PROFILE


Sam Pitroda
Advisor to the Prime Minister
Government of India

Sam Pitroda (Satyanarayan Gangaram Pitroda) , born 04 May 1942, in Titlagarh, Orissa is an inventor, entrepreneur and policymaker. He is currently an Advisor to the Prime Minister of India on Public Information Infrastructure & Innovations. As an Advisor, he looks after developing information infrastructure for enhancing delivery of services to the citizens in various areas and also on creating a roadmap for a ‘Decade of Innovation’ in India.

Prior to this, he has served as a Chairman of the National Knowledge Commission (2005-2008), a high-level advisory body to the Prime Minister of India, set up to give policy recommendations for improving knowledge related institutions and infrastructure in the country. Mr. Pitroda holds around 100 key technology patents, has been involved in several start-ups, and lectures extensively around the world.

He is also the founder & CEO of C-SAM, Inc. with its headquarters in Chicago. In the past, he has also served as an advisor to the United Nations and in 1992, his biography “Sam Pitroda: A Biography” was the bestseller in the The Economic Times list for five weeks.

As technology Advisor to the Prime Minister, Rajiv Gandhi in the 1980s, Mr. Pitroda not only heralded the telecom revolution in India, but also made a strong case for using technology for the benefit and betterment of society through several missions on telecommunications, literacy, dairy, water, immunization and oilseeds etc. He has continued to redefine the role technology can play in a society like India by linking it to better delivery of services for the underprivileged in the country. Mr. Pitroda has been awarded several accolades and award, noteworthy being: Dataquest IT Lifetime Achievement Award in 2002, Canada India Foundation ("CIF") Chanchlani Global Indian Award (2008, Padma Bhushan award (2009) by the Government of India for his contribution to Science and Engineering, Rajiv Gandhi "Global Indian" award (2009) are just a few to name.