FORTESS joins the Nation in mourning the loss of the Father of the Indian I.T industry. We invite all present and past employees of TCS to share their memories along with commemorative messages for Mr Kohli, which will be published in our website. Do e-mail your messages to contact@fortessgroup.org along with your Name & Period of employment with TCS.
Thank you all for joining us and sharing your inspiring and heartwarming memories about the great Dr Kohli. We have had meetings across different locations and saw overwhelming participation which in itself is a testament to the great man. You can catch the recordings of the meetings in the below links
Dec 2nd Chennai/Bangalore/Coimbatore
https://drive.google.com/file/d/18i3oI7sfJDSNCssW2r1p8ofVcXeK7p3I/view?usp=sharing
Dec 5th Delhi/Gurgaon
https://drive.google.com/file/d/15jcSc8y8JwEbKocoNXlQzDUK-pnYgTyG/view?usp=sharing
Dec 5th Kolkata/Hyderabad
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1gXuYM7SVKSNPfoQLvWNRK9QS4sXYG5VG/view?usp=sharing
Dec 5th US/UK/Europe
https://drive.google.com/file/d/14Jq6QLIbI9ptqFg6MvKo1-5Ic_jqW17k/view?usp=sharing
Dec 7th Mumbai/Pune
Fondly known as the ‘Father of the Indian IT Industry’, Faqir Chand Kohli was a brilliant technocrat and visionary. He foresaw the opportunity for the Indian IT industry decades ago when the technology sector was almost non-existent in India. His leadership and passion were key to establishing India as a trusted and quality partner for global corporations. Mr. Kohli led innovations in areas far-ranging from adult literacy, water purification, software engineering, software automation, complex-systems and cybernetics. He propagated the importance of technology adoption for India and stressed on the importance of local language and hardware industry in India. Despite his momentous achievements, his simplicity and thoughtfulness are lessons for us. His enduring optimism and his ability to foresee the future leave us with a legacy that will only help us grow from strength to strength. I will miss him dearly as my mentor, guide and a close family friend. Our industry and the Nation have lost a legend.
I have been associated with Mr F C Kohli for 50 years and have always been amazed at his sharp intellect, humanity, his impatience and above all, the large canvas on which he operated. He set India on a path which has brought glory to it. A national icon has gone.
Read full article here (Link)
Feel privileged to have spent time with him during my stint in TCS, especially when I was in US. He always felt (and made us feel) that we were not performing to our potential – whether as individuals, companies or industry. This brought out the best in everyone who was associated with him!! Always admired him for his energy, breadth and depth of knowledge (beyond technology), his sense of humour ….. May we continue the journey started by him and strive to realise our potential.. Will miss him dearly..
Great loss for the country He was the man who put India on the Global IT map. A visionary leader who always looked beyond the obvious. Om shanthi.
Words are not enough pay respects to the departed Mr FC Kohli ..He was a star in the firmament and we are all grieved
Like many of you, I am what I am because of him. Such a great soul. The only person I respected, followed, feared, learnt from, inspired by and so on. I will remember him till my last breath. Thank you for everything MR F C Kohli. God save his soul
Om Shanti. He practically created the whole Indian IT industry. Such a remarkable man. Will be remembered for ever
I still remember vividly… I was heading TCS Hyderabad in 2006, when Mr. Kohli visited us. I reverently escorted him to my office and requested him to be seated in my chair. What he said then, is still ringing in my ears…”My friend, this seat is meant for the head of this office. You should sit in this chair.” And without waiting, the father of Indian IT industry sat in one of the chairs meant for the team members who come to meet me. He then ensured that I sit in the high rise chair. The humility, the respect he showed for the institution were all exhibited within those few seconds.Taking a cue from Lakshmi’s words, Indian IT is what it is today because of this great man. He is an institution in himself. Our pranaams to you Sir
He had remarkable foresight and was a great human being. I am happy to have known him and learnt from him
May his soul rest in peace🙏 IT industry father sacrificed a lot and his initiatives created millions of opportunities to promote India globally.
This is indeed a very sad news. I vividly recall how he advised me when I was about to perform effort estimation for a migration project.
Hard to believe that Dr Kohli is no more. I am sure all will agree that no one in the IT industry in india ( may be also in the world) can feel proud of what they are today, but for the initial vision of Dr Kohli. I have personally worked with him, interacted with him and travelled with him. Like me I am sure all of us would have practiced what he has taught us. May his soul attain moksha.
