Ajai Chowdhry, co-founder of HCLTech, and considered the “father of Indian hardware”, believes that India again has an opportunity to foray into the global hardware sector. Chowdhry is also the chairman of EPIC Foundation, a not-for-profit organisation focused on reviving the electronics industry in India, and author of the new book Just Aspire. In an interview with Shivani Shinde in Mumbai, he explains why India can make it in the hardware industry. Edited excerpts:
Would India’s hardware story have been different if HCLTech and Wipro had continued their focus on the hardware business?
As long as I was in the saddle, the hardware focus continued. This business needs a lot of guts. You are fighting global brands, margins are low and one needs to keep overheads under control. Despite all this, between 2002 and 2008-2009 we were the most sought after company in the c
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