I am sure she will not remember it, but I first met Neelam Dhawan in her Hindustan Computers office in Nehru Place. The year was 1989, and we were doing an article on the new features that were available in PC ATs in comparison to PC XTs. Along with the article we had to carry a comparative price chart of the leading vendors, and every time I asked Hindustan Computers for the information, I was told that Neelam Dhawan will give it. One day I just walked into their office and said I was not leaving till I have met Neelam Dhawan.

I was completely taken aback when a smart, young and yet, unassuming lady just walked up to me and introduced herself as Neelam. She said she was sorry for the delay but that she was not aware of this. Without any further delay she just took a piece of paper and jotted down the details, and I filed my story. She even gave me her direct number and said if there were any clarifications, I could call her without hesitation.

Almost twenty years have passed since then. Hindustan Computers became HCL, and Indian IT became a multi-billion dollar industry. In between, some very big milestones were crossed. I would term Neelams appointment as the head of HP India, the countrys fourth largest IT company, as a milestone that will change the face of Indian IT.

Ibrahim Ahmad

As the new captain of a mega-entity that clocked revenue of nearly Rs 12,000 crore in 2006-07, Neelam will surely be an inspiration for thousands of women workers who form a part of the Indian IT industry. Today, almost 20% of the industry workforce constitutes of women, and I am sure Neelam will provide confidence to many of them to take bigger targets and even bigger roles, and aim for leadership positions. We do not find many women at senior positions across the industry, but Neelams achievement will surely change the picture in the next few years.

With Indian companies such as Wipro, TCS, and Infosys strengthening and consolidating their position in the domestic market, it is going to be pretty tough. But I am confident that Neelam, with her experience and knowledge of the industry, will do a great job as a leader. This is likely to change the mindset of board members as well as headhunters, many of whom still believe that the job is for men when it comes to looking for CEO material.

Will Neelam succeed in her new role? I bet she will. If nothing else, she has to prove a point to the world. And more than that, for an industry where senior level talent is a huge crunch, it is critical that she succeeds. I am sure nobody wants a smile on the face of those who believe that women cannot succeed at the top. The industry needs to make sure she does.

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