Narayana Murthy business style

Nagavara Ramarao Narayana Murthy (born 20 August 1946) is an Indian billionaire businessman, and philanthropist. He is the co-founder of Infosys, and has been chairman, chief executive officer (CEO), president, and chief mentor, before retiring and taking the title chairman emeritus.

Murthy was born and raised in Shidlaghatta, Karnataka. He graduated from National Institute of Engineering, University of Mysore with a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering and a master’s from the Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur.

Before starting Infosys, Murthy worked with Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad as chief systems programmer, and Patni Computer Systems in Pune (Maharashtra). He started Infosys in 1981 and was its CEO from 1981 to 2002, and chairman from 2002 to 2011. In 2011, he stepped down from the board and became chairman emeritus. In June 2013, Murthy was appointed as executive chairman for a period of five years.

Murthy has been listed among the 12 greatest entrepreneurs of our time by Fortune magazine. He has been described as the “father of the Indian IT sector” by Time magazine due to his contribution to outsourcing in India. Murthy has been honoured with the Padma Vibhushan and Padma Shri awards. He is the father-in-law of Rishi Sunak, the British MP and Chancellor of the Exchequer.

Some of them are mentioned below:

1-You might fail, but get started Learn from mistakes and move on.

In 1976, Murthy founded Softronics, a company that lasted a year and a half. When he realised that his first venture wasn’t taking off, he moved on.

2-Think Big. Don’t Hesitate to Start Small

In 1981, a determined Murthy started Infosys with Rs 10,000 he borrowed from his wife. In few years, Infosys went on to become one of the largest wealth creators in the country.

3-Sharing is Caring

After the IPO, Infosys decided to share a portion of its equity with employees. This helped them retain talent and gave employees a sense of ownership. Murthy is proud of having given away stocks worth over Rs 50,000 crore to employees.

4-Make hay While the Sun Shines

In late 90′s, India’s tech companies made use of the Y2K opportunity to make them known in the global market. For Infosys, it was a great opportunity to enter into long-term relationships with their customers.

5-Founders Keepers, but Not Forever

Murthy’s decision to not allow founders to continue with the company after the age of 65 set another standard for the company. This way, younger leaders at Infosys had a greater chance at the top positions.

6-Get Rich. Honestly

Rich businesses were considered to be dirty in the days when the country had a socialist bent. Infy was a company which got rid of this sentiment. Murthy, with his ‘no compromise’ policy on greasing palms and doing ethical business, set the standards.

7-Do Good, Look Good

Murthy knew the importance of creating an image for Infosys. He invested in creating a sprawling, world class campuses early on, bigger than any other company’s headquarters in the country, that would make his global customers feel like they were in a global office.