May his soul rest in peace. He created millions of jobs and many achieved their life dreams. Visionary. Had the opportunity to present twice or so on Activity Based Costing. Very sharp with numbers. Om Shanthi.
It is a very great loss to all of us and am sure for the entire world of IT . I was fortunate to meet him during the Valediction program of our ITP batch where Dr A G Rao said we were fortunate to have FCK as the chief guest. !! Met him during review meetings in 185 Lloyds Road and his ideas were radically different . Owe a lot to him.
Remember my early days in Mumbai and interacting with him during TCS picnics. I was so awed to see this great man dressed usually in an impeccable suit mingling happily with all incl us juniors dressed casually in a red T shirt. That memory still sticks in my mind. People would hush when he used to walk down the corridors of AI bldg. It was a great feeling to be working in an org led by such an iconic leader. He lived a nice long life and fuelled an entire IT revolution for India. He has seen his dreams come true with India emerging a giant in IT. A punyatma and a modern day siddhi. May his soul find atma shanti.
Yes several memories flash back. Despite his tough exterior, he showed a personal touch to any person who came his way. The day after I resumed office after my maternity leave in 1972, he said ‘Lakshmi has come to your home- congratulations’. Many of us have learnt how to come out from a ‘fixed mindset’ to a ‘growth mindset’
An unforgettable and uneraseable influence on millions of us. Om Shanti
Great visionary and human. Was contributing ideas even when he was 97! Was one of the most significant guide/influencer in my career and life, guiding me to switch from Tata power to TCS in 1979 and at various milestones later on. Will be always remembered with admiration and reverence. OM Shanti!
A truly admired leader by one and all. Had the pleasure of interacting with him during his visit to Chennai y2k centre Ambattur. Another opportunity came my way and really cherished the moments coordinating Mr & Mrs Kohli’s visits to US during 2003-09. Always admired his posture and fitness. He was such a considerate person that he even followed up and gave contacts in SSN for my older son’s admission after his high school stint in US. Also remember Mr. Kohli used to procure special leather briefcase from Morristown vendor during his visits where his son resides. On my return to India in 2009, I was in for a pleasant surprise when he sent one to me from Mumbai. I still use this and admire. He is such a wonderful human being who will be remembered forever.
If India has progressed in IT today it is because of Mr. Kohli’s vision and hard work! I consider myself lucky to have been associated with him. It is a great loss to the country. May he RIP!
Sad to hear about his demise. I had the opportunity to meet FCK couple of times. Had also visited him in his office at Air India Building in 1995. He was a great visionary.
Mr. Kohli literally invented remote software industry globally. After India many others followed the model. I feel his contribution is global. World owes him a lot. And for all of us, we will always cherish all things he taught us explicitly or we absorbed. Selflessness, intensity global outlook, DNA for learning and teaching, seeing future, and all of this in a business is what he taught us. Praying God to look after him now. We need to carry forward what he would want all of us to do.
One can write volumes on the type of man Mr. Kohli was. Visionary is only one such epithet. Eidetic memory was another attribute as also an analytical mind, sharp focus and many many others. Despite the tough veneer, he was very soft and compassionate towards all, a fact I discovered during my later interactions with him. He used to invoke awe – sometimes mistaken for terror – in many. So many fond memories. A lot of inspiration from him, along with the feeling that one could never reach his kind of intellect. RIP. So many achievements to his credit.Big loss to the nation, nay, the whole world.
It is with immense sadness I write this elegy for my mentor, ex-boss and much more. It’s hard to process the reality that Dr Kohli is no more with us as the industry stands in unison and pays homage to a leader loved by all. You have left your indelible imprints on the sands of time. The Indian IT industry owes its immense gratitude to Dr Kohli. We are forever indebted. Thank you, Dr. Kohli, for living your dream. Journey well. We will miss you.
A legend, a doyen of the Indian IT industry, a role model and a father figure to many old time TCSers, Dr F C Kohli passed away today. An Era has passed with him. He will remain in our hearts forever and continue to inspire us.His contributions and passion to continue to work till the very end. A true son of India who made us proud and known for its IT Industry
Mr. F.C. Kohli set high standards of performance and imbued us with a pioneering spirit from the early days of TCS. Most of us can recall the foreboding associated with meeting him in his office, whether to learn about a promotion, to hear his expectations about an assignment we were leaving for, or to appraise him of it on our return. But we also came to appreciate his kindness and concern, through his actions, such as those he took immediately on his return from a visit to our project team in Buenos Aires, after learning first hand of the living conditions there under hyper-inflation and military rule. I was surprised to find that he had vivid memories of this visit even after 30 years, when I had occasion to meet him during a visit to Bangalore. He has inspired us throughout our careers and will continue to inspire us to give back to our society and profession.
