Shiv Nadar sharing his views on HCL's 40th Anniversary
Summary
TLDRThe speaker reflects on the journey of HCL Technologies, starting 40 years ago with humble beginnings in the digital products division of a major Indian company. They discuss the early days of computing, the rise and fall of tech giants, and HCL's resilience. The narrative highlights key milestones like launching the first 8-bit computer system and the computerization project in 1981. It underscores the importance of dreaming big, embracing failure, and having a global mindset. The speaker also emphasizes HCL's strong technical foundation, its people-centric culture, and the company's commitment to social initiatives, like empowering rural communities.
Takeaways
- 🚀 **Innovation and Entrepreneurship**: The speaker reflects on the journey of starting a business in the digital products division and the importance of innovation.
- 💡 **Government Partnership**: They approached the government for support, highlighting the role of public-private partnerships in innovation.
- 🌐 **Evolution of Technology**: The discussion covers the rapid evolution of technology from 8-bit processors to modern computing systems.
- 📈 **Growth and Expansion**: The company grew to a significant size with a global presence, emphasizing the importance of ambition and risk-taking.
- 🏆 **Milestones and Achievements**: Key milestones like launching the first 8-bit computer system and the computerization project in 1981 are highlighted.
- 🌟 **Leadership and Teamwork**: The speaker emphasizes the importance of strong leadership and teamwork in the success of the company.
- 🌱 **Adaptability and Learning**: The company's ability to adapt to changing rules and learn from experiences is underscored.
- 🌐 **Global Partnerships**: The significance of forming global partnerships for long-term success is discussed.
- 💼 **Corporate Social Responsibility**: The company's involvement in social initiatives, such as working in villages, is mentioned.
- 🌱 **Long-term Vision**: The speaker stresses the importance of having a long-term vision and not confining the business to an 'Indian business' mindset.
Q & A
What was the initial challenge faced by the speaker and Arjun Malhotra in starting their own venture?
-The initial challenge was that they couldn't put together all the money or get all the approvals needed to start their own venture.
How did the speaker's company approach the government for their venture?
-They approached the government with the idea, and the government was happy to support it, which is how their venture started.
What was the technological landscape like 40 years ago when the speaker started?
-Forty years ago, the landscape was dominated by mainframes, and 8-bit processors were just emerging. IBM PCs had not been conceived yet, and companies like Apple and HCL were just starting.
What was the speaker's company's initial focus?
-The company initially focused on digital products and the development of early computer systems.
How has the speaker's company grown over the years?
-The company has grown to be worth 7.2 billion dollars, with a global presence and a significant portion of its value belonging to its employees.
What is the speaker's philosophy on setting rules for the company?
-The speaker believes in not adhering to fixed rules but instead doing whatever is the right set of rules at the given time.
What is the speaker's advice on dreaming big?
-The speaker advises to dream big, be ready to fail, and understand that success might come unexpectedly.
How does the speaker describe the technical strength of the company?
-The speaker describes the company as having a very strong technical core, with the best talent in the world, as evidenced by the leaders found in HCL labs.
What significant milestones has the company achieved?
-The company achieved milestones such as launching the first 8-bit computer system, computerizing education, and helping build the National Stock Exchange in India.
What was the speaker's experience with the National Stock Exchange project?
-The speaker was involved in a high-stakes project to assist the National Stock Exchange, which was a significant challenge but ultimately successful, leading to the start of trading on Diwali a year later.
How does the speaker view the importance of global partnerships for the company?
-The speaker sees global partnerships as crucial, having established partnerships with companies like Perot Systems and others, which have played out well despite being risky.
What is the speaker's perspective on the future of Indian businesses?
-The speaker believes that no business should be viewed as just an Indian business. Instead, companies should have a global mindset to succeed in the long run.
Outlines
🌐 Early Days of Digital Computing
The speaker reminisces about the early days of digital computing, dating back 40 years to a time when 8-bit processors were emerging. He discusses his time at DCM, a leading Indian company, where he and a friend, Arjun Malhotra, pondered why more people didn't venture out to start their own businesses. They eventually approached the government with their ideas, leading to the establishment of a new venture. The narrative touches on the infancy of modern computing, mentioning that IBM was focused on mainframes and Apple and HCL were just beginning. The speaker reflects on the evolution of the industry, noting that while many companies have come and gone, a few like Apple have endured. He emphasizes the importance of dreaming big, taking risks, and being prepared for failure, as success may come unexpectedly. The speaker also highlights the growth of HCL to a $7.2 billion global company, with a focus on technical excellence and a culture of innovation, driven by many teams and individuals.
