UNSUNG HEROES AND MAVERICKS WHO MADE THE INDIAN IT MAGIC

Hearing the word 'Maverick' may remind you of Tom Cruise before you think of the equally adventurous firmament of the Indian software industry. But reading some lines from the book called 'The Maverick Effect' will tell you, without doubt, that Harish Mehta has flown into every tricky and exciting corner that the pilots of Indian IT trajectory struggled with, enjoyed and blazed a trail with. Mehta, a prominent angel investor, the founder and executive chairperson of Onward Technologies Ltd. and the founding member and the first elected chairman of NASSCOM, has a lot to recount, and interpret, as he flies back into the memory lane of the last few pivotal decades. Like legends like Dewang Mehta and FC Kohli. Like facing turning points of the scale that the Satyam Crisis or Outsourcing business was. Like the equation between Nasscom and MAIT, work-life balance, IP and much more that adds substance to the gloss of this industry.

- Pratima H

Sit back and find out why he says: "Nasscom was like a start-up with nothing much to lose. We were as hungry as we were foolish." Lean forward and ask why he observes: “Today, an Indian engineer is respected more than an average engineer from the West. Some of us may take glory for granted. But none of it was accidental." Let's start that jet-ride with this interview.

What spurred you to write this book-was it always taking shape in your mind or was there a specific trigger or eureka moment?

I am reminded of an African proverb as I respond to this question: "Until the lions have their historians, tales of the hunt shall always glorify the hunter."

In the Indian IT and NASSCOM's case, there hasn't been an historian to write about our tales. The trigger was not a singular event, per se. The seed of the book was planted over the years when people asked me how the IT industry came into existence and the role played by NASSCOM in it. People would also wonder how an institution like NASSCOM survived with so many strong personalities at the helm, especially when each of them was a fierce competitor. While answering those questions, I realized that no one has tried to piece together the NASSCOM history. Also, our industry still doesn't get the long-overdue respect for its contribution to the shaping of the country. I wanted to rectify that and talk about the role played by NASSCOM in the same. Finally, with the book I wanted to shed light on the unsung heroes and mavericks that made this magic happen!

Which is your favourite chapter in this and why?