1. N.R. Narayan Murthi
He was short. He was sharp. He was the brightest boy in his class. His seniors would ask him to
solve their difficulties in Science. He could have gone unnoticed in the crowd, but once you
asked him a question related to Physics or Maths, there was a spark in his eyes. He could grasp
theories of Science faster than the speed of light.
He came from a poor but educated family. His father was a high-school teacher and an avid
reader of English literature. He, like all the boys in the class was trying to get admission into
some engineering college. The brighter ones wanted to study in the Indian Institutes of
Technology or the IITs.
There was an entrance test for IIT. This boy, along with his friends applied to appear for the test.
They did not have any special books or coaching. All these IIT aspirants would sit below the
shade of a stone mantap close to Chamundi hills in the sleepy town of Mysore. He was a guide
for others. While the others struggled to solve problems in the question paper, he would smile
shyly and solve them in no time. He sat below a tree and dreamt of studying at IIT. He was then
only sixteen years old.
D-Day came. He came to Bangalore, stayed with some relatives and appeared for the entrance
test. He did very well but would only say “OK” when asked. It was the opposite when it came to
food….”OK” implied bad, “good” implied ok, and “very good” implied good!! His principle was
never to hurt anyone….
The IIT entrance results came. He had passed with flying colors and the highest rank. He was
thrilled! He went to his father who was reading a newspaper. “ANNA, I have passed the exam”.
“Well done, My Boy”. “I want to join IIT“.
His father stopped reading the paper. He lifted his head, looked at the boy and said with a heavy
voice “You know our financial position, I cannot afford your expenses at IIT. You can stay in
Mysore and learn as much as you want.”
His father was sad that he had to tell the bitter truth, but it could not be helped. The teenager was
disappointed. He was so near to fulfilling his fondest dream, yet so far. His heart sank in sorrow.
He did not reply. He never shared his unhappiness with anyone.
He was an introvert by nature. His heart was bleeding but he did not get angry with anyone. The
day came, his classmates were leaving for Madras (Chennai). They had shared good years at
school and he went to wish them good luck for their future. At the station his friends were
already there. They were excited and discussing their new hostels, new courses etc.. So he stood
there silently.
One of his friends noticed and said, “You should have made it”. He did not reply. He just wished
them. He stood there even after he could no longer see the train or the waving hands.

2. It was June 1962 in the Mysore city. Yet he stood there motionless. He said to himself, without
anger or jealousy, “All students from the IITs study well and do big things in life. But it is not
the institution, ultimately it is you and you alone who can change your life by hard work“.
This son of a school teacher became a pioneer of India’s software industry. He is none other than
Infosys’ founder, Narayana Murthy. His motto being , “Powered by Intellect, Driven by
Values“
Read more at TECK.IN: http://teck.in/narayana-murthys-childhood.html#ixzz24RuOQQnc
Born: August 20, 1946
Achievement: One of the founders of Infosys Technologies Limited; Chosen as the World Entrepreneur
of the Year - 2003 by Ernst and Young
Narayana Murthy is the Non-Executive Chairman and Chief Mentor of Infosys Technologies Limited. He
is a living legend and an epitome of the fact that honesty, transparency, and moral integrity are not at
variance with business acumen. He set new standards in corporate governance and morality when he
stepped down as the Executive Chairman of Infosys at the age of 60.
Born on August 20, 1946, N.R. Narayana Murthy is a B.E. Electrical from University of Mysore (1967) and
M.Tech from IIT Kanpur (1969). Narayan Murthy began his career with Patni Computer Systems in Pune.
In 1981, Narayana Murthy founded Infosys with six other software professionals. In 1987, Infosys
opened its first international office in U.S.A.
With the liberalization of Indian economy in 1990s, Infosys grew rapidly. In 1993, the company came up
with its IPO. In 1995, Infosys set up development centers across cities in India and in 1996, it set up its
first office in Europe in Milton Keynes, UK. In 1999, Infosys became the first Indian company to be listed
on NASDAQ. Today (in 2006), Infosys has a turnover of more than $ 2billion and has employee strength
of over 50,000. In 2002, Infosys was ranked No. 1 in the "Best Employers in India 2002" survey
conducted by Hewitt and in the Business World's survey of "India's Most Respected Company."
Conducted in the same year.
Along with the growth of Infosys, Narayana Moorthy too has grown in stature. He has received many
honors and awards. In June 2000, Asiaweek magazine featured him in a list of Asia's 50 Most Powerful
People. In 2001, Narayana Murthy was named by TIME/CNN as one of the 25 most influential global
executives. He was the first recipient of the Indo-French Forum Medal (2003) and was voted the World
Entrepreneur of the Year - 2003 by Ernst and Young. The Economist ranked Narayana Murthy eighth on
the list of the 15 most admired global leaders (2005) and Narayan Murthy also topped the Economic
Times Corporate Dossier list of India's most powerful CEOs for two consecutive years - 2004 and 2005.
Impact

