New Delhi, India, April 17, 2019 : The National Association of Software and Services Companies (NASSCOM), today announced the appointment of Keshav Murugesh, Group CEO, WNS Global Services as its Chairman for 2019-20. Keshav takes on the position from his previous role as Vice Chairman of NASSCOM, succeeding Mr. Rishad Premji, Chief Strategy Officer and Board Member, Wipro Ltd., who served as Chairman of NASSCOM for the year 2018-19. NASSCOM also announced the appointment of UB Pravin Rao, COO, Infosys as the Vice Chairman of NASSCOM for 2019-20.
Speaking on the occasion, Keshav Murugesh, Chairman, NASSCOM, said, “It gives me great pleasure to take up this role and I am honoured to have the vote of confidence of the NASSCOM Executive Council. We stand on the cusp of a digitally transformed industry, with new opportunities to leverage and challenges to conquer. I look forward to continuing my journey at NASSCOM by working closely with several industry verticals and pursuing endeavours to foster development in these ever-dynamic times in national and international territories.”
Rishad Premji, Former Chairman, NASSCOM, said, “I have been extremely privileged to have had this experience of working with NASSCOM and contributing towards aligning the Indian IT industry focus with the dynamic global developments. It was a great opportunity for me to help curate the future course of our industry. During my leadership tenure, I witnessed the rapid pace at which emerging technologies have been adopted by the industry and the digital transformation that has been set in motion.
What was even more memorable was the establishment of NASSCOM’s Future Skills platform and setting the tone for the skilling imperative in the country. I will always cherish the time and the work we did as a team. I would like to wish Keshav and Pravin the very best for this next leg of their journey with NASSCOM.”
Sharing her thoughts, Ms. Debjani Ghosh, President, NASSCOM, said, “Keshav is a distinctly accomplished leader and his experience in the Indian IT industry speaks for itself. With his unique perspective and contemporary outlook towards the industry, he will be the ideal leader to drive the sector in a time where there are such dynamic developments and constant innovation. I am confident that his tenure as the NASSCOM Chairman will not only be beneficial to us but will help the industry as a whole.”
The appointment of the NASSCOM Chairman and Vice Chairman is done through a democratic election process by the Executive Council. The election witnesses nominees and voters from all verticals of the industry, across SMBs, enterprises and MNCs from the overall members base.
The newly appointed leadership along with President Debjani Ghosh, will lead the industry body to carry out its wide array of objectives for the coming year in order to achieve their 2025 vision for the industry. Keeping in line with the changing industry landscape, the focus will be on ‘Think Digital, Think India’ by driving attention towards embracing new and emerging technologies, the skilling and reskilling of talent as an imperative for the industry and keeping pace with global digital transformation. Another area of attention that will prevail is evangelizing open innovation and facilitating the unrestricted global movement of talent, and help the industry enter newer geographies and domains.
