A nand Deshpande is an Indian technology entrepreneur and the founder and chairman of Persistent Systems, a global software product development and technology services company. With a Ph.D. in computer science from Indiana University, Deshpande founded Persistent Systems in Pune, India, in 1990. He bootstrapped the company, building it from a small startup into a major publicly traded IT services firm.

Persistent Systems carved out a niche for itself by focusing on outsourced software product development (OPD), helping other technology companies build and maintain their software products. This was a different strategy from the larger Indian IT firms that focused on services for non-tech enterprises. Under Deshpande's leadership, the company has successfully transitioned to new technology areas like cloud computing, data analytics, and artificial intelligence. He is highly respected in the Indian IT industry for his technical expertise and his commitment to philanthropy, particularly in the area of education.