Rajendra Pawar of NIIT to be next Nasscom chairman

NIIT Ltd co-founder and chairman Rajendra S Pawar is set to become the new chairman of IT industry body National Association of Software and Services Companies (Nasscom) for the year 2011-12.

Pawar, who was also one of the founder members of Nasscom, will take charge from tomorrow. He was also the vice-chairman of Nasscom’s executive council. He will replace Accenture’s Harsh Manglik.

Known for his entrepreneurial skills, Pawar will take on the role as the country’s IT sector is coming back on the growth track after being hit by global economic slowdown in 2008.

Nasscom is expected to announce Pawar’s appointment tomorrow after its executive council meeting.

Pawar (60) has pioneered computer education market in India, when he co-founded NIIT in 1981.

The NIIT Group now encompasses two businesses — NIIT Technologies Ltd, the software and services arm, and NIIT Ltd, the leading Global Talent Development Corporation.

He led NIIT’s foray into the software and services market, creating NIIT Technologies, a global IT solutions organisation.

Besides NIIT, Pawar is a member of Prime Minister’s National Council on Skill Development, a council chaired by prime minister. He is a member of the Planning Commission’s Task Force on Skill Development.

He did his schooling from the Scindia School, Gwalior and graduated from IIT, Delhi in 1972 where he pursued B Tech programme in electrical engineering.