Conversation with Prof. J G. Krishnayya

In this conversation with Khula Aasmaan, Prof. J. G. Krishnayya talks about the history of computing as he saw it during his days at MIT, Boston and then at IIM, Ahmedabad. Prof. Krishnayya is a distinguished academician and this narration on history of computing will be of great interest to students, teachers and parents.

Systems Research Institute

Systems Research Institute has the enviable distinction of mentoring alumni who influence and create public policy, contribute to community development, have built whole industries, hold distinguished positions in universities and international institutions across the world and others who have held ministerial positions in governments.

Pioneering Work

Known for his legendary mentoring abilities and visionary use of technology for nation building he has pioneered the use of real-time, time-shared computers in management education in India at IIM (A) from 1969, GIS and informatics in the Indian government from 1970 and the use of development policy models in decision making since the eighties.

GIS

He is also recognized as a pioneer in the use of simulation modeling, GIS and computer graphics in India. He, and S.R.I., identified and developed new methodologies for problem-solving with each new project. His group developed India’s first-ever thematic mapping software, and simulation models for government and corporate planning. He has also taught and implemented Expert Systems. He has also introduced and used the case method for teaching and building capacity in various institutions across India.

Assignments

He has worked with the IDRC, IBRD, Academia Sinica (in Beijing and Xi’an), Balaton Group (in Vienna and Budapest), Government of India, Inforonics, Inc., Maynard, Mass, USA, MIT Press, Cambridge, Mass, USA, ESSO Petroleum, London, U.K. and the Standard Vacuum Oil Company, Bombay, US Geological Survey in Menlo Park, GIS group at the University of California, Long Beach, with the EE dept at UC Berkeley and with Alternate-Energy groups at Univ of California.

Consultant and Teacher

As a Consultant to International agencies, educational institutions and government departments, he guides them to build capacity. He has been a member of several Expert Groups including the Department of Rural Development on Land Records Computerisation chaired by Mr. Sam Pitroda, and the International Research Advisory Board for a study on the Ozone Layer undertaken by the Institute for Energy and Environment Research of Washington, D.C. He has taught at the Stanford University Department of Electrical Engineering, the Indian Institute of Management at Ahmedabad, the Dept. of E.E. at MIT, Cambridge and the College of Engineering, Pune.

Affiliations

He is the President of the India Chapter of the System Dynamics Society. He has served on the National Council of the ORSI and CSI and as CSI Representative on IFIP Technical Committee 8 (Information Systems). He is a Fellow of the Computer Society of India. He was a Member of ORSA (UK) and The Institute of Management Sciences (TIMS, USA).

He is a founding member of the Management Council of the Centre for Development Studies and Activities, Pune (since 1975) and the Society for Development Alternatives, New Delhi, one of the major sustainability and technology-oriented NGOs in India.

Listen to Prof. J. G. Krishnayya on History of Computing as he saw it