Today magazine ranked Nadar 16th in India’s 50 most powerful people of 2017 list.
Shiv Nadar has made significant contributions to philanthropy, committing more than $1 billion.