In addition to being a TCS alumnus, N Chandrasekaran, Chairman of Tata Sons now has one more thing in common with his mentors S Ramadorai and the late F C Kolhi, being awarded the Padma Bhushan. Born in 1963 at Mohanur in Tamil Nadu, Chandra studied in a Government school before he did a bachelor’s in Applied Sciences from the Coimbatore Institute of Technology.
He earned his Master of Computer Applications (MCA) from the Regional Engineering College, Tiruchirappalli. He began his career in 1987 at TCS and went on to become the CEO of the IT major in 2009. During his tenure, TCS became the most valued company with a market capitalisation of over $70 billion in 2015-16. In 2016, Chandra was appointed as the Chairman of Tata Sons.
His vision is to build a digital platform that would make available a range of products and services, including food and grocery, consumer durables, financial services, education, and healthcare on a single super app, a radical shift for Tata group from the primarily brick and mortar existence of over 150 years. Chandra resides in Mumbai, with his wife Lalitha. He loves long-distance running which may explain the many milestones he has achieved during his long career.