Shiv Nadar

Early life

Born in 1945, Shiv Nadar hails from Moolaipozhi Village in Thoothukudi district, Tamil Nadu, India, which is located approximately 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) from Tiruchendur. His parents were Sivasubramaniya Nadar and Vamasundari Devi, the latter being the sister of S.P. Adithanar, the founder of Dina Thanthi newspaper.

Nadar attended Town Higher Secondary School in Kumbakonam and also studied at Elango Corporation Higher Secondary School in Madurai. From there, he continued his education at St. Joseph Boys Higher Secondary School in Trichy, where he completed his high school education. He then received his pre-university degree from the American College in Madurai before obtaining a degree in Electrical and Electronics Engineering from PSG College of Technology in Coimbatore.

Nadar went on to complete his Masters in Business Administration from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Delhi. He started his career at the Delhi-based DCM company, where he worked on a computer-aided design project.

Shiv Nadar’s daughter, Roshni Nadar, is currently serving as the chairwoman of HCL.

Kiran Shiv Nadar, Shiv Nadar’s wife, is a philanthropist and art collector based in India.

Career

Shiv Nadar’s career began at Cooper Engineering Ltd. in Pune, which was part of the Walchand group, in 1967. However, he left soon after to start his own venture with the help of friends and colleagues, including Ajai Chowdhry (Ex-Chairman, HCL), Arjun Malhotra (CEO and Chairman, Headstrong), Subhash Arora, Yogesh Vaidya, S. Raman, Mahendra Pratap, and DS Puri. Together, they founded Microcomp, a company focused on selling teledigital calculators in the Indian market.

In 1976, the group founded HCL with an initial investment of Rs. 187,000. In 1980, HCL expanded into the international market by opening Far East Computers in Singapore to sell IT hardware. The venture generated revenue of Rs. 1 million in the first year and continued to serve the Singapore operations. Although Nadar remained the largest shareholder, he did not retain any management control.

Nadar established the SSN College of Engineering in Chennai, Tamil Nadu in 1996, naming it after his father, Sivasubramaniya Nadar. He actively participated in the college’s affairs, even presenting HCL shares worth Rs. 10 lakh to the institution. In 2006, he announced plans for the college to emphasize research while also ensuring that students benefit from partnerships with foreign universities. Nadar was appointed to the executive board of the Indian School of Business in 2005. In March 2008, his SSN Trust declared that it would establish two Vidyagyan schools in Uttar Pradesh to provide free scholarships to 200 students from 50 rural districts in the state. He donated computers and equipment worth Rs. 80 lakh to the Town Higher Secondary School in February 2011 and served as the chairman of the board of governors of the Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur (IIT Kharagpur or IIT-KGP), a technical institute, until 2014.

Under Nadar’s leadership, HCL grew to become one of India’s largest IT services companies, with a global presence in over 30 countries. Nadar stepped down as chairman of HCL Technologies in 2020, after leading the company for over four decades.

Nadar handed over the reins to his daughter, Roshni Nadar, who became the first woman chair of a listed Indian IT company. The following year, in July 2021, he also relinquished his position as managing director of HCL Technologies and was succeeded by C Vijay Kumar, the company’s CEO, for a five-year term.

Forbes magazine ranked Nadar as the third richest person in India in October 2021, with an estimated net worth of US$31 billion (Rs.2,36,600 Crores).

Apart from his entrepreneurial achievements, Nadar is also known for his philanthropic work. He established the Shiv Nadar Foundation in 1994, which supports education initiatives in India, including the Shiv Nadar University, which offers undergraduate and postgraduate programs in various disciplines.

In recognition of his contributions to the IT industry and philanthropy, Nadar has received several awards and honors, including the Padma Bhushan, one of India’s highest civilian awards, in 2008, and the Forbes India Leadership Award for Lifetime Achievement in 2015.

Net Worth

His net worth is currently estimated to be 25.6 Billion in March of 2023.

Achievement

Shiv Nadar has received several awards and honors for his contributions to the IT industry, business, and philanthropy. Here are some of his notable awards and achievements:

Padma Bhushan - In 2008, he was awarded the Padma Bhushan, one of India's highest civilian awards, for his contributions to the IT industry and philanthropy.

Forbes India Leadership Award - In 2015, he received the Forbes India Leadership Award for Lifetime Achievement for his contributions to the IT industry and philanthropy.

CNBC Asia Business Leader Awards - He was named the CNBC Asia Business Leader of the Year in 2007 for his outstanding contributions to the IT industry.

Dataquest Lifetime Achievement Award - In 2005, he received the Dataquest Lifetime Achievement Award for his contributions to the IT industry.

Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award - In 2007, he received the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award for his outstanding contribution to the IT industry.

Business Today Lifetime Achievement Award - In 2008, he was honored with the Business Today Lifetime Achievement Award for his contributions to the IT industry and philanthropy.

Indian Business Leader Award - In 2006, he received the Indian Business Leader Award for his outstanding contributions to the IT industry and entrepreneurship.

These are just a few of the many awards and honors that Shiv Nadar has received over the years for his contributions to the IT industry, business, and philanthropy.