He shaped the IT Industry in India and made us proud of who we are. His vision was Global and he could see afar, his execution was to a degree of perfection not seen. His ability to respond to every letter, report and email was beyond words and showed that he read every word, empathised with you and was always eager to help and guide like a fatherly figure. He was one of the most influential persons in my life which was shaped by his thoughts and interactions and I am very grateful and glad to be part of his journey. All that I am in my professional life is because of what I initially learnt at TCS where I started my professional career ,stayed for 16 years, and got opportunity to work on different roles , assignments and countries. Another moment of pride was when I was chosen to host him at the Shiv Nadar University where he was honoured with a first Doctorate Degree awarded by the University in their very first Convocation which he graciously chose to accept”
In 2002, a TCS driver in Delhi, told me: “Mr. Kohli is an amazing man. I was driving him and he asked me if the Resident Manager of the TCS Delhi office was periodically visiting the widow of a driver who died while in TCS service. When I gave an evasive reply, I understand, he took the Resident Manager to task for not caring enough for families of our drivers!” Mr. Kohli agreed to write the Foreword for my book “Good Programming Skills and Practices”. True to form, he read the book before writing the Foreword and disagreed with me about one of my recommendations! He came to release the book at the book launch in a book store in Mumbai; when he saw my mother there he chatted with her in Urdu and insisted that she release the book! Whenever my wife and I visited him in his office at Air-India building he was always warm and often gave fatherly advice. I felt a heart-to-heart connection with Mr. Kohli in spite of the fact that my total personal interactions with him may have been only about 40 hours over the course of the 47 years since he interviewed me. For the past several years, I have been remembering him in my daily morning prayers.
It is indeed a great shock and taking time to accept that our ‘father’ is no more in flesh and blood. Though he is very much entrenched in our lives across many hundreds of thousands of IT professionals world over. I have been fortunate to had the opportunity to build my career under his guidance and direction. I had worked under him in many roles for over 38 years and he has been a great personality and left a deep impact on me and my life. I wish to acknowledge his contribution and thank him for all the support and guidance. Once in Ottawa, Canada, I had the opportunity to closely interact with him while waiting fro a key senior level meeting with Vice Chairman of BNR – Bell Northern Research, and he shared how he had come to Canada for his studies in the early 1950s. That interaction with me made me learn about him as a great human being. We all miss him.
Sad day for India! The country has lost a hero, an icon, a legend, a torch bearer and a nation builder! Mr. F.C. Kohli was tough, task master, intimidating, disciplinarian, man of very few words, photographic memory, and I don’t remember having seen him ever smiling! A true visionary, ruthlessly obsessed with innovation, automation, productivity, quality, learning, training, human resource development, shaping future leaders – a man light years ahead of the time! Always thinking global – acting local! But he was an extremely soft, kind, gentle, considerate, thoughtful, generous and a humane person at heart! A true visionary who single handedly created a brand new industry that lifted millions of Indians out of poverty and put India on the world map of technology. He not only put India on world map, but gave respectability to brand India! He morphed India from being known as a country of snake charmers to IT Super Power. Had Govt. of listened to him, India would not only be famous as a soft power but also a hard power – creating a foundation for semiconductor and hardware manufacturing providing millions of more jobs and becoming an export hub ! Some create wealth for themselves, some for family, some for community, but he created wealth for the nation! He gave hopes & opportunities to millions of Indian who can now aspire not only for a better life, but also contribute in the process of nation building! India has lost a true Bharat Ratana!
