Noted IT Leader and HCL Co-founder Mahendra Pratap Passed Away

Many people who work in the domains of entrepreneurship and information technology find inspiration in Mahendra Pratap’s incredible journey.
Mahendra Pratap, a trailblazer in India’s IT sector and a co-founder of HCL Technologies, has departed from this life. The impact of his visionary leadership in technology and his inventive thinking will always be felt in the field of Indian entrepreneurship, information technology, and technological advancement. Mahendra Pratap, who is regarded as a cornerstone of the IT sector, was the first engineer to join Microcomp for HCL as a research and development specialist. He was responsible for overseeing the synchronization of EPIC Hardware design at the company.

“Mahendra Pratap was a technologist with a big heart. He was mentoring number of electronic startups guiding them through their journey. He will be sorely missed,” said Pradeep Gupta, Chairman, CyberMedia Group on the unfortuante development.

In 1972, Mahendra Pratap obtained a degree in Electrical Engineering from the esteemed Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur (IIT Kanpur). His professional career began with DCM Data Products, where his intelligence and inventiveness were immediately recognized. He cofounded HCL in 1976 with Shiv Nadar and eight other like-minded people, setting the groundwork for what would grow to become one of India’s most well-known technology corporations.

Mahendra Pratap was instrumental in the development of the first commercial products based on microprocessors at HCL, a development that was revolutionary at the time. Under his direction, the business unveiled ground-breaking products including the Moscal 1101 and Micro 2200, completely changing the Indian computer industry. His design work on the Microcomputer HCL 8C and the KTMF data entry machine is also noteworthy. Data management was substantially transformed by his concept, especially when mainframe computers were involved. He was partially in charge of expediting the data entry procedure by substituting conventional computer cards with a combination of KTMF and HCL 8C, outfitted with Standard 7 or 9 Track Magnetic Tape connection.

Outside of HCL, Mahendra Pratap made significant contributions to the realm of technology. His commitment to meeting the requirements of his nation is demonstrated by the fact that his vision went beyond simple technological innovation. He aimed to develop items that could flourish in India’s varied climatic circumstances. He led the creation of iMFAST, a ground-breaking program created in 2007 to promote financial inclusion in India. Many millions of Indians, especially those living in rural regions, now have access to banking and payment services thanks in large part to this ground-breaking platform, which was widely praised and acknowledged.

Mahendra Pratap stayed committed to the development of India’s electronics industry throughout his illustrious career. Even after he retired in 2018, he never stopped coming up with ideas on how to promote innovation and industry expansion.