🚀 Impactful Milestones and Partnerships
The speaker discusses significant milestones in the IT industry, including the establishment of the National Stock Exchange in India and the transformation of the capital market in the early 90s. He shares his experience with the dot-com era, emphasizing that while they did not directly participate, they recognized the enduring potential of the internet. The narrative includes the formation of global partnerships, such as with Perot Systems and Deluxe, which were considered risky but ultimately successful. A notable project involved assisting the National Stock Exchange, which was a high-stakes endeavor. The speaker recounts a moment when they were chosen over AT&T for a contract, highlighting the trust placed in their company due to their local presence and commitment. He also shares a personal anecdote about the launch of trading on Diwali, a significant achievement that was met with both excitement and relief. The speaker praises the courage and fearlessness of young executives in the company, who are driven by the same values and are not intimidated by challenges, even in difficult circumstances.
🌟 Global Mindset and Long-Term Vision
In this paragraph, the speaker stresses the importance of having a global mindset rather than confining business to an Indian context. He argues that businesses must look beyond national boundaries to thrive in the long term, as global companies will dominate. The speaker encourages a forward-looking approach, suggesting that the long-term vision is built on a series of tomorrows. He also touches on the company's ventures into talent and health, indicating a desire to diversify and expand into adjacent fields. The paragraph concludes with a call to action for businesses to adopt a broader perspective and to prepare for a future where global competition is the norm.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡DCM
💡Arjun Malhotra
💡8-bit processors
💡IBM PCs
💡National Stock Exchange
💡HCL Technologies
💡Global Partnerships
💡Entrepreneurship
💡Innovation
💡Opportunities
💡Talent
Highlights
Recounting 40 years ago, the speaker worked at DCM, the fourth-largest company in India, focusing on digital products.
The speaker and Arjun Malhotra considered creating something new, but funding and approvals were challenging, leading them to approach the government.
The early era of 8-bit processors is mentioned, predating IBM PCs and coinciding with the birth of Apple and HCL.
HCL launched the first 8-bit computer system, alongside Apple’s introduction of Apple II.
The company achieved a significant milestone in 1981 with the computerization project.
AIT was founded with the vision of establishing computer education as a subsistence, impacting India's IT industry.
HCL played a key role in building the National Stock Exchange in India during the early 1990s, revolutionizing the capital market.
The company strategically embraced high-risk partnerships, including with Perot Systems and Deluxe, which ultimately proved successful.
HCL won a significant contract against AT&T to assist the National Stock Exchange, a project initiated by Dr. Manmohan Singh and Dr. Patel.
The project was executed with a high level of technical expertise, which allowed HCL to triumph over larger competitors.
HCL's leadership demonstrated resilience by competing against AT&T and securing the project during a challenging period.
Despite being a smaller company at the time, HCL's commitment to the project ensured its long-term success, including the introduction of trading on Diwali.
The company’s work with the National Stock Exchange marked a turning point, highlighting its capability in high-stakes situations.
HCL's leaders, even in their 20s, were unafraid and driven by the belief that nothing is too small or unachievable.
The HCL Foundation exemplifies the company’s commitment to social responsibility, with young executives working fearlessly in rural areas.
