Narayana Murthy Regrets Excluding Family From Infosys Leadership Roles

Infosys co-founder NR Narayana Murthy has expressed regret for not allowing his family members, particularly his wife Sudha Murthy, to join the renowned IT giant that he helped establish over four decades ago, in a candid confession.

Murthy, acknowledging his past "wrong idealism," disclosed in an interview with CNBC-TV18 that his wife possessed qualifications on par with the seven engineers, including himself, who played pivotal roles in founding Infosys.

The co-founder conceded that he had initially held the belief that good corporate governance required keeping family members away from active roles within the company. This perspective, shaped by historical issues of family rule in businesses, shifted a few years ago after discussions with two philosophy professors who argued that individuals with merit and following proper procedures should not be denied opportunities within a company.

Murthy had also previously admitted to being "completely wrong" in preventing the next generation of promoter-founder families from taking up active roles in Infosys. He cited concerns of violating laws and family dominance as reasons for his initial stance, which has evolved over time.

Addressing his family's current status within Infosys, Murthy clarified that since August 4-5, 2017, he has not been consulted on any issues, emphasizing that he is merely a shareholder. He commended Nandan Nilekani, Infosys co-founder and chairman, who took over the leadership, and highlighted that the Murthy family, despite being the largest shareholders, plays no active role in the company's affairs.

Sudha Murthy, one of Infosys' initial investors, contributed the initial seed funding of Rs 10,000 to kickstart the company's journey.