3. You might fail, but get started
Learn from mistakes and move on. In 1976, Murthy founded Softronics, a company that lasted a
year and a half. When he realised that his first venture wasn't taking off, he moved on.
Think Big. Don't Hesitate to Start Small
In 1981, a determined Murthy started Infosys with Rs 10,000 he borrowed from his wife. In few
years, Infosys went on to become one of the largest wealth creators in the country.
Cut Yourself a Slice, Not a Large One Always
When Infosys was set up, Murthy took a pay cut while salaries of other co-founder's were
increased by 10 percent. According to Murthy, a leader needs to show his or her sacrifice and
commitment.
Lend a Hand and Throw in a Foot Too
After Murthy convinced seven of his colleagues, there was a problem. Nandan's future inlaws
were not sure about him. Murthy met Nandan's uncle and convinced him.
Own Up, and Then Clean Up
In the '80s Infosys developed an application for a German client. Murthy noticed a single
character error and informed the client immediately.
Trust in God, But Verify with Data
In God we trust, the rest must come with data, is perhaps Murthy's favourite statement. When
confronted with difficult decisions, he tends to rely on data.
Keep the Faith
Infosys almost wound up in 1990. Murthy did not want to sell the company. He asked co-
founders if they wanted out and offered to buy their shares. All of them stuck together.
Get Involved
Infosys won a contract from Reebok in the early '90s. Seeing the founders involvement, the
software, was nick named 'Dinesh, Murthy and Prahlad.' Infy veterans still recall those days.
Sharing is Caring
After the IPO, Infosys decided to share a portion of its equity with employees. This helped them
retain talent and gave employees a sense of ownership. Murthy is proud of having given away
stocks worth over Rs 50,000 crore to employees.

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Treat your People Good, but Your Best Better
Murthy always had a thing for good performers. And he rewarded them well. When Infosys
decided to give its employees stock options, Murthy insisted that some shares be given to good
performers through the 'Chairman's quota.'
Hire a Good Accountant, Even if he is Argumentative
A young, argumentative Indian, was asking too many questions at an annual general body
meeting of Infosys. More impressed than irritated, he hired Mohandas Pai, who went on to help
Infosys list on Nasdaq.
When in Doubt, Disclose
Keep your books clean and leave the cooking to the chef. Murthy's philosophy about being open
and transparent has given the company a lot of credibility. He often says, "When in doubt, please
disclose."
Leave the Family Out
Murthy told his wife that only one of them could be with the company. Murthy, along with other
founders, said that none of their children would work for Infosys. This left no room for nepotism
at Infosys.
Don't be a Pushover
In 1994, when General Electric wanted to re-negotiate rates, Murthy said no to selling services
any cheaper. This helped Infosys not to be overly dependent on any one client.
Make hay While the Sun Shines
In late 90's, India's tech companies made use of the Y2K opportunity to make themselves known
in the global market. For Infosys, it was a great opportunity to enter into long-term relationships
with their customers.
Brand-aid First, Get Clinical
When the sexual harassment case against Infosys' top sales guy Phaneesh Murthy threatened to
tarnish the company's brand, Murthy decided to quickly react. He let go of Phaneesh, and settled
the case out of court despite Phaneesh wanting to fight it out.

5. Mind your Business, you'll See Things Coming
Murthy carries and updates a mental model of Infosys' business all the time. According to him,
every leader must have a model, consisting of six to seven parameters that might affect business.
Keep it Simple, Not Silly
Keep your life simple and straight. That way, you get to work more and worry less. Murthy is
known to be frugal with money. Despite being one of the richest Indians, he leads a simple life.
However, he does not cut corners on buying books or brushing up on literature.
Founders Keepers, but Not Forever
Murthy's decision to not allow founders to continue with the company after the age of 65 set
another standard for the company. This way, younger leaders at Infosys had a greater chance at
the top positions.
An Indian IT chief who's really made it big without dropping his ethical precepts by the wayside is
Nagawara Ramarao Narayana Murthy, Chairman of Infosys. Born in 1946, Murthy's father was a
schoolteacher in Kolar district, Karnataka, India. A bright student, Murthy went on to acquire a degree in
Electrical Engineering from Mysore University and later studied Computer Science at the IIT, Kanpur,
India.
The Infosys legend began in 1981 when Narayana Murthy dreamt of forming his own company, along
with six friends. There was a minor hitch, though-he didn't have any seed money. Luckily, like many
Indian women who save secretly without their husband's knowledge, his wife Sudha-then an engineer
with Tatas-had saved Rs 10,000. This was Murthy's first big break.
The decade until 1991 was a tough period when the couple lived in a one-room house. The second break
came in 1991 when Indian doors to liberalization were flung open… Murthy grabbed the opportunity
with both hands and has never looked back ever since. Today, Infosys is the first Indian company to be
listed on the US NASDAQ.
While working in France in the 1970s, Murthy was strongly influenced by socialism. The bubble was
pricked, however, when he was arrested in Bulgaria on espionage charges. Today, he says: "I'm a
capitalist in mind, a socialist at heart." It was this belief in the distribution of wealth that made Infosys
one of the first Indian companies to offer employees stock-option plans. Infosys now has 400 employees
who are dollar millionaires.
In a poll conducted by Asiaweek, the quiet, soft-spoken man was selected one of the 50 most powerful
people in Asia for 2000. And 50 per cent of the respondents in an online poll conducted by The
Economic Times voted him the best CEO of India.

