N. R. Narayana Murthy (born 20 August 1946) is an Indian businessman who co-founded Infosys, one of the companies that put India on the global IT map. Starting in 1981 with six colleagues and a small loan from his wife, he built Infosys into a multinational giant. It was the first Indian company listed on an American stock exchange. He is admired for his values-driven leadership and frugal lifestyle.
Quick Facts
| Full name | Nagavara Ramarao Narayana Murthy |
| Born | 20 August 1946, Sidlaghatta, Karnataka, India |
| Age | 80 |
| Founded | Infosys (1981) |
| Education | BE, National Institute of Engineering, Mysore; MTech, IIT Kanpur |
| Spouse | Sudha Murty (author and Rajya Sabha MP) |
| Children | Rohan Murty, Akshata Murty |
| Honours | Padma Shri (2000), Padma Vibhushan (2008) |
Early Life
Narayana Murthy was born in Sidlaghatta, Karnataka, into a middle-class family with many children. He studied electrical engineering in Mysore and earned a master’s degree from IIT Kanpur. He then worked at IIM Ahmedabad as a systems programmer and later at Patni Computer Systems in Pune.
Career
In 1981 Murthy and six colleagues founded Infosys in Pune with capital borrowed from his wife, Sudha. The company later moved to Bengaluru. It struggled through the restrictive 1980s, but India’s 1991 reforms opened the way to rapid growth.
Infosys pioneered the “global delivery model” of offshore IT services and generous employee stock options that made many staff wealthy. In 1999 it became the first Indian company listed on Nasdaq. Murthy was CEO until 2002 and chairman until 2011, and he briefly returned as executive chairman in 2013–14. He later founded the investment firm Catamaran Ventures. His 2023 remark that young Indians should work 70 hours a week sparked a national debate.
Personal Life
Murthy married Sudha Kulkarni, now the author and philanthropist Sudha Murty, in 1978. Their son, Rohan Murty, is a technology entrepreneur. Their daughter, Akshata Murty, is married to Rishi Sunak, who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2022 to 2024.
Awards and Honours
Frequently Asked Questions
When and where was Narayana Murthy born?
Narayana Murthy was born on 20 August 1946 in Sidlaghatta, Karnataka, India.
What honours has Narayana Murthy received?
Padma Shri (2000), Padma Vibhushan (2008).
