Sam Pitroda

{{Short description|Indian inventor and businessman (born 1942)}}

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{{Infobox person

| name = Sam Pitroda

| image = Sam Pitroda at the India Economic Summit 2009.jpg

| image_size =

| caption = Pitroda at the India Economic Summit 2009

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1942|11|16|df=y}}{{cite web | url=https://www.sampitroda.com/timeline | title=Timeline }}

| birth_place = Titlagarh, Orissa Province, British India
({{small|present–day Odisha, India}})

| death_date =

| death_place =

| known_for =

| alma_mater = Maharaja Sayajirao University
Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago

| employer = Former advisor to the prime minister on Public Information, Infrastructure & Innovations (PIII)

| occupation = Telecom engineer, entrepreneur

| spouse = {{marriage|Anjana Pitroda|1966|}}

| children =

| networth =

| party = Indian National Congress

| website = {{URL|http://www.sampitroda.com}}

}}

Satyanarayan Gangaram Pitroda, popularly known as Sam Pitroda (Born, November 16, 1942), is an Indian official, telecommunications engineer, and entrepreneur. He was born in Titlagarh, in the eastern Indian state of Odisha, into a Gujarati family. He served as an advisor to Rajiv Gandhi and Manmohan Singh during their respective tenures as the Prime Minister of India, as well as to the United Nations.{{Cite web |title=The Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda |url=https://msubaroda.ac.in/index.php/Distinguishedalumnidetail?id=154 |access-date=2023-05-13 |website=msubaroda.ac.in}}{{Cite news |date=2013-09-18 |title=Digital Indians: The story so far |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-24080197 |access-date=2024-10-22 |work=BBC News |language=en-GB}} He is the chairman of the Indian Overseas Congress.{{Cite news |last=PTI |date=2024-09-09 |title=Rahul Gandhi is a strategist with deep thinking on any subject: Sam Pitroda |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/rahul-gandhi-is-a-strategist-with-deep-thinking-on-any-subject-sam-pitroda/article68620697.ece |access-date=2024-10-22 |work=The Hindu |language=en-IN |issn=0971-751X}}

Early life and career

In 1966, he began working for GTE in Chicago.{{Cite news |date=27 December 2002 |title=Sam Pitroda: Lifetime Achievement Award 2002 |url=http://dqindia.ciol.com/content/top_stories/102122703.asp |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111002055603/http://dqindia.ciol.com/content/top_stories/102122703.asp |archive-date=2 October 2011 |access-date=15 July 2013 |work=Dataquest}} He is considered a pioneer of portable computing, as he invented the electronic diary in 1975.{{cite web |title=Electronic Diary patent - CHM Revolution |url=http://www.computerhistory.org/revolution/mobile-computing/18/318/1716 |access-date=14 August 2018 |website=Computerhistory.org}}

He holds a master's degree in Physics and Electronics from Maharaja Sayajirao University (India) and a Master's in Electrical Engineering from the Illinois Institute of Technology (USA).

Government Advisor

Between 2005 and 2009, he chaired the National Knowledge Commission in India and served as an advisor to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in the area of Public Information Infrastructure and Innovations. Since 2010, he has been the chairman of the National Innovation Council.[http://mexico.cnn.com/tecnologia/2011/05/05/sam-pitroda-mexico-debe-ser-consciente-de-su-mentalidad-del-siglo-xix "México debe ser consciente de su mentalidad del siglo XIX: Sam Pitroda"] CNN México - Fecha: 05/05/2011

