Sudha Murthy Age, Husband, Children, Family, Biography & More

Some Lesser Known Facts About Sudha Murthy

• Sudha Murthy, a well-known Indian author, holds the position of chairperson at Infosys Foundation, a non-profit organization.

• Sudha’s sibling, Shrinivas Kulkarni, is an astronomer residing in the United States who was awarded the Dan David Prize in 2017. Her oldest sister, Sunanda Kulkarni, works as a gynecologist at a government hospital in Bangalore. Sudha’s elder sister, Jaishree Deshpande, is renowned as the founder of the ‘Deshpande Foundation’ and is married to Gururaj Deshpande, who co-founded Chelmsford.

• Sudha was admitted to the college under three conditions set by the principal: she was required to wear saree at all times, refrain from visiting the canteen, and avoid interacting with the male students. This arrangement was due to Sudha being the only female student among a class of 600 students.

• Sudha Murthy was so daring that she sported a bob haircut and donned jeans and a t-shirt back in the late 60s. This vintage picture perfectly captures her youthful essence.

• During her graduation, she achieved the highest position in her class and was awarded a gold medal by Dr. Devaraj Urs, the Chief Minister of Karnataka at that time.

• Once more, she was awarded a gold medal by the Indian Institute of Engineers for achieving the highest rank in her post-graduate class.

• Afterward, TATA Engineering and Locomotive Company (TELCO) in Pune hired her as their pioneering female development engineer.

• she stumbled upon a job opening at TELCO in February 1974. However, her excitement turned to disappointment when she noticed a discouraging remark in the advertisement’s fine print that stated, “female applicants shall not be considered.” This deeply wounded her pride, prompting her to take action. Determined to address the issue of gender discrimination within the company, she penned a postcard to JRD Tata, the chairman of TELCO at the time. During an interview, she recounted this incident and expressed her thoughts on the matter.

I completely forgot about it after sharing the post, but to my delight, a pleasant surprise awaited me. Shortly after, a telegram arrived, inviting me to attend an interview. To sweeten the deal, they promised to reimburse the cost of a first-class fare for both my trip there and back.

• During her time at TELCO, she had the opportunity to meet N. R. Narayana Murthy, thanks to her friend Prasanna, who later became a prominent figure at Wipro. Sudha reminisced about her first encounters with Narayana in an interview.

Prasanna had lent me several books, most of which had Murthy’s name on them. This led me to form a preconceived image of the man. However, I was surprised to discover that Murthy was actually shy, wore glasses, and preferred to keep to himself. His invitation to dinner caught me off guard, as I felt it was too soon for such a gesture. Concerned about being the only girl in the group, I initially declined. Despite my refusal, Murthy persisted and eventually convinced all of us to meet for dinner the following day at 7.30 p.m. at Green Fields hotel, located on the Main Road in Pune.

• After a series of meetings, a mutual liking grew between them and Narayana decided to propose marriage to Sudha. However, Sudha’s father initially opposed the idea due to Murthy’s limited income from his research assistant position.

• Afterward, Murthy secured a position as a general manager at Patni computers in Bombay (now Mumbai), where he enjoyed a higher salary compared to his previous job. Consequently, Sudha’s father ultimately agreed to Murthy’s proposal to marry Sudha.

• In an intimate ceremony held at Murthy’s home, Sudha and Murthy exchanged vows in the presence of their families. The wedding expenses amounted to just Rs. 800, which Sudha and Murthy contributed to. A heartwarming photograph captures Sudha Murthy and N. R. Narayana Murthy together from earlier times.

• In 1981, Sudha’s husband had aspirations of establishing his own company called ‘Infosys,’ but lacked the necessary funds for investment. However, Sudha came to the rescue by providing him with Rs. 10,000 from her savings, which she had set aside for unforeseen circumstances. During an interview, Sudha recounted this incident, highlighting her support for her husband’s entrepreneurial dreams.

In line with Murthy’s usual character, he found himself with a dream but lacking the necessary funds. Hence, I secretly handed him Rs 10,000 from my rainy day savings, assuring him it was all I had. I also offered him a three-year sabbatical leave, during which I would take care of our household’s financial needs. I encouraged him to pursue his dreams without any concerns, but with the understanding that he had a limited timeframe of three years.

• After leaving her position at TELCO’s Mumbai branch, she relocated to Pune with Murty and embarked on a new role as a Senior Systems Analyst at Walchand group of Industries, Pune. When questioned by an interviewer about her departure from TELCO, she simply stated, “I decided to pursue new opportunities and challenges in a different environment.”

As I descended the stairs in Bombay House, I unexpectedly ran into JRD Tata who was ascending. It was yet another chance encounter. I took the opportunity to inform him about my decision to leave my job. Surprised, he questioned my choice, reminding me of the effort I had exerted in securing the position. I explained that my husband had a desire to embark on the Infosys Adventure. Unexpectedly, JRD took on the role of a prophet, advising me that if we were to amass wealth, we should give back to society, considering the love we have received from it. It turned out to be our final meeting.