6. Heading a company with the largest market capitalization hasn't changed Murthy's life-style much. The
man still doesn't know how to drive a car! On Saturdays-his driver's weekly off-the Infosys chief is driven
to the bus stop by his wife, from where he boards a company bus to work! Incidentally, Sudha Murthy is
now chief of the Infosys Foundation, which channels Rs 50 million into charity every year.
Simplicity, humility and maintaining a low profile are the hallmarks of this super-rich Bangalorean. And
the man is principled to a fault. Murthy's unprecedented wealth has catapulted him into the public
glare. After the kidnapping of Dr Rajkumar by forest brigand Veerappan, the Home Ministry has sounded
out the local government about providing Z-category security to Murthy and Premji. Both
characteristically turned down the offer.
In a letter to the police top brass last month, Murthy said he was a simple man who had no intentions of
annoying his neighbors and disturbing traffic with an intrusive entourage of security vehicles and
personnel.
Nagavara Ramarao Narayana Murthy, better known as N. R. Narayana Murthy (Kannada:
ನಾರಾಯಣ ಮೂರ್ತಿರ), is an Indian industrialist and software engineer. He and six other engineers co-
founded Infosys in 1981. Murthy served as CEO from 1981 to 2002. From 2002 to 2011, he
served as the Chairman. In 2011, he stepped down from the board and became Chairman
Emeritus.
Contents
• 1 Early life
• 2 Career
• 3 Personal life
• 4 Awards and honours
• 5 Books
• 6 References
• 7 External links
Early life
Born in Mysore, Karnataka on 20 August 1946, Murthy graduated with a degree in electrical
engineering from the National Institute of Engineering, University of Mysore in 1967. He
received his master's degree from IIT Kanpur in 1969.[3]
Career

7. Murthy's first job position was at IIM Ahmedabad, where he worked as the chief systems
programmer.[4] After IIM Ahmedabad, he started a company named Softronics in 1976.[5] When
that company failed, he joined Patni Computer Systems in Pune.
After settling down in Pune, Murthy founded Infosys in 1981[6]with an initial capital injection of
Rs 10,000, which was invested by his wife Sudha Murthy.[7] Murthy served as the CEO of
Infosys for 21 years and was succeeded by co-founder Nandan Nilekani in 2002.[7] At Infosys he
articulated, designed and implemented the Global Delivery Model which has become the
foundation for the huge success in IT services outsourcing from India. He held the executive
position of Chairman of the Board from 2002 to 2006, when he became the "non-executive"
Chairman of the Board and Chief Mentor.[7][8] In August 2011, he retired completely from the
company and taking the title Chairman Emeritus.[9][10]
Murthy serves as an independent director on the corporate boards of HSBC and has served as a
director on the boards of DBS Bank, Unilever, ICICI and NDTV[11][1].
He also serves as a member of the advisory boards and councils of several educational and
philanthropic institutions[11][1], including Cornell University, INSEAD, Ford Foundation, the UN
Foundation, the Indo-British Partnership, a trustee of the Infosys Prize, and as a trustee of the
Rhodes Trust [12] that manages the Rhodes Scholarship. He is also the Chairman of the Governing
board of Public Health Foundation of India [13] He also serves on the Asia Pacific Advisory
Board of British Telecommunications[11][14]. In 2005 he co-chaired the World Economic Forum in
Davos.[15]
Personal life
His wife, Sudha Murthy (née Kulkarni), is an Indian social worker and accomplished author. She
is known for her philanthropic work through the Infosys Foundation. Her sister, Jayashree
Deshpande is wife of enterpreneur and founder of US-based Sycamore Networks, Gururaj
Deshpande. Murthy is the brother-in-law of serial entrepreneur Gururaj "Desh" Deshpande.[16]
Awards and honours
Year Name Awarding organization Ref.
[17]
2011 NDTV Indian of the Year's Icon of India NDTV
Institute of Electrical and Electronics [18]
2010 IEEE Honorary Membership
Engineers.
Woodrow Wilson Award for Corporate Woodrow Wilson International Center [19]
2009
Citizenship for Scholars
[20]
2008 Padma Vibhushan President of India
[21]
2008 Officer of the Legion of Honor Government of France
Commander of the Order of the British [22]
2007 Government of United Kingdom
Empire (CBE)
[23]
2007 IEEE Ernst Weber Engineering Leadership Institute of Electrical and Electronics

8. Recognition Engineers
[24]
2000 Padma Shri President of India
Speaking at Horasis Global China Business Meeting 2006 Born 20 August 1946 (age 66)
Mysore, Karnataka, India Alma mater University of Mysore
IIT Kanpur Occupation Chairman Emeritus, Infosys Net worth $1.7 billion (2012)[1] Spouse Sudha Murthy
Children 2[2]