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Dewang Mehta personified enthusiasm, ambition, and energy. He had the uncanny ability
to connect human hearts with profoundly impacting trends, helping thereby to bring
diverse groups of people to a common agenda. He could visualise the power of the Indian
IT Industry to build the India brand, which eventually will lead to economic emancipation
of a nation, making India a major economic power.
In 1991 November, soon after the inauguration of RS Software in Kolkata, I went to
attend my first NASSCOM annual event in Bangalore. I was introduced to Dewang and
we met like we were long-lost brothers. His charisma was apparent throughout the event,
complemented by his visible ease of connecting with people. When he spoke, people
listened, when he showed his passion, people felt inspired, and his unmistaken political
appeal won the minds and hearts of dignitaries and leaders present. He had a single focus
to make NASSCOM the driver for the growth of the industry, which has now surpassed
what was even dreamt of, in 1991. I was invited to join the NASSCOM executive council,
and the next 9+ years culminated into the most amazing journey where we could work
together to build the foundation for the global reach of IT Industry.
Dewang was a storehouse of energy, and his attention to details was par excellence.
He was really hard on himself, and at the same time demanded nothing but the best
from all at the NASSCOM secretariat, the NASSCOM EC, and the industry leaders.
He built NASSCOM as his venture, and guarded it zealously, while benchmarking its
functioning to the highest standards. Dewang ensured amazing improvements year after
year while organizing the NASSCOM conferences, making them a brand ambassador
for the industry association. I remember how he leveraged the growth of the industry to
attract the most successful icons to the events in India. Bill Gates visited India several
times starting with March 1997. Dewang was at his best when he presented the Ganesha
to Bill Gates, and said that the Indian mouse is auspicious and the symbol of wealth
was in tribute to his leadership and wide acceptability that his mortal remains were brought
back to India by Pramod Mahajan, the then Minister for IT and Telecommunication.
Today, the flourishing software industry in India needs to celebrate Dewang for all his
work in building its foundation in the country.
(
Padma Bhushan) r.F.C. Kohli
Former Dy. Chairman, TCS and Former Chairman, NASSCOM
Dewang Mehta with Narayana Murthy and Rajesh Hukku