My first employer, my career mothership..proud to have worked for TCS. Will rember him forever..i have very few interactions.. have seen him as practical, down to earth in ensuring profitability as well visionary to take the country to where it is today in IT industry. His love for india, society is unmatched. So many IT leaders have come out of this mothership directly or indirectly due to him. His ship trained warriors, inspired navigrators to spread across the world .may be over 100 countries.. hope India will rember him for years to come by giving Bharat Ratna, highest civilian award. He really deserves it by leader in electricity distribution and above all creating Indian IT foot print all over the world
Dr Kohli not only was he a man of vision but also a pioneer in the IT industry. He worked relentlessly with courage and commitment in his beliefs. His actions spoke louder than words. He was a man who endeared himself to our hearts in a very different way. I was one of the lucky ones a batch of 350 employees when TCS was launched. He taught us the ethics of work, dedication to our job and how with determination the impossible was possible. TCS forged ahead as the flagship of the Tata group of companies. My asssociation working for him, will always be a part of my fondest memories. In every sense of the word he was a trail blazer and will be remembered and respected by all.
I had the fortune and privilege to know Mr Kohli from the perspective of a researcher. His direct personal oversight and encouragement has helped TCS researchers to be bold and succeed in breaking new ground to put TCS in a different league vis-a-vis the competition.
Even though my interaction with him was quite limited, he would remember me and our group even when he was in his nineties and suggest areas that we should be working in and then follow up to inquire about progress. We truly miss his visionary leadership.
I remember quite clearly the day Mr. Kohli entered the TCS office, for the very first time, at “Nirmal” in 1968. It was the start of his journey that took TCS and India to the forefront of world technology and created an industry that is at the forefront of India’s resurgence today. I had the privilege to work with him for over a decade and then continued to seek his counsel, support and blessings, which he so readily gave, all through my career. He was always approachable and supportive and I shall miss him dearly.
I spoke with just a month ago and he had the same zest for life, work and achievement that he had that day long ago in 1968.
Mr Kohli was one of the smartest men I have ever met. His thought processes were unique. I experienced this the very first time I met him. As an IBM manager and new customer of TCS, he visited our Center to better understand the work TCS was performing for us. At my first opportunity, I asked him: “Who in TCS was concerned about profitability, for in my limited exposure to TCS, I had not met anyone focused on this?” I fully expected him to say he was. His answer blew me away. He said, Mr Thomas, at TCS we hire only the top minds from the Indian Universities. Then we educate them thoroughly on specific IT technologies. Finally, we find the most challenging work for them to perform. When we do these three things right, profitability is a natural by-product. I have never forgotten this brief conversation with him.
I was the Head of Quantitative Methods Group at TCS and I worked there from 1979 to 1982. QMG is the forerunner to the Analytics teams of the last two decades; that Mr.Kohli could conceive it in the 70s says it all about his strategic acumen.
I learnt self discipline, humility, objectivity and fairness in all dealings from him. I understood that systems engineering means comprehensiveness and taking a holistic view ; that not missing the trees while seeing the forest. I have admired his vision and brilliance.
I remain indebted to him for life for the mentoring I received in early days of my career. May his soul rest in peace.
Our memory is a baffling enigma. Two score and more years ago, I joined TCS Bombay as a management trainee in the winter of 1975 and left in the spring of 1982. Over the decades, reminiscences from that phase of my life slowly succumbed to the ravages of time and I thought I had lost a part of my past for ever. And then last week, I got news of Mr. Kohli, the paterfamilias of TCS, passing away. It surely speaks volumes for his extraordinary influence and generosity, that he reached out from The Beyond to flood my mind once again with innumerable anecdotes, names, faces, events, joyful, exhilarating moments from those forgotten years. The colleagues, the knowledge & wisdom, the thrills and spills, the learning & growth that I acquired and experienced in TCS have enriched my life immensely. Dear departed Sir – I thank you profoundly for that gift.
Mr. Kohli, popularly referred to as FCK has been called a titan, a colossus, a legend, a leader par excellence, an industry giant, a margdarshak, a game changer. Apart from these well deserved, adulatory epithets, in my mind, what set him truly apart from his peers was his uncommon vision. He was an original thinker, a real maverick who could see opportunities & challenges light years before they became apparent to others. Perhaps that explains why or how he was able to drive and guide a small fledgling company in a nascent industry (that at times was viewed with suspicion by the public) to the highly respected powerhouse that TCS became.
