Shiv Nadar (born 14 July 1945) is an Indian businessman and philanthropist who founded HCL, one of India’s first computer companies, in 1976. Under his leadership HCL Technologies grew into one of the country’s largest IT services companies, with operations in dozens of countries. Through the Shiv Nadar Foundation he has set up engineering colleges, a university and schools for rural children, and he is regularly named India’s most generous donor. He handed over the chairmanship of HCL Technologies to his daughter, Roshni Nadar Malhotra, in 2020.
Quick Facts
| Full name | Shiv Nadar |
| Born | 14 July 1945, Moolaipozhi, Thoothukudi district, Tamil Nadu, India |
| Age | 81 |
| Education | PSG College of Technology, Coimbatore (electrical engineering) |
| Occupation | Businessman, philanthropist |
| Known for | Founder of HCL; Shiv Nadar Foundation |
| Spouse | Kiran Nadar |
| Children | Roshni Nadar Malhotra |
| Honours | Padma Bhushan (2008) |
Early Life
Nadar was born in a village in what is now Thoothukudi district of Tamil Nadu. His father, Sivasubramania Nadar, was a judge, and his mother was Vamasundari Devi. Because his father’s job involved frequent transfers, he studied in several towns in Tamil Nadu. He completed his pre-university course at The American College in Madurai and earned a degree in electrical and electronics engineering from PSG College of Technology in Coimbatore.
Career
Nadar began his career at Cooper Engineering in Pune and then moved to Delhi to join DCM’s new office equipment and calculator business. There he worked with a group of young engineers who wanted to build computers in India.
In 1976 Nadar and five colleagues, including Arjun Malhotra, left DCM and started Microcomp, which grew into Hindustan Computers Limited (HCL). They began by selling calculators and later built some of India’s first home-grown microcomputers. After IBM left India in 1978, HCL became a major supplier of computers in the country. In the 1990s the group set up HCL Technologies to provide software and IT services to companies abroad.
HCL Technologies was listed on the stock market in 2000 and grew rapidly through outsourcing contracts and acquisitions, including the British firm Axon Group in 2008. Nadar promoted an “Employees First, Customers Second” management approach, championed by his chief executive, Vineet Nayar. By the time Nadar stepped down as chairman in July 2020, HCL Technologies was one of India’s four largest IT companies. He remained chairman emeritus and strategic adviser to the board.
Philanthropy
Nadar started the Shiv Nadar Foundation in 1994. It established SSN College of Engineering in Chennai (1996), named after his father; Shiv Nadar University in Greater Noida (2011); VidyaGyan, free boarding schools for talented rural students in Uttar Pradesh; and Shiv Nadar Schools. His wife, Kiran Nadar, set up the Kiran Nadar Museum of Art in New Delhi. Nadar has repeatedly topped the EdelGive Hurun India Philanthropy List, which ranks India’s biggest donors. Like Azim Premji and Narayana Murthy, he is seen as one of the founding figures of India’s IT industry.
Personal Life
Nadar is married to Kiran Nadar, an art collector and a national-level bridge player. Their only child, Roshni Nadar Malhotra, became chairperson of HCL Technologies in 2020. In March 2025 Nadar gifted a large part of his stake in the family’s holding companies to Roshni, making her the controlling shareholder of the group.
Awards and Honours
Frequently Asked Questions
When and where was Shiv Nadar born?
Shiv Nadar was born on 14 July 1945 in Moolaipozhi, Thoothukudi district, Tamil Nadu, India and is 81 years old.
What is Shiv Nadar known for?
Known for: Founder of HCL; Shiv Nadar Foundation.
What honours has Shiv Nadar received?
Padma Bhushan (2008).
Featured image: Shiv Nadar (left) with US Ambassador Richard Verma at Shiv Nadar University, Greater Noida, July 2015. Photo by U.S. Embassy New Delhi, in the public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
