Rajendra Singh Pawar (Padma Bhushan awardee) is an Indian entrepreneur, Chairman and Co-Founder of NIIT Limited, established in 1981. He also founded NIIT University, a not-for-profit university in Neemrana, Rajasthan, in 2009. Early life and Education Pawar was born in Jammu on March 19, 1951. He studied at The Scindia School, Gwalior. He graduated with B.Tech in Electrical Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi in 1972. Pawar has received the ‘Madhav Award’ from The Scindia School in 1999 and the Distinguished Alumnus Award at IIT in 1995. In 2005, he was rewarded with an Honorary Doctoral Degree by the Rajiv Gandhi Technical University. Career Pawar began his professional career with Larsen & Toubro Limited as a Graduate Engineer Trainee in June 1972. He then moved on to DCM where he served for 4 years followed by 5 years in Hindustan Computers Limited, before he established NIIT in 1981. Pawar also founded NIIT Technologies, an IT firm in 1992. Assessed at SEI-CMMi Level 5, NIIT Technologies offers software services to organizations in travel, transportation, manufacturing/distribution, financial services, healthcare, and Government sectors. He has also established the not-for-profit NIIT University in Neemrana, Rajasthan in 2009 Nation Development Pawar has been a part of Prime Minister Vajpayee’s National Taskforce (1998), and was a member on Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s National Council on Skill Development (2009-2014). He chaired the NASSCOM Cyber Security Task Force. Global Advisor Pawar has been a former member of the International Business Council of the World Economic Forum a member of PIAC (Presidential International Advisory Council) of the Government of South Africa, and also served as an advisor to the Hunan province of China. Industry Associations Pawar has served as the chairman of NASSCOM (National Association of Software & Service Companies) in 2011- 2012. As President of MAIT (Manufacturers Association for Information Technology) during 1990-92, he integrated MAIT activities into those of other leading industry associations in India. MAIT played a significant role in shaping IT policies of Government of India, during his tenure. He is currently Vice Chairman of NCAER (National Council of Applied Economic Research) Governing Body. He is a fellow of the Computer Society of India and the Institution of Electronics & Telecom Engineers and is Chairman of the Board of Directors of Data Security Council of India. Academic Boards Pawar is on the Board of Governors of the Indian School of Business Hyderabad and