1. Satyanarayan Gangaram Pitroda, popularly known as Sam Pitroda, is an Indian official, telecommunications engineer, and entrepreneur, recognized for his contribution to innovation in telecommunications in his country.
12 Facts About Sam Pitroda
1. 2.
Sam Pitroda is considered one of the leading advocates and promoters of bridging the digital divide.
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Sam Pitroda was born in Titlagarh, in the eastern Indian state of Odisha, into a Gujarati family.
4.
Sam Pitroda has served as an advisor to two Prime Ministers of India, Dr Manmohan Singh and Rajiv Gandhi, during their tenures, as well as to the United Nations.
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Sam Pitroda is considered a pioneer of portable computing, as he invented the electronic diary in 1975.
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Sam Pitroda holds a master's degree in Physics and Electronics from Maharaja Sayajirao University and a Master's in Electrical Engineering from the Illinois Institute of Technology.
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In 1984, Sam Pitroda was invited to return to India by Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.
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Sam Pitroda had previously become a naturalized US citizen but renounced his US citizenship to take Indian citizenship again to work in the Indian Government.
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In 1993, Sam Pitroda helped establish the Foundation for Revitalisation of Local Health Tradition and The University of Trans-Disciplinary Health Sciences and Technology near Bangalore in India.
10.
In October 2009, Sam Pitroda was appointed as advisor to Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Public Information Infrastructure and Innovations with the rank of Cabinet Minister.
11.
In 2010, Sam Pitroda was a founding member of Scientika, a Mexican non-profit, committed to spreading science and technology.
12.
Sam Pitroda has been living in Chicago, Illinois since 1964 with his wife but travels to India every two months.