point
The Smart Techie was renamed Siliconindia India Edition starting Feb 2012 to continue the nearly two decade track record of excellence of our US edition.

April - 2000 - issue > Cover Feature

NRI Hi-Tech Entrepreneurs Are Compassionate Capitalists

Friday, November 21, 2008

When I look at Silicon Valley Indians, I do so with great pride and satisfaction. The “Silicon Warriors,” as I like to call them, have done yeoman service to the nation. When somebody talks of India, particularly in the United States, they do with a great deal more respect now than ten years ago. This is because the Silicon Warriors have enhanced the image of India immeasurably.
I have always said that a certain percentage of smart Indians will have to go out of the country and do well in diverse fields, diverse societies and different countries. This was, to my mind, the best way to “brand” India. In the case of technology, at least, this is exactly what has been achieved by the many Indians, most of them in Silicon Valley but a lot many in other parts of the United States too.

Many people have asked me why I did not choose to come to the US or to Silicon Valley to start a company. To be honest, it is a thought that never crossed my mind. I worked in France in the early 1970s and then hitchhiked my way back to India. When I joined hands with some friends to start Infosys Technologies, every one of us was of the opinion that we should create an enterprise that will provide opportunities to Indians in India. We never considered anything else.

We, of course, borrowed some features that Silicon Valley firms employed in creating the Infosys of the ’90s. Any visitor to our office, especially those from the US, thinks it is very much like a Silicon Valley firm. Actually, I believe it resembles more an American campus; we have a gymnasium, basketball courts, an amphitheater and a variety of other facilities that are common in technology companies in the US.

We also adopted as our stated goal world-class technology and reward our employees in line with global standards. Infosys was the first Indian company to award stock options to its employees. In fact, we did it with a difference, customizing it to the Indian environment in a manner that benefited our employees the most.


Share on Twitter
Share on LinkedIn
Share on facebook