It's only IT but they love it

The future is ever a misted landscape, no man foreknows it, but at cyclical turns
There is a change felt in the rhythm of events:
Robinson Jeffers (1887-1962), U.S. poet

If you have ever wondered whether the Indian CEO takes IT seriously or how a Group CIO's role differs from that of the average CIO—the answer to that and many other knotty questions are outlined in the pages that follow. Learn from the Chairman of SBI and the MD of Johnson and Johnson just what impact information technology has had upon their organisations. Find out what it takes for a CIO to succeed as a Group CIO (Hint: It's not just cloning the policies that work in one unit and applying them in another).

All of the above and the rest of the cover story this month form our attempt at forecasting what 2005 holds for the Indian IT user community. Forecast 2005 brings you the distilled wisdom of many of India's leading CEOs, group CIOs and CIOs all of whom unselfishly share their insights and experiences in what makes for compelling reading if you have anything at all to do with managing IT.

We continue with our series of profiles of leading CIOs. This time around we profile Satish Pendse of the Kuoni Travel Group India, a man who believes in being himself at all times and labours without worrying too much about when he gets to enjoy the fruits of his efforts.

Prashant L Rao
Head of Editorial Operations