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: are CNBC Asia Pacific’s ‘Asia Business Leader of the Year 2002 Award’, being named one of the ‘25 most influential IT consultants in the world’ by Consulting magazine, and being appointed IT advisor to China’s Qingdao City.

After work, Ramadorai enjoys listening to Hindustani and Carnatic music, reading and taking long walks.

It has been said in industry cricles that the IT industry in India wouldn’t have taken off without the vision, perception and leadership of K P P Nambiar, 75.

Born in a middle class family in Kannur in north Kerala, Nambiar went to school in Kerala, while his higher academic pursuits were in Chennai, Mumbai and London. He did his Master’s in Electronics and Communication from Imperial College of Science and Technology, University of London. He started his career doing research in semi-conductor technology in Imperial College during 1954-57 and in early sixties he left his job in Texas Instruments, US, to come to India as manager of projects for Philips.

Nambiar founded the Tata Electronic Research and Development Labs and also served as general manager of Nelco. He was instrumental in Tatas diversifying from electrical to electronics and communications.

In 1973, the same patriotic spirit that brought Nambiar to India attracted him to Kerala, where he was offered the responsibility of nurturing India’s first state government-owned public electronics enterprise, Keltron.

Nambiar was also instrumental in taking electronics to the villages by setting up 50 women’s co-operatives that produced most of the consumer products sold by Keltron. He also developed the R&D Centre for Keltron. After serving Keltron for a decade, he took on the post of chairman and managing director ITI Ltd and later on secretary, Department of Electronics (1986-89). A few years back he set up Kannur Power Projects Ltd in north Kerala.

Paralysis and age has not withered Nambiar nor his enthusiasm and determination to keep working. At present he is chairman, IIM, Kozhikode, Indian Institute of Information Technology and Management, Kerala, and Namtech Group, Bangalore.

Nambiar was honoured with the Republic Day Award in 1973, by CSIR, National Design Award in 1985 by the Institution of Engineers and Electronics Man of the Year in 1995 by ELCINA.

He has been given the Padma Shri this year.