N. R. Narayana Murthy Age, Wife, Children, Biography & More

Some Lesser Known Facts About N. R. Narayana Murthy

• N. R. Narayana Murthy co-founded the Indian multinational corporation, Infosys.

• Murthy hails from a small village in Karnataka, where he was born into a family of lower-middle-class background.

• During his childhood, Narayana Murthy’s preferred academic disciplines were Physics and Maths, as depicted in this snapshot.

• Despite his father’s desire for him to become a civil servant, Murthy had his heart set on pursuing a career in engineering. Although he successfully passed the IIT entrance exam, his father’s inability to afford the fees prevented him from joining. Consequently, Murthy had no choice but to enroll in a nearby engineering college.

• Due to the scarcity of computer engineers at that time, he received employment offers from various companies and institutions like ECIL, Telco, Air India, and IIM Ahmedabad. Among these options, Murthy decided to join IIM Ahmedabad, where he earned a monthly salary of Rs. 800.

• N. R. Narayana Murthy, captured in a vintage photograph, was involved in the development of India’s inaugural time-sharing computer system. Additionally, he was responsible for designing and implementing a BASIC interpreter for Electronics Corporation of India Limited.

• Afterwards, he established a company called ‘Softronics,’ yet unfortunately, the venture proved unsuccessful.

• Murthy and Sudha were introduced by their mutual friend, Prasanna, in Pune. Over time, they developed a strong friendship, and one day, Murthy decided to express his feelings to Sudha. He began by saying, “There’s something important I want to share with you.” Murthy then humbly revealed his background, explaining that he comes from a lower-middle-class family and doesn’t aspire to become wealthy. In contrast, he admired Sudha for her stunning beauty, brilliance, and intelligence, which allowed her to captivate anyone she desired. With sincerity, Murthy then asked Sudha if she would consider marrying him.

• Sudha appreciated his honesty and arranged a meeting between Murthy and her parents. There is a vintage photograph that captures Sudha Murthy and N.R. Narayana Murthy.

• Murthy showed up two hours later than the agreed upon time, donning a vibrant red shirt. Sudha’s father was unimpressed with him due to his tardiness.

• Sudha’s father was on the verge of rejecting Murthy when he expressed his desire to pursue a career in politics and establish an orphanage. Sudha’s father firmly stated his opposition, citing concerns about his daughter marrying someone with communist aspirations and the added burden of financial instability within Murthy’s own family.

• In 1977, following nearly three years of dedicated work, Murthy achieved the position of general manager at Patni Computers in Bombay (now Mumbai). A captivating vintage photograph captures N. R. Narayana Murthy alongside his colleagues.

• After much persuasion, Sudha’s father gave his consent to the marriage. Murthy and Sudha tied the knot in a simple ceremony held at Murthy’s residence in Bangalore. Only their immediate families were present to witness the union. The wedding expenses amounted to Rs. 800, which were split between the couple. A photograph was taken to commemorate the marriage of Sudha Murthy and N. R. Narayana Murthy.

• In 1981, Murthy, along with six partners, established Infosys, with its headquarters located in Pune. The initial investment of Rs. 10,000 was provided by Sudha, who generously lent Murthy the money she had saved for unforeseen circumstances.

• Infosys was founded by a group of seven individuals, namely N.R. Narayana Murthy, Nandan Nilekani, S. Gopalakrishnan, S. D. Shibulal, K. Dinesh, N. S. Raghavan, and Ashok Arora.

• Infosys relocated its office to Bengaluru, Karnataka in 1983. The year 1984 marked the acquisition of their inaugural computer and telephone line.

• In 2002, after leading Infosys as CEO for approximately 21 years, Murthy relinquished his position and passed the torch to Nandan Nilekani. Subsequently, Murthy assumed the role of chairman of the board but eventually resigned in 2006.

• N. R. Narayana Murthy made a notable appearance in Zee TV’s talk show Jeena Isi Ka Naam Hai in 2002.

• Murthy’s contribution extends beyond his role as an independent director on the corporate board of HSBC. He has also served as a director on the boards of DBS Bank, Unilever, ICICI, and NDTV. Additionally, he actively participates in advisory boards and councils of numerous educational and philanthropic institutes.

• In 2006, Time Magazine recognized him as an Asian hero, alongside former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and Mahatma Gandhi. These individuals played significant roles in bringing about revolutionary changes in the nation since its independence in 1947.

• Murthy assumed the honorable position of Chairman Emeritus in August 2011, relinquishing his chairmanship at Infosys.

• In 2012, Murthy was recognized by Fortune Magazine as one of the top 12 entrepreneurs of our time. The prestigious list was led by Steve Jobs, the former CEO of Apple.

• Sanjay Tripathy revealed in 2019 his plans to produce a Bollywood movie centered around the life of N. R. Narayana Murthy.