A man possessed with bountiful energy, always ready to set high standards, that is how colleagues in the industry talk of NR Narayana Murthy. He constantly surprised everyone, discussing even go-to-market strategies with arch rivals.
?Murthy was not just someone who was instrumental in building Infosys, he has been the flag bearer and beacon of the entire Indian IT industry. Open to sharing thoughts and ideas, Murthy never refrained from discussions with competitive organisations,? says chairman and MD of Happiest Minds Technologies Ashok Soota. ?During my Wipro days, while we were both organisations of comparable size, Azim Premji and I, along with Murthy, would regularly have open discussions to evaluate go-to-market strategies, new approaches, best practices, etc. Even when we started MindTree, the goodwill for us was enormous and he was always available for any counsel and advice,? he remembers. Earlier this year, Soota quit MindTree to start his new IT services venture.
Subroto Bagchi, vice-chairman of MindTree, has known NRN since 1990. He believes his is a life that can truly be called high-platform and high-purpose. ?I have known NRN since 1990. I had the benefit of knowing him through his work, his position on issues and his interactions with me. Through these, I believe that NRN is the greatest leader we have produced in our generation in the IT industry and he rises above everyone else with the power of his vision, his relentlessness in what he pursues, the legacy he has left behind and his phenomenal sense of inclusion,? he says. ?We have been blessed to have NRN in our midst and while the business leader of Infosys is demitting office, he now becomes the lighthouse for many leaders in the industry so that they may remain on course,? Bagchi notes.
Som Mittal, president of industry lobby Nasscom, and Lakshmi Narayanan, vice-chairman of rival firm Cognizant, say NRN?s contribution to the Indian IT industry and even to the nation stands out. ?NR Narayana Murthy has made a stellar contribution towards raising the profile of the IT industry in India and has been instrumental in helping it gain the global recognition it currently enjoys. He has inspired great hope and aspiration in the younger generation,? says Narayanan. Mittal has known NRN since 1992 and has shared many platforms with him, at Nasscom and outside. He agrees that Murthy has now become a great example of entrepreneurship. ?What I remember is that Infosys did a lot of first-mover things?building their own campus, the way the firm engaged and serviced shareholders, in setting standards of transparency. This established the credibility of the industry and its governance. But he has also done much beyond the industry. Nationally, Murthy was responsible for projecting India as a brand around the world,? Mittal adds.