Dewang’s death last week in Australia reminds me of an old Billy Joel song about “only the good die young”. Good though he was, he was still too young to move on. He had called me only a few days earlier fretting about whether he needs to come to San Jose to attend the “Vision Maharashtra Conference”. He mentioned he so many things to do. So typical of Dewang.
Dewang will always be remembered for being the locomotive that powered the India’s IT industry. He was the visible face of an emerging force, the Indian IT industry. He was not only a marketing genius, but also a great leader who made sure that the industry image was not built on false foundations. Under his leadership, NASSCOM very early on devised a code of ethics about honest dealings with customers. He always emphasized quality first, even though India’s main advantage was low cost. Today, Indian IT industry is mostly admired for its very high quality and dependable suppliers.
Dewang represented a new breed of Indian who is competent, articulate, competitive, self-less, modern and supremely self-confident. This Indian has arrived on the world scene in large numbers and changing centuries old perceptions about India. Dewang’s main contribution in my opinion is the way he engaged political leaders and beurocrats on behalf of the industry; the way he educated the public about the importance of the industry for the nation.
He showed how positive lobbying can strengthen the democratic process by building broad consensus. I don’t remember any attacks on him from any quarter, making the point that he was seen as a positive force by one and all.
It is tragic that his life has been cut short. I was looking forward to the next inning in his life, which I was sure was going to be in the politics. He showed a great flair for it. It would have served India well if that had come to pass.
Meanwhile, all I can do is tip my hat to a great friend and wonder what might have been.
