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Shiv Nadar Biography: Age, Career, Family and More

F4U Editorial Desk • Updated October 14, 2026 • 3 min read

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Quick Info

Date of birth14 July 1945

Age77 Years (as of 2022)

BirthplaceMoolaipozhi, Madras Presidency, British India (now Tamil Nadu)

ProfessionIndustrialist

NationalityIndian

Marital statusMarried

SpouseKiran Shiv Nadar

FamilyDaughter - Roshni Nadar Malhotra; Parents - Sivasubramaniya Nadar and Vamasundari Devi

Net worth$36.7 billion (as of March 2024)

Shiv Nadar Biography

Shiv Nadar is an Indian industrialist best known as the founder of HCL Technologies and the Shiv Nadar Foundation. Over decades he built HCL into a majorIT

Early life and background
Shiv Nadar was born on 14 July 1945 in Moolaipozhi, in the Madras Presidency of British India (now in Tamil Nadu). He completed his schooling at a number of institutions in Tamil Nadu, attending Town Higher Secondary School in Kumbakonam, Elango Corporation Higher Secondary School in Madurai and St. Joseph Boys Higher Secondary School in Trichy. He went on to study electrical and electronics engineering at PSG College of Technology in Coimbatore. Nadar spent much of his early education in Tamil and did not begin speaking English regularly until his early twenties.

Career
Nadar began his working life with Cooper Engineering Ltd., part of the Walchand group, in Pune in 1967. A few years later he left to start his own venture with a group of colleagues and friends. Their first business, Microcomp, sold teledigital calculators in India. In 1976, with a modest initial investment, he and his partners founded HCL. The company expanded into hardware and international markets, opening a presence in Singapore under the name Far East Computers and later pursuing the American market.

HCL’s international push included a partnership with Hewlett-Packard in 1991 that formed HCL HP Limited, a move that helped the company improve its performance in the U.S. market. Over time Nadar oversaw the restructuring of the HCL group into multiple businesses focused on different areas: HCL Technologies as a global IT services company, HCL Infosystems for Indian IT hardware, HCL Comnet for network services, HCL Perot for IT applications, and an education-focused arm.

Philanthropy and education initiatives
Nadar established the Shiv Nadar Foundation in 1994 with a focus on expanding access to quality education. He founded the SSN College of Engineering in Chennai in 1996, naming it after his father, Sivasubramaniya Nadar, and remained closely involved with the institution’s development. The foundation also launched Vidyagyan schools in Uttar Pradesh that offered scholarships to talented rural students, and the trust supported a variety of educational projects over the years.

Nadar personally contributed to educational causes, including an equipment donation to his alma mater, Town Higher Secondary School, and significant transfers of HCL shares to support academic initiatives. The foundation’s work and his personal giving have been recognized internationally; he has been listed among prominent philanthropists by Forbes and received awards for individual philanthropy.

Later roles and succession
Nadar continued to hold executive roles at HCL for many years. In July 2020 he stepped down as chairperson of HCL Technologies and appointed his daughter, Roshni Nadar Malhotra, as the company’s chairperson, while remaining in senior strategic roles. In July 2021 he relinquished the managing director position and took on the role of chairman emeritus and strategic advisor, indicating a shift to concentrate on philanthropic work for the remainder of his life.

Public profile
Nadar has received multiple national and international honors. He was awarded the Padma Bhushan by the Government of India in 2008. Other recognitions include the BNP Paribas Grand Prize for Individual Philanthropy in 2013 and a Lifetime Achievement Award from The Economic Times in 2023 for corporate excellence. He has been acknowledged on lists of prominent philanthropists and topped philanthropy rankings in India in certain years.

Personal life
Shiv Nadar is married to Kiran Nadar. Their daughter, Roshni Nadar Malhotra, serves as chairperson of HCL Technologies. His parents are named Sivasubramaniya Nadar and Vamasundari Devi. Nadar’s personal interests referenced in public profiles include an appreciation for actor Rajinikanth. He is described as non-vegetarian in lifestyle details shared in public sources.

Latest updates
In recent years Nadar has formalized his reduced operational role at HCL to focus on the Shiv Nadar Foundation and education philanthropy. He received a lifetime achievement award in 2023 for corporate excellence and continues to be publicly recognised for his contributions to industry and education.

Editorial Review and Sources

This F4U profile is written from publicly available career and profile information, then reviewed for clarity before publication. If you spot an outdated detail about Shiv Nadar, send the page URL and a reliable correction source to f4udotin@gmail.com.

Reference context: StarsUnfolded

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Recent Work

Appointed Chairman Emeritus and Strategic Advisor, HCL Technologies

After stepping down as managing director in July 2021, Shiv Nadar took on the role of chairman emeritus and strategic advisor to focus on philanthropy.

2021
Stepped down as Chairperson, HCL Technologies

In July 2020 Shiv Nadar appointed his daughter Roshni Nadar Malhotra as chairperson of HCL Technologies and moved to senior strategy roles.

2020
Lifetime Achievement Award for Corporate Excellence

Recognised by The Economic Times with a lifetime achievement award in 2023.

2023
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Career Highlights

  1. Founded HCL (1976) and grew it into a multinational IT group
  2. Established the Shiv Nadar Foundation (1994) to expand access to education
  3. Founded SSN College of Engineering in Chennai (1996)
  4. Received Padma Bhushan (2008) and international philanthropy awards
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Net Worth

$36.7 billion (as of March 2024)

Figures are editorial estimates based on publicly available reporting and may change as new information emerges.

Reviewed by F4U Editorial Desk

F4U profile pages are prepared from public career information, checked for readability, and updated when reliable correction sources are shared with the editorial team.

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Frequently Asked Questions

When was Shiv Nadar born?

Shiv Nadar was born on 14 July 1945.

What is Shiv Nadar known for?

Shiv Nadar is known for industrialist.

What is Shiv Nadar’s marital status?

Shiv Nadar's marital status is listed as Married.

Who is Shiv Nadar married to?

Shiv Nadar is publicly listed as married to Kiran Shiv Nadar.

What is Shiv Nadar’s net worth?

Shiv Nadar's net worth is commonly listed as $36.7 billion (as of March 2024), based on available public profile information.