NR Narayana Murthy & Family — The Man Who Made India Believe in Its Software Story

"Great nations are not only built with steel and cement. Some are built with code, with trust, and with the courage to bet on an idea that has never been tried before."

Long before India became known as the world's back office and, later, its innovation partner, one entrepreneur had to convince a sceptical world — and an equally sceptical India — that Indian engineers could compete on the global stage. That entrepreneur was N.R. Narayana Murthy, co-founder of Infosys, one of the companies most credited with building India's modern IT industry.

Humble Beginnings

Nagavara Ramarao Narayana Murthy was born on 20 August 1946 in Sidlaghatta, in what is now Karnataka, the fifth of eight children in a modest middle-class family. He completed his engineering degree at the National Institute of Engineering, Mysuru, followed by a master's degree from IIT Kanpur. After early career stints, including a period at IIM Ahmedabad and an unsuccessful first startup, he joined Patni Computer Systems in Pune — an experience that shaped his understanding of the software services industry.

Founding Infosys on Borrowed Capital

In 1981, Narayana Murthy founded Infosys along with six fellow professionals — Nandan Nilekani, S. Gopalakrishnan, S.D. Shibulal, K. Dinesh, N.S. Raghavan, and Ashok Arora. The seed capital, a modest ₹10,000, was borrowed from his wife, Sudha Murty, herself an engineer who had saved the amount for emergencies. It is one of Indian business history's most cited stories of quiet conviction: a small group of engineers betting on India's ability to deliver world-class software services from a country that, at the time, had little global credibility in the sector.

Building an Institution on Values

What set Infosys apart in India's early liberalisation era was not just its technology — it was its governance. Narayana Murthy became known as a pioneer of corporate transparency in Indian business, championing global accounting standards, employee stock ownership, and board independence at a time when such practices were uncommon among Indian companies. This reputation for integrity helped Infosys become one of the first Indian technology companies to list on the NASDAQ, giving global investors confidence in Indian enterprise.

Infosys grew from a small Pune-based venture into a multinational corporation headquartered in Bengaluru, with a market capitalisation that has, at various points, crossed $100 billion — a scale that helped establish Bengaluru as India's technology capital and put Indian software services firmly on the global map.

A Family of Builders

Narayana Murthy's wife, Sudha Murty, built her own distinguished legacy as an educator, author, and philanthropist. She served as the founder-chairperson of the Infosys Foundation since 1996, leading initiatives in education, healthcare, and rural development, and was nominated to the Rajya Sabha in 2024 in recognition of her contributions to social work and literature.

Their son, Rohan Murty, studied at Cornell and Harvard, founded the Murty Classical Library of India, and later founded the technology company Soroco. Their daughter, Akshata Murty, is a businesswoman and venture capitalist who is married to Rishi Sunak, former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.

Family Tree & Legacy

Shri N.R. Narayana Murthy — Co-founder, Infosys; Padma Vibhushan awardee; widely regarded as a pioneer of Indian corporate governance and the modern Indian IT industry.

Smt. Sudha Murty — Founder-Chairperson, Infosys Foundation; author, educator, and philanthropist; nominated Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha.

Shri Rohan Murty — Founder and CTO, Soroco; Founder, Murty Classical Library of India.

Smt. Akshata Murty — Businesswoman and venture capitalist; associated with several enterprises in the UK and India.

The Human Behind Viksit Bharat : Sh. Narayana Murthy

Narayana Murthy's journey reminds India that some of its most valuable infrastructure isn't physical at all — it is trust, governance, and belief. By proving that an Indian company could compete globally while holding itself to the highest standards of transparency, he helped open the door for an entire generation of Indian technology entrepreneurs.

Humans of Viksit Bharat celebrates individuals whose ideas and institutions continue to inspire India's next generation of builders — in code, in commerce, and in conviction.