Shiv Nadar

Shiv Nadar
Shiv Nadar
Born	July 14, 1945 (age 81); Moolaipozhi, Madras Presidency (present-day Thoothukudi district, Tamil Nadu), India
Other names	Magus
Occupation(s)	Entrepreneur, philanthropist
Years active	1967–present
Known for	Founder and chairman of HCL Technologies; founder of Shiv Nadar Foundation

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

Shiv Nadar (born 14 July 1945) is a prominent Indian billionaire entrepreneur and philanthropist. He founded and currently chairs HCL Technologies as well as leading the Shiv Nadar Foundation. Since its inception in 1976, Nadar has overseen HCL’s evolution from a company focused on IT hardware into a leading IT services corporation over the span of thirty years.

In recognition of his significant impact on the information technology sector, he was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 2008. Known by the nickname Magus—an Old Persian term meaning "wizard"—Nadar has devoted much of his efforts since the mid-1990s to improving education in India through his foundation.

As of March 2025, Forbes values his personal fortune at approximately US$36.5 billion, placing him among the top echelons of global wealth.

Early life

Nadar was born in the village of Moolaipozhi, located within the Madras Presidency (present-day Thoothukudi district, Tamil Nadu) into a Tamil Hindu family. His parents were Sivasubramaniya Nadar and Vamasundari Devi, the latter being sibling to S. P. Adithanar, who established the Dina Thanthi newspaper.

His education began at Town Higher Secondary School, Kumbakonam, followed by studies at Elango Corporation Higher Secondary School in Madurai. He completed his secondary education at St. Joseph Boys Higher Secondary School in Trichy. Subsequently, Nadar earned a pre-university certificate from the American College, Madurai and graduated with a degree in Electrical Engineering from PSG College of Technology, Coimbatore in 1967.

Career

Starting his professional journey at Walchand group's Cooper Engineering Ltd. in Pune in 1967, Nadar soon departed to launch his own business alongside partners such as Ajai Chowdhry, Arjun Malhotra, Subhash Arora, Yogesh Vaidya, S. Raman, Mahendra Pratap, and DS Puri.

Their first venture was Microcomp, which specialized in marketing teledigital calculators within India. The establishment of HCL took place in 1976 with an initial capital of Rs. 187,000.

By 1980, HCL had expanded overseas by setting up Far East Computers in Singapore to distribute IT hardware, achieving revenues of Rs 1 million during its inaugural year. Although Nadar retained the largest shareholding stake, he did not exercise direct operational control.

In July 2020, he passed the chairmanship to his daughter Roshni Nadar, marking her as the first female chairperson of a publicly traded Indian IT firm. A year later, in July 2021, he relinquished his role as managing director of HCL Technologies, with CEO C Vijayakumar appointed for a five-year tenure.

As of October 2021, Forbes placed Nadar third on India's wealthiest individuals list with an estimated net worth of US$31 billion.

Focus on education

In 1996, Nadar founded the SSN College of Engineering located in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, honoring his father Sivasubramaniya Nadar through its name. He provided substantial support to this institution by contributing Rs.10 lakh worth of HCL shares. By 2006, the college broadened its emphasis towards research initiatives and forged partnerships with international universities. In addition, Nadar became a member of the executive board at the Indian School of Business starting in 2005.

March 2008 saw Nadar’s SSN Trust inaugurate two Vidyagyan schools in Uttar Pradesh, which provide full scholarships to rural students hailing from fifty different districts. In 2011, he donated computer equipment valued at Rs. 80 lakh to Town Higher Secondary School. Furthermore, he served as chairman of the board of governors at Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur (IIT Kharagpur) until stepping down in 2014.

Personal life

Nadar's daughter, Roshni Nadar, currently serves as the chairperson of HCL and played a significant role in the company's management during its formative years in the 1990s. His spouse, Kiran Nadar, is known for her pursuits as an art collector and philanthropist. Both are avid bridge enthusiasts and actively support the HCL Bridge Tournament held in India. In 2024, Nadar was acknowledged as one of the leading philanthropists, donating close to ₹6 crore on a daily basis throughout that year.

Awards and accolades

The Government of India honored him with the Padma Bhushan in 2008, recognizing his impact on the IT sector; this award is the nation’s third highest civilian distinction.
In 2007, Madras University bestowed upon him an honorary doctorate degree.
He earned the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award (Services category) in 2007.
Forbes included him among its 48 Heroes of Philanthropy in Asia Pacific in 2011.
India Today placed him at number 16 on its 2017 list of India's 50 Most Powerful People.
Shiv Nadar has pledged more than $1 billion toward various philanthropic causes.

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