Guess what? The IITians make news in the US of A not because they are being employed by the top IT and IT enabled services sectors, but because they are themselves leading IT firms, recruiting employees in hundreds. Each year the six IITs have more names making to the who's who list in the US business community than any other Indian institution, and most American universities as well. After 8-9 years of experience in the IT sector, many IITians overseas have turned entrepreneurs in the ventures linked to this industry. In fact large number of the IIT alumni have seen their net worth grow almost overnight to mind boggling millions or even billions of dollars. Ashutosh Roy, a product of IIT Delhi, co-founded eGain and has served as the Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the same firm since 1997. However, before this, he has headed Parsec Technologies, an international call centre software company from 1993 to 1995 before taking over as the Chairman of WhoWhere? Inc., Internet-service firm, which was later acquired by IT firm Lycos in 1998. After graduating from the Indian Institute of Technology, New Delhi, in 1987, Roy went on to do his Masters in Computer Science from Johns Hopkins University and an MBA from Stanford University. However, at the start of his career, he has served in various software engineering positions at Digital Equipment Corp. before moving on to become a successful industrialist. Ashutosh Roy had the skill, experience, imagination and enthusiasm to make it to the top. Gunjan Sinha is yet another IIT product who has made a mark in the international circuit. He is one of the partners in eGain, settled in the US, who is now capable of recruiting 300 candidates worldwide. He has spent ten years in various technical management and entrepreneurial positions developing, marketing and selling software and Internet services. He has also co-founded Viman Software, Inc., a network license management company, after obtaining an MS degree in computer science from the Indian Institute of Technology, New Delhi. Prior to this, he was an architect and designer of high performance multiprocessor servers at Olivetti Advanced Technology Center, in Cupertino, CA.

Courtesy: The Economic Times, July 28, 2004

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Infosys Technologies stands to shave off around 50% of its per capita training costs through its Campus Connect programme, according to Mr M P Ravindra, vice-president (education and research) at the company. Currently Infosys spends around Rs 2 lakh per trainee during their 16-week training period. Campus Connect, in which Infosys is investing a sum of Rs 10 crore, aims to help create and groom ''industry-ready'' professionals and if applied to Infy's case it could help reduce the training period by as much as three months. Campus Connect will tie up with numerous engineering colleges pan-India and provide these institutions an opportunity to access technology related information and courseware that is relevant to the IT industry, he added. Typically, the focus of Campus Connect are engineering students who in the sixth or eighth semester. The programme would help them meet project work related requirements, besides helping to build soft skills. Infosys Chairman and Chief Mentor N R Narayana Murthy said the company was forced to think on these lines in order to ensure that India doesn't lose its competitive edge in the global IT industry.

Courtesy: The Economic Times, July 28, 2004

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For the first time in the history of world motor biking, Indian two wheeler major TVS Motor Company & Out There Adventurers comprising a 7 member team will attempt a world record challenge on their Fiero FX, the 150 CC four stroke power bike. The "TVS Fiero FX - OutThere Adventurers World Record Challenge," a never before mobike expedition of seven bike enthusiasts will cover world's five highest motorable passes in 24 hrs, an attempt unchallenged until now. The expedition will be formally flagged off from New Delhi on July 21, 2004 and the real ascend to the Greater Himalayas will kickstart in the wee hours of the morning on 31 July in the freezing winds of Leh & will complete the 600 kilometers plus distance between Leh and Pang, crossing the five passes in a 24-hour period. If achieved, this expedition will mark their entry into the Guinness World Records - 'the highest point on earth that a motorcycle has ever been ridden.' The Indian Army will extend full support to the expedition.

Courtesy: The Pioneer, July 20, 2004

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The University of Warwick, U.K., on July 14, conferred the honorary doctorate degree in science on Venu Srinivasan, Chairman of the Chennai-based TVS Motor Company Ltd., for his excellence in manufacturing and contribution in the field of technology and research and development. Mr. Srinivasan, it is stated, is the first Indian industrialist to be honoured by Warwick University. The degree was conferred on him by the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. David VandeLinde. Prof. Bhattacharyya said Mr. Srinivasan managed to achieve what lesser men would have given up - that of developing your own products. He said Mr. Srinivasan had spent over £10 million on research and development with the Warwick Manufacturing Group alone to make the products of TVS Motor world class. In his acceptance speech, Mr. Srinivasan recalled the midlands' connection of the family that went back more than 50 years.

Courtesy: The Hindu, July 16, 2004

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Bangalore has pipped Hyderabad, Mumbai and Delhi to the post to get the country's first special NRI city. The government is setting up a special economic zone for overseas Indians in Karnataka soon. "This is a big project under the overseas Indians ministry and we have already tied up investment from NRIs and PIOs worth $2.5bn," Jagdish Tytler, the NRI affairs minister told ET. The economic zone will function as an NRI city within the city of Bangalore and the effort will be to attract investments in various areas like housing complexes, educational institutions, malls, infrastructure facilities, hotels and motels, IT and ITES units. The NRI ministry will set up a special information and redressal cell to tackle the problems faced by those who marry NRIs and are then abandoned.

Courtesy: The Economic Times, July 14, 2004

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European technology magazine Computer Business Review (CBR) has ranked Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) Chief Executive Officer S Ramadorai, as the fifth most influential person of technology sector, stating he represents the "recurring theme of outsourcing". The magazine, which is considered as 'The Economist' of IT industry, in a special report of 10 most influential people in technology sector termed Ramadorai as `Offshore King' and has ranked him next to Oracle chief Larry Ellison. Ramadorai is the only Asian in the list, which names EMC CEO Joe Tucci (`The Pugilist') as the most influential person in the world, followed by SCO Group president and CEO Darl McBride, who is termed as the `The Litigator'. The report said that "Subramanian Ramadorai has been nominated to represent the recurring theme of outsourcing and in particular offshore outsourcing". It also added that he led TCS to be the first Indian offshore firm to break the one-billion dollar revenue barrier. The Chinese government had earlier named Ramadorai as IT advisor for Qingdao and Hangzhou cities. Apart from being the CEO of TCS, he is also on the board of directors of Hindustan Lever and Nicholas Piramal.

Courtesy: The Economic Times, July 12, 2004

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It will be this summer's biggest Hollywood film with unique Indian connections. While Delhi-based costume designers Rangarsons have embroidered the Grecian designs on Brad Pitt's robes for the $100 million Hollywood blockbuster Troy, Jaipur-based jewellers Amrapali have created the silver gold plated necklaces, hairpins and earrings worn by Brad Pitt in the film. Impressed with their collection at Selfridges, the Warner Brothers Design Team headed by Ros Ward visited the Delhi showroom of Amrapali in April 2003 and picked up 12 sample designs of "Indian jewellery with a Greek look" for the film. She then returned to India to place the final order for "jewellery dipped in gold inspired by the Bonda tribe of Orissa, glass pendants crafted in a Greek genre of design and other oriental interpretation of the armlet and cummerbund." Brad Pitt himself is sporting a chunky silver Greek-style medallion made by the craftsmen of Rajasthan. "When the Warner Brothers Costume team first visited us, they found our collection exquisite. Amrapali is renowned for coupling primeval Indian designs and modern chic in their work. They are influenced by the traditions of the Rajput warrior clan in Rajasthan and the Toda tribe of Tamil Nadu. They also make a lot of fine filigree creations, pieces in hand beaten gold and silver, using gemstones like Rainbow Moonstone and crystal quartz.

Courtesy: The Asian Age, July 05, 2004

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