Mr. Sam Pitroda is an internationally respected telecom inventor, entrepreneur, development thinker, and policy maker who has spent 49 years in information and communications technology (ICT) and related global and national developments.
Credited with having laid the foundation for India’s telecommunications and technology revolution of the 1980s, Mr. Pitroda has been a leading campaigner to help bridge the global digital divide. During his tenure as Advisor to Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, Mr. Pitroda led six technology missions related to telecommunications, water, literacy, immunization, dairy production, and oil seeds. He was also the founder and first Chairman of India’s Telecom Commission. In these plural roles, Mr. Pitroda helped revolutionize India’s development philosophies and policies with a focus on access to technology as the key to social change.
As a way to induce the second phase of India’s technology revolution, in 2005 Mr. Pitroda headed India’s National Knowledge Commission (2005-2009), to provide a blueprint of reform for the knowledge-related institutions and infrastructure for the 21st century in the country.
Recently, Mr. Pitroda served as Advisor to the Prime Minister of India on Public Information Infrastructure and Innovation, with the rank of a Cabinet Minister.
He serves as the Chairman of the Smart Grid Task Force, as well as the committees to reform public broadcasting, modernize railways, deliver e-governance, and other developmental activities.
He is also a founding Commissioner of the United Nations Broadband Commission for Digital Development and Chairman of the International Telecommunication Union’s m-Powering Development Board that looks to empower developing countries with the use of mobile technology.
Sam Pitroda Definition Of Success | Success is all about the ability to decide what kind of work you enjoy doing and the satisfaction and fulfillment derived from it. This definition of mine has not changed over time.
I Am Driven By | Excitement to work on different interesting and challenging things.
My Highlights | Opportunity to work in two great democracies of the world, simultaneously- America and India.
The Difference Between Good And Great | The amount of time, energy, and passion they spend on what they want to do.
A Key Talent | Ability to love people and appreciate the best in everyone while ignoring their shortcomings. To replicate this, first you have to be comfortable with yourself and love what you do. Then you have to respect others for what they are and genuinely learn to love them like your family and friends.
Principles I Live By | Character, morals, ethics, truth, discipline, hard work
Critical Skills I Develop | Constantly learning from my environment, others, and quality reading to review, reflect, and redefine yourself.
How I Use My Mind | Be focused, consistent, and determined with perseverance to pursue against all odds.
Lessons I Have Learnt | Never be in a hurry to celebrate success nor be discouraged by failures. What goes up must come down, and if you are down, you must come up. Keep doing what needs to be done. Don’t worry about destinations and results, but enjoy the journey in the process.
Dealing With Doubt | Build better self and self-esteem to look for strength and motivation inside and not outside. After great success in India I had a heart attack, I was broke financially, and my friend Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi got assassinated. That was the lowest point in my life. I had no other option but to rebuild, redefine, and redirect myself to build a new foundation. It was possible only through positive attitude, determination, and hard work.
Performing At My Peak | You don’t have to perform all the time at your peak. It is ok to have peaks and valleys in life.
Resources I Use To Stay Inspired | I normally read the WSJ and the Economist and watch, when time permits, PBS news.
My Future Dreams And Ambitions | At my age of 73, I want to focus on making the world better, safer, richer, and cleaner for my children and grandchildren to enjoy.
The Meaning Of Life | Work and love.
The Best Advice I’ve Received | Don’t trade anything for your character.
Advice On Building Wealth | Don’t focus on growing rich and building wealth only, but focus on building a good self, being a good human being with capacity to work hard and love.
On Inspiring Others | I come across in life many talented young people, and I give them challenging work, love them, let them make mistakes, and allow them to grow with me.
I Am Inspired By | Gandhi and Einstein.
The Legacy I Would Like To Leave | My two great children, and hundreds of great friends and family members.
Bora Yoon Definition Of Success | Success means living a satisfied life, in which one can pursue the art of creation, cultivating self-knowledge, community and enlightenment both inwards and outwards. I Am Driven By | Transformation, purpose and progress, creating something that wasn’t there before. Defying people’s perceptions and ideas of what could or should be, and […]
Ommo is the Founder and CEO of iBez, a technology company that provides software development services and also owns a number of web-based applications. She is a qualified IT Practitioner, entrepreneur and public speaker with many years of experience gained from working for a string of well-known investment banks and software companies both in the […]
Stephen Saad – CEO of Johannesburg Stock Exchange-listed Aspen Pharmacare Holdings Ltd. – is one of South Africa’s richest men, having reached millionaire status at the tender age of 29. Stephen Saad recently joined the small group of South African billionaires in 2014. Saad broke into the pharma industry in 1993, aged only 29 years […]
Jean de Villiers was named Springbok captain for 2012 before the series victory over England in June, which made him South Africa’s 54th Test skipper. He is one of the most experienced Springboks ever and a natural leader, having led Western Province and the Stormers during his provincial career. De Villiers is deceptively quick, has […]
Garth Walker is the founder of design studio, Mr Walker. His interests lie in developing and encouraging a design language “rooted in the African experience” and it is this that he is best known for. Since 1995 and some 24 issues later, Walker has published Africa’s only experimental graphics magazine, i-jusi. He has been widely […]
Adrian Gore is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of the Discovery Group. He launched Discovery in 1992, with a simple and core purpose of making people healthier and enhancing and protecting their lives. Discovery has since evolved into a diversified and multinational financial services group. Discovery is widely acknowledged as a global thought leader […]
Francisca Kakra Forson is an international freelance journalist with Voice of America and West Africa Democracy radio based in Ghana and a consultant for the Institute for Statistical, Social & Economic Research at the University of Ghana. She is also fast becoming a powerful social activist and in-demand motivational speaker with a passion for matters […]
Prof Jonathan Jansen is the Rector and Vice-Chancellor of the University of the Free State. He is also the Honorary Professor of Education at the University of the Witwatersrand and Visiting Fellow at the National Research Foundation. Jansen also serves as an Independent Non-Executive Director for Advtech Limited and is the Chairman at the School […]
These remain the property of its owner and are not affiliated with or endorsed by WeSpeak Global.
Our Mission
© All rights reserved 2025. Created using VOXEL THEME
