N. R. Narayana Murthy

Nagavara Ramarao Narayana Murthy is the co-founder of Infosys and one of the most influential figures in Indian business history — often called the father of Indian IT services. Born in Sidlaghatta, Karnataka in 1946, he co-founded Infosys in 1981 with six colleagues and INR 10,000 borrowed from his wife Sudha Murty, and built it into India's first NYSE-listed technology company (1999) and a defining pillar of the $250-billion Indian IT industry. Under his leadership Infosys pioneered the global-delivery model, corporate transparency in Indian business, and stock-option-driven wealth for employees. He served as Chairman until 2011, returned as Executive Chairman in 2013–2014, and has since focused on the Catamaran Ventures investment platform and mentorship of Indian founders. He has received the Padma Vibhushan, the Legion of Honour, and is one of India's most-cited voices on ethics in business.