HCL Co-founder urges students to think beyond comfort zone

Metro India News | Hyderabad 

Dr Ajai Chowdhry, Co-Founder of HCL urged students to think beyond their comfort zones, embrace artificial intelligence and pursue ambitious goals. He was the Chief Guest at the 16th convocation of the ICFAI Foundation for Higher Education (IFHE), Hyderabad awarding degrees to more than 4,000 students across various disciplines, including management, law, science, technology and economics. He emphasized that aspiration should exceed available resources, citing HCL’s establishment in 1975 by six young engineers as an example of how ambition drives innovation.

Chancellor Dr C. Rangarajan highlighted the challenges posed by geopolitical tensions, changing global trade policies and technological disruption. He called for strengthening domestic production, reducing dependence on imported energy, investing in innovation and infrastructure, and improving India's global competitiveness. Dr D. Nageshwar Reddy, Chairman of AIG Hospitals, encouraged graduates to contribute to national development through innovation and entrepreneurship.

The university conferred honorary doctorates on Dr Chowdhry and Dr Reddy. Vice-Chancellor Prof. A. Vinay Kumar presented the annual report, highlighting academic and research achievements during 2025–26. Several students received medals and awards for academic excellence and outstanding performance across MBA specializations. The N J Yasaswy Award for the best student, for all round excellence in MBA was given to Tandra Sai Akesh.