As Fakir Chand Kohli takes a break after a 50-year career at the helm of some of India's most respected companies and institutions, the honours abound. The first was the Padma Bhushan given this year for his contribution to the Indian software industry, he is acknowledged as the 'father of the Indian software industry'. And now, The Economic Times, one of the leading financial dailies, has honoured him with a lifetime achievement award.

If N.R. Narayana Murthy and Azim Premji and their companies are household names today, it is Kohli, 76, they have to thank for opening an Indian corridor in the information highway where Murthy's Infosys and Premji's Wipro are now flying the Indian flag. "Everyone talks about embedded software, outsourcing and technology education at an early level today. These were Kohli's favourite themes in the 70s," says Satya Swaroop, long-time associate at the Computer Society of India.

Kohli has always believed that a foundation built on education would not fail. Probably he is his own role model, he graduated from Punjab University, Lahore, and took an Honours in electrical engineering from Queen's University, Canada, and an MS from Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

His first job was with the Canadian General Electric Companies in 1948. After brief stints with Ebasco International Corporation and New York Connecticut Valley Power Exchange in 1950, he moved to India the following year to work with Tata Electric Companies (TEC). He rose from chief load despatcher to deputy general manager, and in 1970, became director of both TEC and Tata Press. He joined Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) as director-in-charge in 1974 and 20 years later, became deputy chairman. His ability to handle diverse responsibilities brought him on the director board of Tata Finance in 1985, where he remained till 1992.

When Kohli took over at TCS, things were not easy for the technology company. But it grew under its able leader. He guided TCS in developing today's much-touted permanent account number (PAN) for income tax payers and forwarded the idea to the finance ministry. The visionary proposal failed to impress the short-sighted babus, who rejected it; today it's PAN-acea for citizens for everyday financial activities.

"When you talk of true visionaries, I would say he is an incomparable one. One must understand that Kohli was always bigger than TCS," says 
L.C. Singh, former vice-president at TCS and head of Nihilent Technologies. "His is one of the sharpest minds in the technology industry with immense analytical abilities and his critique is always issue-based."

Singh recalls an instance when the TCS joint venture in Dubai, United Computers, went through a rough patch and he was struggling to cope with the situation. "Kohli was unwell then. Despite that, he called me to Mumbai, sat with me and helped sort out the situation," says Singh. "The biggest plus of this visionary is that he is willing to teach you those skills which you adore in him."

The first outsourcing assignment came in 1974, when the multinational Burroughs needed a healthcare system; TCS developed it. Today, TCS serves many Fortune 500 companies and is the largest technology company in Asia, its turnover in 2001 was Rs 3,142 crore. Kohli's insistence on quality has paid off, and his expertise in jelling education, technology and engineering helped TCS metamorphose into a multicrore company. He currently serves on its executive committee.

Reacting to the widely held perception that Kohli was autocratic in his dealings, Singh says he never felt so in his 18 years at TCS. Kohli, who became chairman of Tata Elxsi and Tata Infotech in the nineties, says he was fortunate to have been able to move into TCS as he had foreseen the tremendous impact of technology on daily life. Passionate about technological growth, he still gets excited about software that can understand south Indian and Maharashtrian accents and handwriting-recognising technology that will make encryption obsolete.

At a Computer Society of India function in 1975, Kohli had predicted that India, which had missed the Industrial Revolution, had another revolution waiting for it, the IT revolution. "Primarily, it requires the capability to think clearly and this, we [Indians] have in abundance. We have an opportunity on an equal basis, even to assume leadership. If we miss the opportunity, those who follow us will not forgive us." Kohli has ensured that the opportunity was not missed.

Kohli and wife Swaran, often described as a dream couple, live in Mumbai. He walks three miles a day to keep fit and is a passionate golfer. Friends and associates describe him as a 'warm, affectionate and encouraging' person. He rarely talks about himself; but the work he has done has a thousand tongues.