NASSCOM appoints Mindtree's Krishnakumar as new chairman

BANGALORE, INDIA: National Association of Software and Services Companies (NASSCOM) announced on Monday that its Executive Council has appointed Krishnakumar Natarajan (also known as KK), chief executive officer & managing director of Mindtree Ltd., as the chairman of NASSCOM for 2013-14.

KK has been a member of NASSCOM's Executive Council and will take over the new role from N. Chandrasekaran, chief executive officer & managing director of TCS, who served as chairman of NASSCOM for 2012-13, on April 8, 2013. The Executive Council also announced the appointment of R. Chandrasekaran, group chief executive, Technology & Operations at Cognizant, as the vice-chairman of NASSCOM for 2013-14.

On his new role, KK said, "NASSCOM has played a key role in propelling the Indian IT-BPM industry to reach its $100 billion milestone in 2012-13. I am very happy to be a part of this achievement. I feel privileged and look forward to lead NASSCOM in its next journey of taking the industry to achieve the vision and aspiration of $300 billion revenues by 2020."

"Having chaired the emerging and SME initiative of NASSCOM over the past few years, I firmly believe that emerging companies and start-ups are key growth engines for the future of this industry. With our collective vision, we aim to help this budding segment, along with the rest of the industry to make it a trustworthy, respected, innovative, and society-friendly industry in the world."

The new vice-chariman, R. Chandrasekaran, lauded NASSCOM for being instrumental in catalyzing a leadership position for the Indian IT-BPM industry and for being the industry's voice for over two decades now. "I look forward to working with NASSCOM in taking its outlined vision to greater heights and helping the Indian IT-BPM industry sustain its growth trajectory."

The outgoing chairman, N. Chandrasekaran expressed confidence that the industry body would play a larger role in leveraging new opportunities, global branding, drive thought leadership and help set global standards and policies for the industry.

According to a release, KK, R. Chandrasekaran and NASSCOM president Som Mittal will lead from front to enable NASSCOM in achieving the 2020 vision for the industry.

In March, an independent Expert Committee of NASSCOM, chaired by Infosys Limited's chairman emeritus, N.R. Narayana Murthy, set an highly ambitious target of $300 billion aggregate revenues for the Indian IT industry by 2020.

Also read: Murthy-led panel sets $300 bn target for Indian IT by 2020

The panel has also suggested the body to realign its priorities, that includes expanding focus on industry segments based on size and potential and position India as an innovative solution provider and preferred destination.

Apart from that, it suggested the body to help develop capabilities in next generation technologies and platforms in partnership with the industry as well as build new markets and customer segments and thrust on skill development and domain. Moreover, it insisted on a collaborative program to evangelize, engage and support incubation to build entrepreneurial ecosystem in India.