The document provides biographical information on Sam Pitroda, an Indian inventor, entrepreneur and policymaker who is widely considered the driving force behind India's telecommunications revolution in the 1980s as an advisor to Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. It details his early life and education in India and the US, his pioneering work in telecommunications technology companies, and his roles establishing telecom infrastructure and policy in India. The document also lists several awards and honors Pitroda has received for his contributions.

1. Excom Presentation
Submitted To Submitted By
MR. Sunny Gandhi Arsh Koul

4. • Sam Pitroda is an inventor, entrepreneur and
policymaker. Currently Advisor to the Prime
Minister of India on Public Information
Infrastructure & Innovations, he is also widely
considered to have been responsible for India’s
communications revolution.
• He has served as Chairman of the National
Knowledge Commission (2005–2008), a high-
level advisory body to the Prime Minister of
India, set up to give policy recommendations for
improving knowledge related institutions and
infrastructure in the country.

5. Early life
• Born in Titlagarh, Orissa, India. His parents hailed
from Gujarat and migrated to Orissa.
• He completed his schooling from Vallabh
Vidyanagar in Gujarat and completed his Masters in
Physics and Electronics from Maharaja Sayajirao
University in Vadodara .
• After completing his Masters in Physics he went to
the US and obtained a Masters in Electrical
Engineering from Illinois Institute of Technology
(IIT) in Chicago. In 2010, he received an Honorary
degree from University of Illinois at Chicago

6.  A widely traveled man, Mr. Pitroda is a much
sought after speaker at top international
events. Mr. Pitroda divides his time between
Chicago and Delhi.

7.  Throughout the late 1960s and early 1970s
Sam Pitroda was involved in cutting edge
technology research work in
telecommunications and hand-held computing.
He is widely regarded as one of the earliest
pioneers of hand-held computing because of
his invention of the Electronic Diary in 1975.

8. • In 1974, Sam Pitroda founded a company,
Wescom Switching which was one of the first
digital switching companies in the world. He
developed a revolutionary new system called 580
DSS switch, which he spent nearly four years
perfecting.
• In 1978, it was released to the world and it
became an instant hit becoming one of the most
successful systems in the market. Wescom was
eventually acquired by Rockwell International,
where Pitroda became the Vice President.

9. Return to India
• In 1984, Mr. Pitroda was invited to return to
India by the then Prime Minister Indira
Gandhi. On his return, he started the Center
for Development of Telematics C-DOT, an
autonomous telecom R&D organization.
• In 1987, he became advisor to Mrs. Gandhi's
successor, Rajiv Gandhi and was responsible
for shaping India's foreign and domestic
telecommunications policies.

10.  In 1987 during his tenure as advisor to Prime
Minister Rajiv Gandhi , Mr. Pitroda headed
six technology missions related to
telecommunications, water, literacy,
immunization, dairy and oilseeds. He is also
the founder and first chairman of India’s
Telecom Commission

11.  Mr. Pitroda has been responsible for shaping
India’s foreign and domestic
telecommunications policies. He is largely
considered to be responsible for the
telecommunication revolution in India and
specifically, the ubiquitous, yellow-signed
Public Call Offices (PCO) that quickly
brought cheap and easy domestic and
international public telephones all over the
country.

12.  In the 90’s Sam Pitroda returned to Chicago to
manage his business interests. When the
United Progressive Alliance government came
to power following the 2004 General
Elections, the Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan
Singh invited him to head the National
Knowledge Commission of India.

13. • In October 2009, Sam Pitroda was appointed
as Advisor to PM of India (Dr. Manmohan
Singh) on Public Information Infrastructure
and Innovations with the rank of Cabinet
Minister.
• In August 2010, National Innovation Council
headed by Sam Pitroda, with special focus on
micro, small and medium enterprises for 2010-
20.

14. Awards
• International Telecommunication Union (ITU)
conferred the World Telecommunication and
Information Society Award to Mr. Sam Pitroda in
Geneva on 17th May 2011. He is the first and
only Indian to receive this prestigious award.
• Sambalpur University honored Mr. Pitroda with
D.Sc. on its 23rd convocation on 14 July 2010.

15. • Mr. Pitroda received the Rajiv Gandhi "Global
Indian" award in 2009.
• Mr. Pitroda was awarded the Padma Bhushan in
2009 by the Government of India for his
contribution to Science and Engineering.
• Mr. Pitroda was awarded the Skoch Challenger
Lifetime Achievement Award in 2009 for
ushering in the telecom and IT revolution in India.
• Andhra University honored Mr. Pitroda with D.Sc
in 2008

16.  Mr. Pitroda was awarded the Dataquest IT
Lifetime Achievement Award in 2002.

17. Other contributions
• In 1993, Mr. Pitroda helped establish the
Foundation for Revitalisation of Local Health
Tradition near Bangalore in India. At present,
he is a Governing Council Member. The aim
of the foundation is to make full use of India's
rich and diverse traditional medicinal
knowledge. Pitroda also serves on the IIT
International Board of Overseers.
• He has also served as an advisor to the United
Nations

18. Felicitations
• He was also felicitated on 31 March 2009 by
Akhila Bharatiya Viswakarma Mahasabha
(ABVM) for service to the Viswakarma
community, in the presence of Chief Minister of
Delhi, Smt. Shiela Dixit, and President of ABVM,
Chedilal Sharma.
• In 2008, Pitroda was elected as World Prominent
Leader by the World Network of Young Leaders
and Entrepreneurs WNYLE He is also due to
attend and address the 2nd Indian Student
Parliament which is a MIT School of Government
initiative.