In a time when computers were alien to most Indians, Shiv Nadar dared to dream of putting India on the global tech map. Not for the limelight. Not for power. But to solve problems, build something enduring, and uplift others along the way. This is the story of a man who didn’t just build a company, he built a legacy.
A Vision Born in a Small Tamil Nadu Village
Born in 1945 in Moolaipozhi, a quiet village near Tamil Nadu’s southern coast, Nadar’s early life was far from the world of microchips and global markets. Raised by a humble family, he was a curious child, fascinated by numbers and patterns. He went on to study electrical engineering, a decision that quietly set the course for India’s digital revolution.
After a few years in the corporate world, Nadar realized he was meant for more than following rules, he was born to rewrite them.
HCL: A Startup Before Startups Were Cool
In 1976, long before the term “startup” was trendy, Shiv Nadar and a few like-minded friends pooled together ₹187,000 to launch Hindustan Computers Limited (HCL) from a small Delhi office. Their first product was a homemade microcomputer, one of the first in India.
They weren’t trying to impress the world, they were trying to serve it. And slowly, word spread. HCL moved into Singapore in 1980, then into software services in the 1990s, transforming into what we now know as HCL Technologies.
Today, HCLTech operates in 60+ countries, employs over 227,000 people, and serves 250+ Fortune 500 companies. But to Nadar, the company was always more than a balance sheet. It was about people. About purpose.
The Heart Behind the Tech
Nadar never chased headlines. While competitors splashed their faces across billboards, he stayed behind the scenes, focused on building systems, not stardom. In 2020, he passed the baton to his daughter, Roshni Nadar Malhotra, making her the first woman to lead a major Indian IT firm. A proud moment, not just as a father, but as a mentor of visionaries.
He also believed that true success means giving back. Through the Shiv Nadar Foundation, launched in 1994, he’s poured over ₹12,000 crore into transformative education. Institutions like SSN College, Shiv Nadar University, and VidyaGyan schools have changed thousands of lives, especially in rural India.
Looking Ahead: Chips, AI, and Beyond
Today, HCLTech is writing its next big chapter, a semiconductor plant in partnership with Foxconn, near Noida’s Jewar Airport. This facility, backed by a ₹3,700 crore investment, aims to make India a global chipmaker, reducing our reliance on imports. It will produce 36 million chips a month, powering everything from smartphones to electric cars.
Alongside that, HCL is making waves in AI, cloud infrastructure, cybersecurity, and software-defined vehicles. The company’s Horizons AI platform is already helping enterprises become faster, smarter, and more human-centric.
Final Words: A Legacy Etched in Code and Compassion
Shiv Nadar’s journey isn’t just a tech success story. It’s a human story. Of belief. Of simplicity. Of quietly changing the world without needing to shout about it.
In an industry often driven by ego, Nadar stood apart with humility and depth. His story teaches us that success isn’t just about building empires, it’s about building people, building futures, and building India.
And that… is how you truly code a legacy.
