Dr Narinder Singh Kapany

An art collector, a sculptor, and a philanthropist, Dr
Narinder Singh Kapany is known to the world of telecom for an entirely different
reason. He is known as the father of fiber optics for his invention of the
wonder material in 1954. Fortune magazine called him an "unsung hero"
in its issue on businessmen of the century.

Not many in the technology industry in India are too sure about his
achievement. Ironic, considering the fact that Dr Kapany was not just a
researcher who was confined to the labs but probably the first Indian
entrepreneur in the Silicon Valley. He founded his first company, Optics
Technology way back in 1960, at a time when the Silicon Valley was not even
known by this name. Today, in his 70s, he is the chairman of his third start-up,
K2 Optronics, founded in April 2000. Dr Kapany is arguably India's greatest
contribution to the world of telecom.