EPIC Foundation Names Arjun Malhotra as Chairperson, Ajai Chowdhry Becomes Founder

EPIC Foundation has announced a major leadership transition with HCL co-founder Arjun Malhotra becoming Chairperson and Dr. Ajai Chowdhry taking on the role of Founder, marking a new phase in India's electronics and semiconductor ecosystem vision.

EPIC Foundation, the non-profit organization co-founded by HCL co-founders and industry think tanks Mr. Arjun Malhotra and Dr. Ajai Chowdhry with a mission to establish India as a global leader in electronics hardware product design and manufacturing, has announced a leadership transition at the highest level. Mr. Arjun Malhotra has assumed the role of Chairperson of the Foundation, succeeding Dr. Ajai Chowdhry, who will now serve as Founder of the organization.

The leadership transition marks a new phase in the Foundation's structure, with both leaders continuing to work closely toward their shared vision of building a sustainable, self-reliant and complete ecosystem for semiconductors and electronics as a key driver of national transformation. Their collaboration will focus on supporting indigenous innovation, domestic manufacturing and intellectual property creation, strengthening technology sovereignty, enabling Indian startups, improving market access, and fostering collaboration among industry, government and academia to create a well-connected ecosystem.

Ajai Chowdhry, Founder, EPIC Foundation, said, "Arjun’s life's work in itself is a testimony to what EPIC Foundation stands for - the conviction that engineers, entrepreneurs, and institutions of India origin can build for the world. This transition decision does not stem from correcting course but rather is a natural progression at a time when India has both the talent and the opportunity to lead in indigenous innovation backed by strong policy support. Arjun’s decades of experience building enterprises from the ground up, scaling Indian technology globally, and mentoring founders across generations are vital in further shaping Foundation's voice in creating an environment conducive to innovation.”

Mr. Malhotra is among the visionaries who helped shape India's technological journey. As co-founder of HCL in 1975, he played a leading role in building confidence in indigenous Indian engineering by demonstrating that Indian talent could build, design and compete on a global stage. Beyond contributing to India's technological foundations, he also played a significant role in laying the groundwork for the digital economy that today drives the country's global standing, employment generation, exports and innovation capacity.

Under Mr. Malhotra's leadership, EPIC Foundation aims to further strengthen its efforts to accelerate globally competitive indigenous technology and products while expanding capabilities across electronics, deep-tech, innovation and emerging technologies.

Arjun Malhotra, Chairperson, EPIC Foundation, said, "Nearly 50 years ago few of us dared to change direction of the country where we believed that India could build for the world and HCL happened. The conviction stayed with me ever since. Having seen India's technology journey evolve over the past five decades, I believe that the next big opportunity for the country is to move beyond adopting technology to creating products and solutions that address our own needs and can compete globally. We are charting a clear output driven vision for the Foundation where we create an ecosystem that encourages entrepreneurs to take risks, supports indigenous product development, and helps promising innovations move from the laboratory and drawing board to the market. In the new role, my focus will intensify on helping build the kind of institutions, products, and policy environment that let Indian engineers and entrepreneurs solve problems on their own terms - for India, and for the world."

Mr. Malhotra's contributions to technology, entrepreneurship and institution building have earned him several prestigious recognitions, including the Albert Einstein Technology Medal and the Dataquest Lifetime Achievement Award, which honors his role in fostering entrepreneurship and shaping India's technology landscape. The Institution of Engineers (India) has also recognized him as an Eminent Engineering Personality, while IIT Kharagpur and Punjab Technical University have conferred honorary doctorates upon him. In recognition of his continued commitment to his alma mater, IIT Kharagpur named him a Life Fellow and inducted him as one of the founding members of its Hall of Fame. Most recently, he received the One World One Family Global Leadership Award for advancing business practices rooted in purpose and social impact.

EPIC Foundation reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening India's capabilities as a Product Nation as it enters its next phase under the new leadership structure.