• After the birth of their son Rohan Murthy in 1983, Narayana departed for America for a one-year office project. Due to Rohan’s infantile eczema and allergy to vaccinations, Sudha was unable to join him. As a result, Sudha had to single-handedly handle her responsibilities at home and in her office in India.

• During a later conversation, one of Sudha’s acquaintances proposed that she consider joining Infosys. However, Murthy expressed his belief that it is not advisable for a husband and wife to be employed at the same organization. Sudha recounted this incident during an interview.

Murty expressed his disinterest in having a married couple work together at Infosys, which shocked me considering my relevant experience and technical qualifications. He went on to say, “Sudha, if you choose to work with Infosys, I will happily withdraw.” It was disheartening to learn that I would not be able to contribute to the company my husband was building, and that I would have to let go of a job that I am both capable of and passionate about. It took me a couple of days to understand the reasoning behind Murty’s request. I eventually realized that in order for Infosys to thrive, one must dedicate their full attention and effort to it, without any other distractions.

• Sudha and her friends established the non-profit organization, ‘Infosys Foundation’, in 1996, with the objective of assisting the less privileged members of society. Their primary goal was to offer support in areas such as education, rural development, healthcare, arts and culture, as well as destitute care.

• One of the branches of Infosys Foundation is located in the USA, where its primary focus is to provide support to various initiatives in the fields of sciences, technology, engineering, mathematics, and community building.

• Sudha’s non-profit organization, funded by Infosys, called the Infosys Foundation, has made significant contributions in various areas. In flood-affected regions, they have constructed over 2300 houses and established more than 70,000 libraries for schools across India. Additionally, their efforts have extended to rural areas of Bengaluru, where they have built over 10,000 toilets.

• Sudha’s foundation has provided assistance to individuals impacted by various natural disasters such as the Tamil Nadu and Andaman tsunami, Gujarat’s Kutch earthquake, Orissa and Andhra Pradesh hurricanes and floods, as well as droughts in Karnataka and Maharashtra.

• It is interesting to note that within the premises of ‘Infosys Foundation,’ there are two photos adorning a wall. One is of J.R.D. Tata, who granted her a job at TELCO, and the other is of Jamsetji Tata, a plaque presented to her by the Dalai Lama.

• In addition to her role as a social activist, she has served as a visiting professor at the PG Center of Bangalore University and has also imparted her knowledge at Christ University in Bengaluru.

• Sudha Murthy, a passionate book lover, is a well-known author in India. She has gained recognition for her writings in both English and Kannada languages, drawing inspiration from her own life experiences. Notable works by Sudha include “Samanyaralli Asamanyaru,” “Guttondu Heluve,” “Hakkiya Teradalli,” “Sukeshini Mattu Itara Makkala Kathegalu,” “How I Taught My Grandmother to Read,” “The Accolades Galore,” “Dollar Bahu,” and “Three thousand stitches.” Recently, Sudha Murthy had the honor of launching her latest book alongside Shashi Tharoor, an event that allowed her to reflect on her literary journey.

• In her book ‘Three Thousand Stitches,’ she recounted her personal encounter at Heathrow Airport, where she was referred to as ‘cattle class’ due to her choice of wearing a salwar kameez.

• Sudha made a guest appearance on the ETV Kannada’s TV serial ‘Preethi Illada Mele’ in 2006, portraying the character of a judge.

• Being a fervent admirer of Dilip Kumar, she couldn’t contain her excitement when she got the chance to meet the iconic actor. During an interview, she enthusiastically recounted her encounter, revealing that she had even confessed to him about her decision to skip college just to catch his films. In response, he grinned and humbly expressed, “I consider myself fortunate!”

• Contrary to her husband’s disinterest, she has a deep passion for watching movies. During a 2014 interview with Filmfare, she openly expressed her love for films.

In my home theatre, I have a collection of 500 DVDs that I thoroughly enjoy watching. I immerse myself in every aspect of a film – from its direction to its editing and everything in between. While most people recognize me as a social worker and an author, my passion for movies as a cinephile often goes unnoticed. That’s why I’m excited to have this interview with Filmfare, where I can openly discuss my love for films. In fact, I am such a devoted movie enthusiast that I once challenged myself to watch 365 films in 365 days. It’s safe to say that I could have easily pursued a career as a film journalist, as my fascination with movies never wanes.

• In 2017, she made a cameo appearance in the Kannada movie ‘Uppu, Huli, Khara’.

• She stepped down from her position as a Member of Tirupati Temple Board in 2019.

• On 29th November 2019, she made an appearance on the KBC 11 episode, titled Karamveer. Amitabh Bachchan warmly greeted her by respectfully touching her feet, while Sudha presented him with a beautiful bed sheet crafted by devadasis.

• On September 24, 2023, Sudha Murthy filed a complaint regarding the unauthorized use of her name in promotional activities for events in the United States. She claimed that her name was falsely associated with two events. In one instance, she was incorrectly identified as the chief guest of an event, despite having declined the invitation. The event organizers stated that a woman named Lavanya, who claimed to be Sudha’s assistant, had assured them of Sudha’s presence. In another case, a person named Shruthi deceitfully collected money for an event that Sudha was not attending. The Bengaluru police took action against both Shruthi and Lavanya based on these allegations. [7]