TCS chief N Chandrasekaran from tomorrow will assume the office of chairman of Nasscom, the industry body of the country's USD 100 billion Indian IT-BPO sector, sources said.

He replaces Rajendra S Pawar, founder of NIIT, as the Chairman of Nasscom's executive council for 2012-13. The TCS honcho was the vice-chairman of Nasscom's executive council for the year 2011-12.

Chandrasekaran will be heading Nasscom at a time when the Indian IT-BPO industry is facing challenging times.

Economic uncertainties stare the US and Europe, the biggest source of revenues for Indian software service exporters. Some players, however, believe that a number of opportunities still exist though clients have been maintaining flat IT budgets.

The formal announcement of Chandrasekaran taking over would be made tomorrow evening, sources said.

The role of the executive council is to determine the strategic priorities for Nasscom, find collaborative solutions to address industry challenges and build initiatives that will drive industry growth.

Nasscom plays a crucial role in representing the interests of Indian companies on the international platforms, which have been marked by concerns over visa issuance and anti-outsourcing chorus.

The association also works towards engaging industry members and state and central government to drive IT adoption in the country.

Besides, Nasscom also works on skill development and growth of small and medium enterprises in the country.