September 6th, 2026
From Kharagpur to HCL: 50 Years of Technology, Enterprise and Giving Back
IITKGP Foundation
As Hindustan Computers Limited (HCL) celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2026, IIT Kharagpur has a special reason to celebrate.
Among the six pioneers who set out to build an Indian technology company in 1976 was Arjun Malhotra ’70, an IITKGP alumnus and longtime member of the IITKGP Foundation USA Board. What began with six entrepreneurs, limited resources and a conviction that India could build its own technology would grow into one of the country’s defining technology enterprises.
For KGPians, however, Arjun’s story is about more than HCL.
A graduate of Electronics & Electrical Communication Engineering, Arjun has spent five decades combining entrepreneurship with institution-building. He helped take HCL from its early beginnings to a global technology enterprise, later founded and led TechSpan, and has continued to advise and mentor emerging companies. He was also among the earliest Indian technology entrepreneurs to establish a significant professional presence in the United States.
His connection to IIT Kharagpur has remained equally strong. A Life Fellow of the Institute, Arjun has supported education, research and innovation at KGP and endowed the Prof. G.S. Sanyal School of Telecommunications followed by many other investments. In 2025, IIT Kharagpur recognized him as the first recipient of its Alumni Hall of Fame Award.
The HCL story is ultimately a story about what KGPians can accomplish when knowledge, courage and entrepreneurial vision come together. Arjun Malhotra and his fellow HCL pioneers helped build an industry that transformed India's place in the global technology landscape. Watch Arjun Malhotra reflect on entrepreneurship, technology and the journey from HCL to the future with AI.
Today, a new generation of KGPians has an opportunity to shape what comes next.
When alumni give back to IIT Kharagpur, they are not simply supporting a campus—they are investing in the next generation of innovators, entrepreneurs and leaders. As we celebrate the 50-year journey of HCL and the extraordinary achievements of KGP alumni, let us also ask: What will our generation build for the next 50 years?
Give back. Build forward.
Your support through the IITKGP Foundation can help IIT Kharagpur create the environment in which the next Arjun Malhotra—and the next generation of KGP pioneers—can thrive.