Return to India and later career

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On a trip back to India in 1981, Pitroda was frustrated by how hard it was to call his family back in Chicago, and decided he could help modernize India's telecommunications system.{{Cite news |author=Emily Stone |date=26 November 2007 |title=Chicago's 'Mr. India' |work=Crain's Chicago Business |url=http://www.chicagobusiness.com/article/20071124/ISSUE02/100028913/chicagos-mr-india |access-date=15 July 2013}} In 1984, Pitroda was invited to return to India by Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. On his return, he started the Center for Development of Telematics C-DOT, an autonomous telecom R&D organization. He had previously become a naturalized US citizen but renounced his US citizenship to take Indian citizenship again to work in the Indian Government.{{Cite news |author=Mike Hughlett |date=8 July 2007 |title='Telecom czar' focuses on his next big thing |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/2007/07/08/telecom-czar-focuses-on-his-next-big-thing/ |access-date=9 May 2024 |work=Chicago Tribune}}

In the 1990s Pitroda returned to Chicago to resume his business interests. In May 1995, he became the first chairman of WorldTel initiative of the International Telecommunication Union.{{Cite news |date=15 May 1995 |title=Interim Board of Directors Elects Mr. Sam Pitroda as Chairman |work=Press release |publisher=ITU |url=http://www.itu.int/newsarchive/press_releases/1995/ITU95-6.html |access-date=9 August 2013}}

In 1993, Pitroda helped establish (with Darshan Shankar) the Foundation for Revitalisation of Local Health Tradition and The University of Trans-Disciplinary Health Sciences and Technology near Bangalore in India. The foundation promotes Ayurveda, India's traditional medicinal knowledge.{{Cite web |title= About |work= Web site |publisher= The Institute of Trans-Disciplinary Health Sciences and Technology |url= http://ihstuniversity.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=112&Itemid=435 |access-date= 15 July 2013 }}

In October 2009, Pitroda was appointed as advisor to Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Public Information Infrastructure and Innovations with the rank of Cabinet Minister.{{Cite news |date=7 October 2009 |title=Pitroda appointed adviser to PM |work=Deccan Herald |url=http://www.deccanherald.com/content/29270/pitroda-appointed-adviser-pm.html |url-status=live |access-date=15 July 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100210230215/http://www.deccanherald.com/content/29270/pitroda-appointed-adviser-pm.html |archive-date=10 February 2010}}

In 1992, his biography Sam Pitroda: A Biography was published.{{Cite book |title= Sam Pitroda: A Biography |author= Mayank Chhaya |publisher= Konark Publishers |date= June 1992 |isbn= 8122002757 }}

The Enforcement Directorate, on 15 April 2025, filed a chargesheet against him over his alleged involvement in the National Herald case.{{Cite web |last=Singh |first=Shekhar |date=2025-04-15 |title=Sonia, Rahul, Pitroda named in ED chargesheet in National Herald case |url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/nation/2025/Apr/15/sonia-rahul-pitroda-named-in-ed-chargesheet-in-national-herald-case |access-date=2025-04-15 |website=The New Indian Express |language=en}}{{Cite web |date=2025-04-15 |title=Gandhis, Sam Pitroda named in ED chargesheet in National Herald case |url=https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/ed-first-chargesheet-sonia-gandhi-rahul-national-herald-money-laundering-case-2709442-2025-04-15 |access-date=2025-04-15 |website=India Today |language=en}}

Awards

  • Dataquest gave Pitroda a lifetime achievement award in 2002.
  • In May 2010, the University of Illinois at Chicago college of medicine presented him an honorary degree.{{Cite news |title=UIC to award honorary degree to Sam Pitroda |work=India Tribune |url=http://www.indiatribune.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2225:uic-to-award-honorary-degree-to-sam-pitroda&catid=121:general-news&Itemid=410 |access-date=15 July 2013}}{{Cite web |title=Honorary Degrees 1966 - 2010 |url=http://www.uic.edu/depts/ovcsa/commencement/honorary_degrees.shtml |access-date=15 July 2013 |publisher=University of Illinois at Chicago}}
  • The Government of India awarded him the Padma Bhushan in 2009 for his contribution to science and engineering.{{cite web |year=2015 |title=Padma Awards |url=http://mha.nic.in/sites/upload_files/mha/files/LST-PDAWD-2013.pdf |access-date=21 July 2015 |publisher=Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India}}

References

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