: The man has a relaxed air about him. He doesn’t seem to be in a hurry. Guess that’s a trait with top scientists. P Anandan, managing director of Microsoft Research India, points towards a plush Lazyboy chair and even wants you to stretch out and then shoot the questions. That would have been too much relaxation and hence one straightens up the chair to start the discussion. Being a Friday afternoon, Anandan looked even more at peace, in a kurta pyjama, at his office.

He has been heading operations at Microsoft Research since January 2005. The firm conducts research in computing and engineering sciences relevant to Microsoft’s business in particular and the global IT community in general. The emphasis, according to the company, is on technology for emerging markets and underserved communities, digital geographics, mobility and networks, and multilingual systems. This apart from some critical work in other areas such...