Discussion on "India’s IT Revolution – The Maverick Effect"

Harish Mehta is the author of the bestselling book The Maverick Effect. The book recounts the early struggles that Mr. Mehta and others had to face to bring NASSCOM, the industry body of Indian IT, to life. The Maverick Effect is the extraordinary story of a band of dreamers who joined hands to transform a nation & change India's perception.

Harish Mehta has led, grown & mentored the Onward Group. Prior to founding Onward, he was one of the chief architects of the Hinditron–Digital (DEC) JV (1987) in India.

He was also the driving force behind galvanizing the IT industry in India by co-founding NASSCOM, the IT industry association of India. NASSCOM started from his office and was formally established in 1988. He is a founder member, the first elected Chairman & now the Convenor of Chairman’s Council of NASSCOM. He was honoured by the PM Mr. Narendra Modi, for 25 years of exemplary contribution to Indian IT.

Mr. Mehta introduced The Indus Entrepreneurs (TiE), a Silicon Valley based Organisation, to India, and was its First President in Mumbai. He continues to be an active mentor for TiE Mumbai. He is a director of Indian Angel Network (IAN), the world's largest and most active angel investors group. He is a former Expert Advisor at Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) for its Fund of Funds Operations. He is also a former Director of Gujarat Venture Funds Limited and a founding member of Infinity Venture Fund, India’s first corporate VC fund.

He was director at The College of Engineering, Pune (2010-2015). He was awarded ‘CEO of the Year’ in 1994 by NMIMS, Tata HRD Network and World HRD Congress. He was also honoured with a Lifetime Achievement Award by IMC Chamber of Commerce and Industry in 2018.

He is also an active volunteer of Onward Foundation & Dewang Mehta Foundation. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering from College of Engineering, Pune and a Masters in Computer Science from Brooklyn Polytechnic Institute, NY.

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