Pune: KPIT Cummins Infosystems Ltd, a specialist solutions partner to global manufacturing corporations has appointed three new directors in its board. Dr R A Mashelkar, Lila Poonawala, K V Krishnamurthy will join as new independent directors in the company board.

Luminaries in their respective fields, all three members come with an extensive and illustrious professional background.

Dr Mashelkar has extensive knowledge in the field of science and engineering and his contributions have been recognised worldwide. Conferred with the  Padmashree and Padmabhushan, by the Indian government, Dr Mashelkar has been hugely instrumental in propagating a culture of innovation and balanced intellectual property rights regime for over a decade.

He currently holds esteemed positions in several recognised institutes including as president of the  Institute of Chemical Engineers, UK and Global Research Alliance, chairman of the National Innovation Foundation, Marico Innovation Foundation and Reliance Innovation Council.

He was the third Indian engineer to have been elected as a Fellow of Royal Society (FRS), London and the first Indian as the Foreign Fellow of Australian Technological Science and Engineering Academy (2008). Twenty-six universities have honored him with honorary doctorates, which include Universities of London, Salford, Pretoria, Wisconsin and Delhi. Dr. Mashelkar served as the director general of council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR). He was also the president of Indian National Science Academy (2005-2007).

Lila Poonawala was awarded the Padmashree in 1989 for her exemplary contribution to the world of engineering and industry. Poonawala is currently the  director on the board of IDBI Bank, IDBI Intech, Technigraphics, Blossom Brewery and Pragati Leadership. She has been on the governing body of organizations like the CII (Confederation of Indian Industries) and TIFAC (Technology Information Forecasting and Assessment Council formed by the Government of India) as the chairperson for Agro Food Processing.

She was a member of the scientific advisory board of the Central Cabinet (SAC-C) and chairperson of the Herbal And Floriculture Taskforce of SAC-C. Actively involved in social initiatives, Poonawala is on the board of trustees of two Pune-based NGOs. In 1994, she started the 'Lila Poonawalla Foundation' to promote education among women.

Currently on the board of Asset Reconstruction Company (India) Ltd, Sundaram BNP Paribas Mutual Fund, Essel Propack, Essar Steel Ltd, Centrum Capital Ltd among others, K V Krishnamurthy is credited for the remarkable turnaround of both Bank of India and Syndicate Bank. He has been the chairman and director of several organisations such as Bank of India, Syndicate Bank, Bank of Baroda, Indo Hong Kong International Finance Company Ltd., Export Credit Guarantee Corporation of India and Agricultural Finance Corporation of India Ltd.

A qualified chartered accountant, Krishnamurthy is also a fellow of the Indian Institute of Bankers and was also a member of its governing board. Having an experience of over 33 years in public sector banking, his areas of specialisation include domestic and international banking, treasury management, risk management, foreign exchange management and human resource management.

Founded in 1990, KPIT Cummins is a US$ 103 million company (FY 07), employing around 4500 people. The company caters to the manufacturing and financial services verticals globally by providing technology solutions such as advanced technology solutions (ATS) and enterprise IT and business / knowledge Process outsourcing (BPO /KPO).

The company operates from its offshore centres in India and a European facility in Poland.

KPIT Cummins has been recognised by the Institute of Company Secretaries of India for demonstrating excellence in corporate governance.