The Hindu Group’s RoofandFloor appoints Lakshmi Narayanan as Independent Director on the Board

RoofandFloor.com, the online real estate marketplace of The Hindu Group, has appointed ViceChairman and former CEO of Cognizant Technology Solutions, Lakshmi Narayanan, as an Independent Director on the Board of Directors. Lakshmi brings in over 25 years of global information technology and executive experience to RoofandFloor, which aims to build India’s best home buyer centric real estate internet platform. Rajiv Lochan, MD & CEO, Kasturi & Sons Ltd, and Directors K Balaji and K Venugopal, are the other members on the Board.

Lakshmi Narayanan has been a leader in the global information technology industry for more than two decades with a firm conviction that digital technology will be the pre-eminent driver of growth in all sectors of global economy. As co-founder of Cognizant, Mr Narayanan had a key role in building Cognizant and its customer-centric culture.

He is actively involved in promoting entrepreneurship and has over 20 investments in start-ups, mainly in technology ventures. Education and entrepreneurship are his areas of focus besides evangelising digital transformation of businesses in traditional Indian industries. He is an active member of TiE (was in the Global Board), The Chennai Angels and the NASSCOM 10,000 Start-ups programme.

On his appointment to the board of KSL Digital Ventures, Mr Narayanan said, “I am very happy to know that KSL is not just transforming its media business for a digital future, but also has a vision and strategy to expand digitally, into adjacent areas of its core business. One such example is RoofandFloor, an eco-system by itself, built around a high-performing and scalable platform. It combines its traditional newspaper real estate advertisements and promotions with digital technology to deliver a unique experience to home buyers.”

Mr Narayanan further added, “A home buyer centric platform that delivers an unparalleled buying experience to home buyers and unmatched value to developers is the cornerstone of RoofandFloor’s strategy. I am excited to join the board and look forward to guiding the growth of the business and the young and energetic team at RoofandFloor.”

“Lakshmi is a role model for all those who aspire to build scalable global businesses out of India. His rich experience on the technology and business fronts will be a huge value add, as we build India’s best home buyer centric platform in RoofandFloor. We look forward to working with him very closely,” said Gowri Shankar, CEO and Co-founder of RoofandFloor.

“Lakshmi is a globally recognised and respected corporate leader. He has helped build Cognizant into one of the world’s most respected customer-centric organisations. He will bring immense value to the RoofandFloor board particularly as we set out to build a home buyer centric real estate platform. We are deeply honoured to welcome him to our board,” said K Venugopal, Director.

K Balaji, Director said, “We are delighted to welcome Lakshmi to The Hindu Group and RoofandFloor. His illustrious track record across business/technology and his strong value system make him an ideal choice to guide RoofandFloor in its journey of becoming India’s leading home buyer centric real estate internet company.”