He shaped the DNA of India’s IT revolution and a billion careers. Padma Bhushan Professor V Rajaraman is no more, yet his legacy still drives the nation’s biggest dreams.
In 1965, computers were distant giants in foreign lands. Most IITs saw it as a mere vocational field. Prof. Rajaraman broke through these barriers to start India’s first formal academic programme in Computer Science at IIT Kanpur.
Persuaded by a determined Prof. Rajaraman, each department grudgingly gave up just 2–3 seats. And with a tiny batch of 20 students at IIT Kanpur, a revolution was born amid a world of doubt.
It wasn’t easy. He faced sceptical parents who asked about the “future” of this strange new field. But Prof. Rajaraman’s conviction was unshakable. He saw the silicon revolution before anyone else could even spell it.
The proof came fast. The new CSE course closed at AIR 40, and IITs across India rushed to match it. Kanpur’s experiment had changed engineering forever.
His vision grew beyond classrooms. At IISc, he chaired the Supercomputer Education and Research Centre (SERC). For over a decade, he helped build India’s supercomputing strength and laid the foundation for national innovation.
He foresaw the need for diverse talent. Prof. Rajaraman architected the Master of Computer Applications (MCA) programme, opening the doors of the IT boom to science and commerce graduates across India.
He also chaired the committee that created C-DAC — India’s push to build indigenous supercomputers. From a classroom of 20 to a nation of IT pioneers, his vision helped build our technological self-reliance.
He authored over 20 Computer Science textbooks still taught in colleges across India. “Get your hands dirty,” he would tell students — urging them to innovate, ask questions, and understand the history of computing to shape its future.
Prof Rajaraman received the Padma Bhushan in 1998. When he once asked IBM to set up a research park in India, they laughed. Today, every major tech giant is here — a reality he had once only dreamed of.
As you scroll on your phone today, remember the powerhouse who helped build the modern India we’re so proud of.