The founder and the first CEO of Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), Fakir Chand Kohli passed away on Thursday after reportedly suffering a heart attack at the age of 96 yrs. A recipient of the Padma Bhushan, Kohli is called the 'Father of Indian IT Industry' and is credited for pioneering the technology revolution in India.
Kohli was born in Peshawar, where he did his schooling and did his college-level education in Lahore. He later went to Queen's University, Canada and completed B.Sc (Hons) in Electrical Engineering in 1948 and did his MS in Mechanical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1950.
TCS in statement noted that Kohli joined the company in 1969 at the behest of J.R.D. Tata.
Kohli stepped down as TCS' CEO in 1996 and continued to play an active role in promoting technology to solve the country's social problems.
Tata Sons Chairman N. Chandrasekaran said: "I am deeply saddened by the news that Mr F.C. Kohli passed away this afternoon. He was a true legend, who laid the very foundations for India's spectacular IT revolution and set the stage for the dynamic modern economy we enjoy today."
TCS CEO and Managing Director Rajesh Gopinathan described Kohli as a true visionary, showing amazing foresight in harnessing the rich engineering talent available in India to create an entire new industry that defied all odds and grew to be a global powerhouse.
TCS' former CEO S. Ramadorai said that Kohli was a brilliant technocrat and a business leader with varied interests. He was passionate about the development of the nation and its youth.
