Agenda Setters: Where are they now... Atal Bihari Vajpayee

As the countdown begins in earnest to silicon.com's fifth annual Agenda Setters poll of tech's 50 most influential individuals, it is time to look back at those individuals who held top 10 positions in 2003. Today, we assess what's happened to India's former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

After breaking into the top 10 last year - thanks to India's dominance of offshore outsourcing - India's former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee has seen a dramatic change of fortune.

The clue, if you need one, is in the word 'former'. At the time of the Agenda Setters 2003 poll, India's share of the offshore IT and BPO market was booming as more and more western companies looked to cut costs and shift work abroad.

On the back of the boost to the Indian economy from these high-tech deals, Vajpayee led his BJP Hindu nationalist party into the country's general election back in April with the slogan 'India Shining'. silicon.com was on location in India at the time and the BJP looked like the clear favourite to beat the socialist Congress party and win another term.

But Vajpayee and the BJP didn't reckon on the disillusionment of India's working and rural classes, for whom 'India Shining' rang untrue. In a shock result, Vajpayee was swept out of power by Congress.

It's a good bet, therefore, that Vajpayee won't be anywhere near this year's top 10 - if he makes the list at all. Instead watch out for two people who will be crucial to India retaining its competitive edge over upcoming alternative offshore locations.

First is new Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh, a world-class economist who developed India's approach to the 'new economy' back in 1991. Second is Davanidhi Maran, the country's new Minister of Communications and Information Technology, a position that's key to Western business involvement in India.

silicon.com's Agenda Setters panel, made up again of CIOs, analysts, VCs, consultants, lawyers, academics and other experts, will be convening this September at our London offices with our results revealed at the end of that month. If you want to pass on your comments for our experts, about Carly Fiorina or any other contender, drop us an email at editorial@silicon.com.