Part I — The story
The story
Shiv Nadar co-founded HCL in 1976 — years before India had any real computing market — betting that information technology would transform the country and the world. Starting by making calculators and then early personal computers, he built HCL into one of India's major IT-services companies and a global technology enterprise, as part of the generation that established India as a world centre for software and services.
Nadar was an early mover with the conviction to build ahead of the market, and HCL later became known for a distinctive management philosophy — 'Employees First, Customers Second' — that inverted conventional priorities on the premise that empowered, valued employees produce the best customer outcomes. Like his peers, he has directed much of his fortune to philanthropy, chiefly education. He is a study in early conviction, in building ahead of a market's existence, and in the counter-intuitive power of putting employees first.
Part II — The playbook
The playbook
Build ahead of the market
Nadar bet on computing in India before a market existed.
Put employees first
HCL's philosophy held that empowered employees produce the best outcomes.
Move early and commit
He was an early mover who stayed the course for decades.
In their words
The best way to predict the future is to create it.
If you don't take risks, you will always work for someone who does.
Employees first, customers second.
What to read next
- Shiv Nadar (business profiles) —
Why this matters
The thinking behind these decisions connects to models you can study directly:
Frequently asked questions
What did Shiv Nadar build?
HCL — co-founded in 1976 before India had a real computing market — starting with calculators and early PCs and building it into a major global IT-services enterprise, part of the generation that made India a software centre.
What is HCL's 'Employees First' philosophy?
A management approach that inverts convention — 'Employees First, Customers Second' — on the premise that empowered, valued employees produce the best customer outcomes.