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.