21
Dewang Mehta was the
Hanuman
of the Indian software industry. Hanuman's key
strength
—
being
pawan putra
(
the son of the wind God)
—
was speed. Information
technology is connected with speed and Dewang Mehta matched that speed whenever
the industry needed it.
Dewang Mehta brought a tremendous style and panache to the software industry.
At one time it used to be said that beauty and IT go together. His associations
with the National Institute of Fashion Technology probably proved this point.
NASSCOM’s Annual Meetings were always graced by a vibrant fashion show! Of
course, Dewang Mehta was the supreme impresario as well as the master of
ceremonies. We used to wonder how he could rattle off the names of the charming
fashion models without batting an eyelid. He was the most eligible bachelor in the
country when death snatched him so cruelly away from us.
The Greeks have a saying that those whom the Gods love, die young. All of us in
the software industry and Indians, in general, who are proud that at last there is one sector
where we are globally recognized, loved Dewang. But perhaps the Gods loved him more.
n
(
N. Vittal was a bureaucrat Dewang Mehta admired. Dewang always respected him for the pioneering work he had undertaken to
catalyze the growth of the IT sector during his DoE Secretary days. N. Vittal not only made the Government aware about the latent
potential of the software industry, he also worked towards removing the bottlenecks and procedural hurdles that lay in the path of
India's software exporting fraternity. Dewang and N. Vittal shared a relationship based on mutual respect and camaraderie and the
passing years only strengthened this bond.)
NASSCOM completes 10 years
