Kiran Karnik

Kiran Karnik
Kiran Karnik
Born	1947; Maharashtra, India
Occupation(s)	Executive, Chairman
Known for	President of NASSCOM, Chairman of Satyam Computer Services, Director at ISRO, Chairman of board at IIIT-Delhi
Awards	Padma Shri (2007), Forbes Face of the Year (2003), Franck J. Malina Astronautics Medal (1998)

Adapted from the English Wikipedia article Kiran Karnik, available under CC BY-SA 4.0Updated 11 August 2025

Kiran Karnik is a distinguished Indian executive known for his influential roles in the broadcasting and outsourcing industries. He currently holds a position on the Central Board of Directors of the Reserve Bank of India and serves as the chairman of the board at the Indraprastha Institute of Information Technology, Delhi (IIIT-D).

Early life and education

Born in 1947 in Maharashtra to parents belonging to the Chandraseniya Kayastha Prabhu community, Karnik completed a BSc (Hons.) degree in Physics from the Royal Institute of Sciences at Bombay University. He further pursued a Post Graduate Diploma in Business Management from the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad.

Career

Karnik’s tenure in broadcasting and outsourcing aligned with significant periods of expansion within these sectors in India.

Broadcasting

Beginning his career with the Indian Space Research Organisation in 1969, Karnik dedicated nearly two decades to ISRO. He played a pivotal role in the acclaimed Satellite Instructional Television Experiment, which earned the UNESCO-IPDC Prize for rural communication initiatives. Between 1983 and 1991, he directed ISRO's Development and Educational Communication Unit. In 1991, he was appointed as the inaugural director of the Consortium for Educational Communication (CEC), an entity founded by the University Grants Commission to oversee media centres across universities.

In 1995, Karnik took on the role of managing director at Discovery Networks, where he spearheaded the introduction of the Discovery Channel to South Asia, followed by launching Animal Planet in 1999. He departed from Discovery Networks in 2001.

Outsourcing

In September 2001, following the unexpected passing of NASSCOM’s founder Dewang Mehta, Karnik assumed the presidency of NASSCOM. During his leadership, NASSCOM transformed into a prominent representative and advocacy organization for India's global outsourcing sector. He relinquished this position in 2008.

Subsequently, Karnik was appointed by the Government of India as Chairman of Satyam Computer Services, leading a three-member board after the previous board was dissolved due to an accounting scandal.

Other assignments

Karnik has contributed to numerous government panels, including participation on the Prasar Bharati Review Committee. He is also a member of both the Scientific Advisory Council to the Prime Minister and the National Innovation Council. Presently, he chairs the National Committee on Telecom & Broadband under the aegis of the Confederation of Indian Industry. Furthermore, he leads the Board of Governors and is part of the General Council at the Indraprastha Institute of Information Technology, Delhi. Karnik chairs the Governing Body of HelpAge India, a leading non-governmental organization dedicated to supporting senior citizens in India.

Awards and honours

Honored with the Padma Shri, India’s fourth highest civilian accolade, in 2007.
Recognized as 'Face of the Year' by Forbes magazine in 2003.
Awarded the Franck J. Malina Astronautics Medal for Space Education by the International Astronautical Federation in 1998.

Books and publications

Karnik has contributed extensively to various publications and occasionally delivers lectures at prominent national organizations. He is the author of The Coalition of Competitors: The Story of Nasscom and the IT Industry (HarperCollins, 2012) and frequently writes columns for leading newspapers such as the Economic Times.

External links