Back in 1975, TCS was still small enough that potential hires got to meet FCK before the final offer letter. As I walked towards his cabin, I was somewhat apprehensive about my reception. After all, I was about to walk out of my previous job after being there for just 6 months. What would I tell FCK that would vindicate my actions and convince him to hire me? The conversation turned out to be far easier than I had expected. I didn’t know then what an astute man he was; a finely honed reader of people. A few diplomatic and carefully chosen words accompanied by my troubled expression was enough for him. As I was about to leave, he told me something that became the singular guiding principle in the choices I have made in my professional and personal life ever since. He said something along these lines — young woman, if you are looking for more money (which I definitely was not as I was going to take a salary cut by joining TCS!) or a big office or titles, you may not get any of it here but if you are looking to learn, to expand your mind, give free rein to your curiosity and be part of an exciting company with a great future, you should join. The work environment and culture within the precincts of Air India’s 10th & 11th floor offices of TCS was everything and more that Mr. Kohli had promised. The place hummed with high energy, new concepts and technologies; there was a great deal of camaraderie amongst colleagues and interactions across organization hierarchies were refreshingly egalitarian. A radical shift and such relief from the stifling, family run company that I had left to join TCS.
Being a man of few words, appearing almost taciturn at times, FCK had perfected the minimalist Art of the Solo Critical Question. An oft repeated joke heard around the corridors of TCS was that Mr. K had managed to condense the 5 key management questions of Who, Why, What, Where and How into a singularly effective “Hunh?”! He never ceased to astound us with his prodigious memory, acuity and speed with which he would get to the core of the issues and challenges or project status being presented to him. Apart from his rapier sharp intellect, FCK was a highly principled, unassuming and humble man with a surprisingly droll sense of humor (belied by his stern facade). His deep care and concern for members of his TCS clan are well supported by innumerable anecdotes from past and present employees. A wise person once said “A boss has the title; a leader has the people”. Mr. Kohli was an exceptional role model; a towering leader with thousands of devoted followers and fans who were guided, counseled and supported by him.
Goodbye Mr. Kohli. Mind you, this farewell is only for your mortal self as I expect your sempiternal spirit and principles to continue to exercise great influence on the values, the goals and the road that TCS embraces in the years ahead. Who knows, one of these days, TCSians working on the 11th floor of the AI bldg in Mumbai might look towards your erstwhile cabin to see your shadowy figure in your trademark tweed jacket, sharp inquiring eyes and a ghost of a smile, emerge from that vaunted room.
I worked with Dr Kohli when I joined TCS in 1970 as an early bird. I retired in 2006 hence spent 33 long years with Dr Kohli who created TCS , and built the IT industry. He picked me to experiment on offshore development process and established credibility with Burroughs corporation, successfully imported latest technology in India to promote software export and promote computerization in India. He appreciated the efforts taken by us to establish remote software development process which promoted offshoring software development.
He has taken lot of risks to build up software industry , interaction with well known education institutes to promote continuous learning to remain competent on global basis.
I interacted with him for various reasons and learnt lot to handle difficult situations. I will remember him as great role model to be an effective leader, Caretaker, Risk taker, innovator, and relationship promoter.
May his soul rest in peace.
Words are not enough for me to put together for a legend and a mentor of over 3 decades for Mr. F.C. Kohli. I still cannot believe I won’t be walking into the 11th Floor sea facing, floor to ceiling book lined spacious office of Mr. F.C. Kohli at Air India Bldg-Mumbai to meet him every six months even after I had left TCS. He was more than a mentor- the messiah who hired me in New York when I had just completed my MBA and persuaded me to return to India and join TCS when I was standing at the crossroads of my career in the summer of 1991. An extraordinary legend, a person par excellence, a visionary, a man with a heart of gold and the icon who put India in the IT global map of the world. For me- the memories will remain for ever and he will be greatly missed.
http://reflections-shivanand.blogspot.com/2020/11/obituary-f-c-kohli-1924-2020.html
You have been a father figure for most of us and you led us all from the front as a pioneer, a visionary, a hands-on leader and a mentor. You have laid the foundations for a robust global IT industry to thrive and grow exponentially. You have taught us decades ago, about the importance of building talent and competent resource base, about building strong customer relationships and value propositions that could last a generation, about uncompromising robust quality standards and processes, about dealing with Technology and innovation for building a better nation, a better world and a better future for everyone including the future generations. You could engage and focus on any subject even during a short ride in an elevator or just a fifteen minute meeting to provide valuable insights and directions for the way forward.
Your style of blending professional commitments with passion while caring for personal relationships with warmth is unparalleled. Your ability to evaluate a different view point inspite of differences are some of the qualities we could learn and imbibe and a lot more that we will continue to cherish and reflect upon.