Transcripts
forty years you back him to just maybe
ten minutes or five minutes I was
working in DCM which at the time for the
fourth largest company in India and we
were working the digital products
division a very dear friend Arjun Arjun
Malhotra and I used to talk many times
about why don't people step out and do
this ourselves we couldn't put together
all the money or get all the approvals
so we tried to do this for the
government so we approached the you Pig
and they were happy to do this and
that's how it all started we thought
that you know back Prosser based systems
I was very very long way to go that plus
at the very beginning
when you go back 40 years then at the
time when 8-bit back processors with
just about coming up we are referring to
a period when IBM pcs had not not even
been conceived and this is the dates of
Apple and Apple and HCl were born more
or less on the same time they were 476
so early their shipments were 78 Suez
ours and uttered an ass there was no one
in modern computing IBM was at the time
in mainframes and probably a couple of
Japanese companies and today 40 years
later there are still Apple went ups and
down but still there and it feel is
still there but that's pretty much it
the rest came and went we did you know
we didn't go into anything saying that
these are the rules
we did whatever was the right set of
rules at the timeframe now we are 7.2
billion dollars and a 6.2 which is
global and a billion or so
it belongs to the people who formats you
don't they actually make what its ear is
today they made what the deal was at
that time and the ready took it never
afraid dream big and take faults and the
stride you know when you dream it should
be ready to fail you know when you dream
the money is going to show up sometime
and it just gives comes in the morning
and then well the evening comes and then
there is one more dream to go to the
corporation has cut its executive Kara
which is very strong technically Kara
which is unquestionably the best in the
world if we go to any HCl lab you'll
find the leaders there and the people
who join you know join pretty much teams
and its ear is made of many many teams
if we have 100 of gent thousand
employees time is the more important
element and the world is full of
opportunities it's in front of you
so don't be afraid you are much stronger
now hear this taking ability as one
element this time if you figure in
disgusting cold one year and then take a
decision by the knob gentle of God okay
we never let that happen before we went
on I think it's made up of some superb
experiences we launched the first 8-bit
computer system in the world and first
weight CEO and it was around the time
when Apple introduced Apple 2 which is a
college at the time our big milestones
were I suppose the computerization
project which we undertook in 1981 h2 in
the timeframe then in AIT which began
its a
conceive of computer education as
subsistence by itself it rolled on the
dreams of many many class people who
form the IT industry today and somewhere
in the early 90s when we helped build
the national stock exchange and change
the face of capital market of India
together and then then ted.com we
actually didn't go into the dot-com bay
but we knew that internet was going to
be there forever and our whole sense of
partnerships globally starting on solid
market then perot systems then deluxe
then largely one after another we
embrace partnerships across some events
you know which were highly risky but
played out well one distinctly is that I
put my head into it when we took up this
project of assisting the National Stock
Exchange to combat at a very high very
high resolution because
you know at the instance of the den
Finance Minister Dr Manmohan Singh dr.
Patel who was manning director of
national stock exchange suddenly told us
that we won the contract and we have
Israelis partner the time
gilad and
put me in front of hundred Pressman in
Bombay and I wasn't sure what timeframe
light which we have to implemented said
we have chosen HCl and let's and be won
against AT&T so here is HCl a small
company and there is a TMT in 21
and he said that's because the main they
asked what are the main reason the
apartment company offices a very small
Israeli company they said that what they
are Indian they'll be here and as
history has it AT&T did leave India at
the time and it still did today at this
time and at the calling glory he said we
will be starting trading on more Earth
Day on Diwali
a year later and I had not seen any
plans to get to trading on more holiday
I'm the valley and well it did happen
and I was looking up in the sky to say
that I hope the trading has started now
to seven or eight o'clock in the evening
and the trading did start very exciting
moment I work with many end people you
know in the Chairman's office there of
many people who are in their 20s and I
have seen them
absolutely unafraid the people are the
same it is just that when they take that
attitude you know nothing seems to be
small
when these people's has gone cross and
talk to everybody to them everyone is
equal all opportunities should be
addressed well measure so some glimpse
of this when I see a very very happy
about it there is one part of what we do
I like it's self foundation and I've
seen young executives of its here there
are in all about 200 of them working in
the villages north of Lucknow in
district are doing again displaying the
same set of values totally driven by
courage fearless
I can't think that area which is as
dangerous as that 23 24 year old girls
going up and you know working around it
8:00 in the evening or 9 o'clock at
night I feel afraid sometimes
see finally no business can be just be
an Indian business
we have reentered the business of talent
and health is the most adjacent
combination of whatever we have done we
have added but we have to just look at
this long ahead and don't look upon it
as an Indian business there is no
business if anyone looks upon it as
Indian business is going to serve life
in a longer run the global companies
will dominate so have that mindset but
nearly long-term is made of many
tomorrow
浏览更多相关视频
Following the Make In India concept -Talking to || Amit Singh || CMD || Olatech Solutions || SME ||
Building the E commerce for India - Blinkit | Tanaya Lal
TATA Group: The Full History
History of ISRO | A Journey from Bicycle to Sun | Aditya L1 | UPSC | Drishti IAS
Keynote Speaker: Tony Hsieh • Presented By • Speakers.com • Advice for Entrepreneurs
Corporate Culture Mod 4 Part 2
5.0 / 5 (0 votes)