IT industry body NASSCOM on Thursday elected Accenture India Chairperson and Senior Managing Director Rekha M Menon as their chairperson for 2021-22. Menon is the first woman to take on this role of chairperson for the National Association of Software and Services Companies (NASSCOM) in the industry body’s 30-year history.

She succeeds Infosys CEO UB Pravin Rao who served as NASSCOM Chairman for 2020-21. The IT industry body also named Krishnan Ramanujam, President and Head of Business & Technology Services, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) as its Vice-Chairperson for 2021-22.

In addition, NASSCOM announced its new Executive Council which comprises industry sectors like ER&D (Engineering and R&D), BPM (Business Process Management), IT Services, GCC (Global Capability Centres), SME (Small and Medium-sized Enterprises) and Startups. The new Executive council will play a strategic role in enabling India’s tech sector to take leadership on the global map through focused initiatives and programs.

With the industry re-aligning itself in the new normal, I am delighted to have the opportunity to work with Rekha and Krishnan to drive the industry through another uncertain but growth opportunity year

Speaking on her election Menon said, “I am honoured and humbled by this vote of confidence by the NASSCOM Executive Council at such a crucial time for our industry. The ongoing Covid-19 pandemic continues to test the resilience of our more than 4 million people, even as it has created new opportunities for growth with technology emerging as the lifeline for societies and economies across the world.”

“As we cautiously navigate the pandemic, I look forward to working with the NASSCOM Executive Council and its members to drive our industry’s long term growth by augmenting India’s position as the digital talent nation for the world, driving people first innovation, and working with the government to create a conducive policy environment needed for sustainable growth,” she said in a statement.

The members of NASSCOM’s Executive Council include Chairperson Menon, Vice-Chairperson Ramanujam, Immediate past chairperson Rao, President Debjani Ghosh, Wipro Chairman Rishad Premji, Salesforce.com India CEO and Chairperson Arundhati Bhattacharya, Microsoft India President Anant Maheshwari, Intel India Country Head Nivruti Rai among others.

NASSCOM President Debjani Ghosh said, “With the industry re-aligning itself in the new normal, I am delighted to have the opportunity to work with Rekha and Krishnan to drive the industry through another uncertain but growth opportunity year. As a champion of future skills and inclusive growth, Rekha’s past contributions to NASSCOM have been invaluable, and we look forward to working together to take our industry to newer heights in this new normal where amalgamation and integration of technology is going to continue, and digital skilling is going to be the cornerstone for a collaborative development.”