Chicago, USA: Ram Mohan, a pioneering Indian-American technologist, has been honored with induction into the prestigious Internet Hall of Fame. He is widely known as one of the key architects of the multilingual Internet.
The recognition highlights his decades of work in strengthening Internet security, building resilience, and expanding access to multiple languages worldwide.
In a LinkedIn post, Mohan expressed gratitude, saying the award represents not just his efforts but also the dedication of countless innovators and visionaries who have shaped the Internet. He reaffirmed his commitment to improving online safety, supporting global connectivity, and promoting inclusive digital access.
The Internet Hall of Fame noted that Mohan’s leadership and technical expertise continue to guide how societies interact with digital technologies. His official induction ceremony will take place on September 17.
Originally from Chennai, Mohan has been instrumental in expanding the Internet’s global reach. His early contributions to the transition from ASCII to Unicode enabled billions of users to connect online in their native languages. One of his landmark achievements was facilitating Arabic script usage on the Internet, a breakthrough proving that every language could be supported online.
Between 2004 and 2018, he worked closely with India’s Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology and NIXI to revamp the.IN domain registry. This effort introduced Indian language scripts and led to the launch of.BHARAT across 22 languages.
Mohan also co-founded ICANN’s Security and Stability Advisory Committee in 2001, playing a crucial role in establishing Root Zone Language Generation Rules for non-Latin domains. As CTO of Afilias, he directed the deployment of DNS Security Extensions across more than 200 top-level domains. Later, he founded the Universal Acceptance Steering Group, ensuring that all domain names and email addresses work seamlessly across scripts.
Currently serving as Chief Strategy Officer at Identity Digital, Mohan also co-founded the Coalition on Digital Impact to further expand linguistic inclusivity on the Internet. He holds 17 patents in Internet technologies and has earned several prestigious awards, including InfoWorld’s Premier 100 Technology Leaders, CIO100 honors, and a Guinness World Record in 2018 for organizing the largest online safety lesson.
Mohan earned his bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Manipal Academy of Higher Education, followed by an MBA in finance and entrepreneurship from Bharathidasan Institute of Management. He also pursued graduate studies in computer science at Drexel University and completed executive programs at Harvard Business School, Harvard Law School, and INSEAD.
