The leadership transition marks a new phase for the Foundation while retaining the active involvement of both technology pioneers in advancing its vision of building a sustainable, self-reliant and globally competitive ecosystem for semiconductors and electronics in India.
Under the new structure, the two leaders will continue working towards strengthening indigenous innovation, domestic electronics manufacturing and intellectual property creation. The Foundation will also focus on technology sovereignty, supporting Indian startups, improving market access and strengthening collaboration among industry, government and academia.
Dr. Ajai Chowdhry, Founder, EPIC Foundation, said that Malhotra's decades-long contribution to Indian technology and entrepreneurship made him well suited to lead the Foundation at a time when India has significant opportunities in indigenous innovation.
“Arjun's life's work in itself is a testimony to what EPIC Foundation stands for — the conviction that engineers, entrepreneurs, and institutions of India origin can build for the world,” Chowdhry said. He added that Malhotra's experience in building enterprises, taking Indian technology to global markets and mentoring entrepreneurs would help strengthen the Foundation's role in creating an environment conducive to innovation.
Malhotra, who co-founded HCL in 1975, has played a significant role in India's technology and entrepreneurship journey. His career has focused on building confidence in Indian engineering capabilities and demonstrating that Indian talent can design, develop and compete globally.
As Chairperson, Malhotra is expected to further strengthen EPIC Foundation's work in electronics, deep-tech, innovation and emerging technologies, with a focus on developing globally competitive indigenous products and capabilities.
Arjun Malhotra, Chairperson, EPIC Foundation, said the country's next major opportunity lies in moving beyond adopting technology towards creating products and solutions that address domestic requirements while competing in international markets.
“Nearly 50 years ago few of us dared to change direction of the country where we believed that India could build for the world and HCL happened. The conviction stayed with me ever since,” Malhotra said.
He added that the Foundation would pursue an output-driven approach focused on creating an ecosystem that encourages entrepreneurs to take risks, supports indigenous product development and helps innovations move from laboratories and drawing boards to the marketplace.
Malhotra's contributions to technology, entrepreneurship and institution building have earned him several recognitions, including the Albert Einstein Technology Medal and Dataquest Lifetime Achievement Award. The Institution of Engineers (India) has also recognised him as an Eminent Engineering Personality. He has received honorary doctorates from IIT Kharagpur and Punjab Technical University.
IIT Kharagpur has named him a Life Fellow and inducted him as one of the founding members of its Hall of Fame. More recently, he received the One World One Family Global Leadership Award for his contribution to purpose-driven business practices and social impact.
With the leadership transition, EPIC Foundation will continue its efforts to strengthen India's capabilities as a “Product Nation”, supporting indigenous technology development, innovation and manufacturing while contributing to the country's long-term technology sovereignty.
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