The models set up for Innovative Solutions, Reviews and Brainstorming sessions, internal communications and channels for reporting and escalations to cut the response time and many such countless best practices worked so flawlessly.
The experience and expertise we gained under your leadership to develop and nurture a “Can Do” attitude has helped us become what we are today. You led us to believe in ourselves and encouraged us to reach out and achieve much beyond what we would set for ourselves.
We will miss you, but you will continue to inspire us in our thoughts and actions.
My heart felt condolences TO Dr. F C Kohli.
My worshipful Homage. He passed away with out facing any trouble. For all the good work he has done, his God wanted him to reach like that. The vacuum left behind cannot be filled in, since he was the father of the Indian Computer Industry created millions of job opportunities. Adorable Leader sacrificed throughout, honest, sincere, accessible to every one, will appear highly handsome in his business Suit, handles all his Juniors & Seniors equally. Truly touched to read the countless sincere messages from all across, shows how great a leader, a noble soul Mr. F C Kohli was with his inimitable appearance. Feeling genuinely proud to have been ever associated and connected. It is remarkable that he could be so popular and liked by every individual from many diverse groups. The love of family and friends comfort the family during these difficult days. I am confident that the prayers and kind wishes of well wishers would aid his soul to live in peace. A remarkable person with high quality thinking, the extremely good life he lived, his each deed is like a seed as each will produce flowers. I want to continue my value and loyalty towards DR FC Kohli with my gratitude and with the same feelings.
There are no two opinions about Mr Kohli being the pioneering influence in the Indian IT Industry. Personally I am very grateful for his support and trust in me all the time . In the early eighties I had a severe train accident and was lying helplessly in one Govt. hospital awaiting major operation. When Mr. Kohli came to know about the accident he immediately called Bombay Hospital and arranged to get me admitted there. Accordingly I was shifted there and had a successful operation. Perhaps that saved my life. Also it is to his credit that I got the opportunity to lead the very large, complex and successful Swiss SEGA project, the experience and memories of which are with me forever.
Thank you Mr. Kohli. I will always remember you.
Remembering Mr. F.C. Kohli – glimpses of my personal interactions
A plethora of encomiums has poured in since the demise of this great man – nay, a superman, covering the various facets of this titan – his achievements, his vision, his focus, his passion, his interests and various other aspects, but it is still quite possible that all these still do not capture fully the enigma Mr. Kohli was. I have no intention to repeat these, which have been widely discussed, documented, and disseminated nor do I possess the skills to unravel this inscrutable wonder of a person. Instead, I would like to share some personal experiences of my interactions with Mr. Kohli, which I do treasure a lot.
When I joined TCS long ago – what look like eons now in this nano-world – , there were various stories about Mr. Kohli that were doing the rounds. I grew up in TCS – many a time growing down too!! – listening to these, without knowing what and how much to believe. These stories had verisimilitude because I did not have any direct interactions with him at the time and my rather un-analytic observations did not do much to dispel these illusions. It was only after more than a decade in TCS that I began to see the real contours of his personality.
Till the late 80s or early 90s, every branch in TCS used to organize an annual picnic for all its associates in the branch, where the picnic spots were carefully chosen so as to increase the mingling of employees from various locations and departments. Somehow, I always seemed to give this a miss, except for the first year of my joining. In one particular year, it was held in Lonavala, where TCS had a guest house too. So I decided to join along with my wife and daughter, hardly 8 or 9 years then. There were rows of plants around the guest house and I was standing behind one row. I saw Mr. Kohli standing on the other side of the hedge; it was difficult to avert his gaze. Hence I mumbled some greetings and he acknowledged the same. I was sure that it was just a perfunctory gesture and he would not even know me, let alone recognize. Then he walked away to my relief; but I saw him walking to the end of the row of plants, taking a turn and moving towards me. There was no one by the side of me, so I was wondering what he was up to. He came straight towards me and said Hello. I was flabbergasted, and at a loss for words. After some awkward moments, I too said Hello and introduced my wife and daughter. He said Namaste to my wife and smiled – yes, actually smiled – at my daughter. He shook hands with me and then moved away. Mentally I was wondering what I could have done wrong and thought of the projects I was handling at the time. Probably this was his way of warning me and I could expect a summons from his office the next day. As far as I could see, the projects were in good shape, but then Mr. Kohli had his own high standards, and I might have fallen short. But nothing of that sort happened, and it was halcyon days as usual the next few days. But one positive thing did happen; after that, my standing in front of my wife went up a few notches!! Normally, wives have a poor opinion of their husbands – the curse of the husbands, I have termed it. I think my wife always thought, tacitly, that I was good enough to be sent to only Latin American countries!! I was slowly getting a peek into the real Mr. Kohli. I had hardly met Mr. Kohli on a one-on-one interaction before that; so I was at a loss to interpret this gesture.
