N. R. Narayana Murthy: A Journey towards Information Technology

Early Life and Education:

Birth: N. R. Narayana Murthy was born on August 20, 1946, in Sidlaghatta, Karnataka, into a middle-class Kannada Hindu family.
Education: He graduated in 1967 with a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from the National Institute of Engineering. He earned his master’s degree from the Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur in 1969.

Career Beginnings:

Murthy worked as a research associate and chief systems programmer at the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad, contributing to India’s first time-sharing computer system.
He designed and implemented a BASIC interpreter for Electronics Corporation of India Limited during this period.
After a brief venture named Softronics, he joined Patni Computer Systems in Pune.

Entrepreneurial Journey:

In 1981, Murthy co-founded Infosys with six software professionals, starting with an initial capital investment of Rs 10,000, provided by his wife Sudha Murty.
He served as the CEO of Infosys for 21 years (1981-2002) and later became the chairman of the board (2002-2006) before taking on the role of chief mentor.
Murthy retired from Infosys in 2011 but returned as executive chairman in June 2013 for a period of five years. He later became chairman emeritus.

Contributions and Achievements:

Murthy played a crucial role in articulating, designing, and implementing a global delivery model for IT services outsourcing from India at Infosys.
He has been recognized for his contribution to outsourcing in India and is often referred to as the “father of the Indian IT sector”.
Murthy has served on the boards of HSBC, DBS Bank, Unilever, ICICI, and NDTV.
He received honors like the Padma Vibhushan and Padma Shri awards.

Later Career and Involvements:

After his official retirement, Murthy continued to be active on various advisory boards.
He returned to Infosys as executive chairman in June 2013 and later took on the role of chairman emeritus.
He has spoken on management topics and raised concerns over corporate governance lapses at Infosys in 2017.

Personal Life:

Narayana Murthy is married to Sudha Murty, an educator, author, and philanthropist.
His children include a son, Rohan Murty, and a daughter, Akshata Murty, who is married to British politician Rishi Sunak, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom as of the last available information.

N. R. Narayana Murthy’s journey from a middle-class family in Karnataka to co-founding and leading one of India’s most prominent IT companies, Infosys, has made him a respected figure in the business and technology sectors.