Shashi Ullal retires after long innings in IT sector

Shashi Ullal, Vice Chairman Hughes Escorts Communications Ltd, will retire
today after a long innings of 47 years in the IT industry. He started working in
1955 with British Insurance Company and moved on to IBM in 1958 where he worked
until 1976. He joined HECL in July 1995 as its Chief Executive and has been with
the company since then. He had also worked with Modi Olivetti and DCM Data
Systems.

Ullal says he still has bundles of energy and would like to remain active
primarily in areas like education for the underprivileged children. He also
plans to work on various Indian scriptures and plans to work out a way to manage
them. Besides he also plans to remain actively involved with various industry
bodies like Assocham.

Reflecting on the changes he has witnessed in the Indian IT industry, Ullal
says he is happy with the way a lot of things have turned out. At the same time
he also unhappy with a lot of things. He is particularly happy that India has
come to be recognized a powerhouse of knowledge capital but at the same time, it
is sad to see that India is perceived as a destination for cheap development
work. It is imperative for Indian software companies to move up the value chain
and not just position on the price points.

Asked how he managed his long innings in a stressful and competitive
environment, Ullal replies, "Over the past 50 years I have maintained a
strict routine of waking up at 5 0' clock in the morn, doing the pranayam, yoga
and reciting the Gayatri mantra. And in the past six years I have also practiced
transcendental meditation as taught by the Maharishi Foundation."

Ullal has one son and two daughters. His wife is a qualified Psychologist and
he expects to spend to spend more time with her now. He also expects to spend a
lot of time travelling. Ullal says this isn't just pleasure travelling although
he refused to divulge any more than that. There is certainly something up his
sleeve and we are going to hear more from him in the coming months perhaps in a
new avatar.