Though I never directly reported to Mr. Kohli, I used to send him some reports. In one such report, I had written some pages on the emerging trends in Software Engineering, the tools being developed (it used to be called CASE tools) and the challenges faced by their practitioners. It was essentially a compendium of the various articles I had read, supplemented by my own experience in TCS. There was really speaking nothing original, but it came back with his comments in the margins and the overall assessment of “Excellent; one of the best reports I have read in TCS”. I was thrilled, for obvious reasons. Such a feedback from Mr. Kohli is considered a rara avis in TCS. At about the same time, there was a surprise party for Mr. Kohli on his 70th birthday, organized outside his Air India 11th Floor cabin, and I also happened to be invited. On seeing me, he asked, “Did you see my comments on your report?”. This was in front of many senior people in TCS and he looked around and told others the same thing, “One of the best reports in TCS”. I was proud, at the same time embarrassed – embarrassed because I had doubts this was the prevalent view.
In another occasion, I had gone to his room regarding another report I had sent him (on his directive) about how TCS should metamorphose into a Global Consultant from being recognized only as a software organization. Again, the paper dealt with some obvious strategies and there was nothing earth-shaking in it. Probably the presentation was to his liking. He said, “I was going through your report in the plane yesterday and made some jottings. But I cannot find the papers now. Can you print out one more copy and give it?”. I went outside and had one copy printed out and handed it over to him. I thought he would read it later and send it to me with his comments. But he asked me to come inside and sit in the office and started reading the report, with a nervous me sitting opposite to him. I had always imagined, considering the width and depth of his knowledge, he would have mastered the art of Speed Reading. But he was taking his own time – slowly and systematically -, reading every word and writing his comments on the margin. Suddenly he paused and asked me the meaning of one word, which I had used. I remember the word was “desiderata”. I explained to him and felt sort of proud that there was at least one thing in the world I knew, which he did not – though in a very irrelevant way. At the end, he gave me back the report and instructed me to send a copy to some specified people in TCS.
Another incident which is indelibly imprinted in my mind is when I went to invite him for my Retirement function in December 2012. I was finally retiring from TCS after a very long innings, probably to the relief of some! When I went to him, as usual, he was in his chair, behind a huge stack of books and he was reading one of them and he had the big Oxford dictionary open in front of him. I looked at the book he was reading – it was “Logic for Dummies” by Mark Zegarelli. I mustered some courage (after all, I was retiring, so why not?) and asked him how he was reading this book. What he said took my breath away – “Of late, I found out that my Mathematics was getting weaker and I have forgotten many things and I want to refresh some material”. This, when he was about to become a nonagenarian! He said he would be out of the country and hence unable to attend.
All the above personal experiences sufficed to dispel all the myths I had heard . He was harsh, but fair, gruff on the outside, but soft on the inside, supercilious looking but, in fact, humble, sophisticated with a rustic heart, impervious to suggestions from others, but really speaking willing to listen to any common man – a farrago of contradictions and complexities. On his demise, this is my humble tribute to him. I do not know what expectations he had from me; if he did have any, I am sure I came out very short – predominantly due to my own limitations, but also due to some exogenous reasons. Working tirelessly even in his nineties should have been an inspiration to all – but we were content to be in what is called the “5-star community” – remember the Cadbury ad? – “Eat 5 star and Do Nothing!”
Some of us with IIT-IIM background are pampered by the media and society to such an extent that people tend to believe that we are the elite, crème de la crème of the country , but I dare say that one or two sessions with Mr. Kohli would have sufficed to cause a precipitous descent from the stratospheric heights with a punctured ego.
I had learnt a poem in college called “Ulysses” by Alfred Lord Tennyson. When I saw people like Kohli with an insatiable thirst for knowledge and fervid passion for things he believed in, I am often reminded of the following lines from the poem, which characterize them:
“And this gray spirit yearning in desire
To follow knowledge like a sinking star
Beyond the utmost bound of human thought” RIP, Mr. F.C. Kohli
