Shri. Lakshmi Narayanan is the Co-Founder and Emeritus Vice Chairman of Cognizant Technology Solutions. He holds a BSc and MS in Science and Electronics from Bangalore University and a Post-Graduate Management Diploma from Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore.

Narayanan has played a leading role in the global information technology industry for more than 25 years, managing divisions and business units in Europe, India and the United States. Since co-founding Cognizant Technologies twenty five years ago, he has been instrumental in formulating the company’s strategy and building and managing the organization on a high growth trajectory.

He founded Cognizant Foundation, one of the CSR arms of Cognizant, was on the board of the National Skill Development Corporation, as a representative of NASSCOM (National Association of Software and Service Companies) and served as Chairman of NASSCOM. He is also the founder member of United Way of Chennai and a philanthropist.

In an exclusive interview Shri Lakshmi Naryananan shares with Marie Banu his message for future leaders.

 Can you tell us about the Sembakkam lake renovation project?

The Nature Conservation(TNC), a global group has taken Sembakkam Lake in Chennai for restoration and ensuring that the community participates and takes ownership once the water body is cleaned up and connected with other lakes in the area.

TNC approached Mr. Ram Shriram in the Bay area, who always wanted to do something for the city as he grew up here.  He is one of the earliest investors in Google and wanted to contribute towards rebuilding societies and general upkeep of Chennai City. He offered to fund the million US dollars project half-way, with matching contribution from others.

The TNC team, Care Earth and the Chennai City Connect team took six months to contact various experts and learnt that we have to work with the Corporation to get the necessary approvals for lake restoration. We associated with the Hydrology Department in IIT, water experts and sewage experts, to put together a sustainable master plan. We knew there will be challenges in working with the Corporation and local government officials. But fortunately, thanks to the support of the local community, TNC and Care Earth made headway in getting the necessary approvals.

Encouraged by the methodology adapted for sustainable water body restoration, Cognizant made a substantial contribution to the project, because of which TNC managed a financial closure and the project is underway.  While the project planning was underway, Mr. Ranganath NK of Grundfos, who has always taken special interest in the city’s development, pitched in and contributed over 1.50 crore rupees. Thus, it is a Grundfos, Cognizant, Ram Shriram project and hopes to serve as a model for sustainable development.

The key aspect of this project is to encourage community ownership. This is the largest lake restoration project, and the work and dedication of the IIT staff and students are phenomenal. Particular mention has to be made of the passion and tireless effort of Mr vaidhyalingam Pughazhendi an Hydrology expert, Dr Indumathi Nambi of IIT Madras and others in caring for the resources and environment. We want to see students who have studied social entrepreneurship or college students who are living in and around the Sembakkam area to play a voluntary role in protecting and preserving the lake.

For being a people’s person, in spotting talent, nurturing and empowering it, what is your thrust area now?

My thrust area now is to work with entrepreneurs, particularly those who are fresh out of colleges, offer seed fund, develop those ideas, and make them entrepreneurs so that they are successful. A few of them have failed, but that is okay. I tell them, ‘As entrepreneurs don’t copy another idea, as it is already there. Look at those that will be ‘high-growth areas’ in the next ten years.’ It could be electric vehicles; battery technology or renewable energy; technology and communication (5G); genetics, healthcare, healthcare devices; space, aviation, aerospace, drones, etc. There is no point for students studying in colleges looking at industries that may reach the end of the road or intelligently automated out.

Education is moving away from regular school education to additional education that will prepare the children for future through new technologies such as robotics. For instance, a startup company SP Robotics engages in teaching school children robotics, artificial intelligence and machine learning. All that is required are hardware kits, training for the school children to make them curious and ask questions and learn by experimenting.

Whether it is commercial entrepreneurship or social entrepreneurship –  I don’t want to get stuck with definitions. If it is going to help somebody, advantaged or disadvantaged, let us do it! Think a 100 times before telling someone don’t do it. Don’t blink your eyelid to say, ‘do it’. Encourage people to keep doing – whether it is social or not. I would like to see young minds dream big and realise their full potential fearlessly, by thinking a lot less about the past, except for its lessons and devote far more to the present and the future and the opportunities it offers.

About United Way of Chennai’s focus areas?

United Way of Chennai focuses more on helping the cause of disability for its CSR work, by providing livelihood opportunities for the disabled people. The focus is on innovative solutions. In IIT, there is a Centre for Assistive Devices funded by Mr. TT Jagannathan of (Prestige company) that supports those who are mentally agile, but physically challenged. United Way of Chennai encourages this centre that makes devices that are far more comfortable for challenged people.

For instance, a company Neo Motion founded by IITians, has come up with assistive devices that enables greater mobility to challenged people, with minimal external assistance.

Ms. Sowmya Swaminathan, Chief Scientist, WHO, and daughter of Shri. M.S. Swaminathan has connected the person in WHO, who is responsible for assistive devices, with IIT Madras so that some of their work can be taken to other countries as well. She is interested in the Global Application of ideas and particularly concerned about people affected by war in Middle Eastern countries. If there is some way we can solve the problem and come up with low cost ways of manufacturing these devices and export them using our country’s support, it would be great.

Your message for future leaders?

I am seeing school children as well as college students who have many great ideas and high potential that anytime we don’t provide them with an avenue for their potential to be realized by themselves, it is a wasted potential. This is something I saw early enough in Cognizant. 

In first three years, we were a small group of people and nobody knew about Cognizant. In the early days of Cognizant we had to compete with established companies for talent, often without success. But the team worked passionately to develop each and every one who were alright to find a place in a startup like Cognizant, because they had the aspiration and the energy to make a difference. In fact, these are the people, who are still in Cognizant, who have built the company.

Each one has a  certain potential and an interest. If we are able to understand it and provide them  an avenue and autonomy and set a larger purpose then they are able to contribute brilliantly.

My wife used to work with Madras Dyslexia Association, and help children with learning disabilities and she used to tell me stories about how dyslexic children have succeeded enormously in the creative sphere. This has been another learning.   Families and schools have to spend time and effort to understand the strength and aspirations of young minds and guide them to pursue their passion with character, integrity and effort. It is the responsibility of the society to identify the potential of each individual, to recognize, and provide the path for them to be responsible and grow.