In a candid admission during a discussion following the launch of his book, Infosys founder Narayana Murthy expressed regret over not adequately rewarding many of the company’s early employees who played pivotal roles in its success. Murthy acknowledged the extraordinary efforts of these individuals, stating that he should have carefully considered their contributions and rewarded them more appropriately.
During the conversation, Murthy admitted that some exceptionally smart early adopters did not receive the same level of stock awards as the co-founders. He emphasized that rewarding these individuals would have been beneficial for both them and the company. Infosys, founded in 1981, had seven engineers, including Murthy, as its co-founders.
In a recent interview, Murthy also expressed regret for not allowing his wife, Sudha Murty, to join Infosys in its early days. Sudha Murty had provided the initial seed capital of ₹10,000 for Infosys.
Reflecting on his time at Infosys, Murthy highlighted the democratic decision-making process, where everyone’s views were considered. He acknowledged that Infosys would have performed even better because they had created an enlightened democracy within the company.
On a separate note, when asked about his son-in-law, Rishi Sunak, the Prime Minister of the UK, Murthy maintained a diplomatic stance, stating that they have close, harmonious, and affectionate personal relations but refrain from commenting on the affairs of another country.
