Mumbai: NR Narayana Murthy and Sudha Murty, has onboarded ‘Duologue With Barun Das’ in a 60-minute exclusive ideas fest. The engaging conversation holds important lessons on leadership for India, Infosys lessons for India Inc and the success recipe for the institution of marriage and parenthood.
True to their inimitable style, the power couple spoke their mind on a plethora of issues. In a never before conversation, the couple held forth on why despite being the best qualified candidate on all parameters, Sudha chose to be an angel investor for her husband so he could chase his entrepreneurial dream. And, she herself pursued her passion to be the best possible mother to her children.
Opening up the engagement, Das tossed up one on what if Infosys were to have Kulkarni (Sudha Murty’s maiden surname) as the founder, given her impeccable credentials over those of Murthy.
“I think right in the beginning we both discussed… Of all the wives of the founder and the co-founders, she is the most qualified. However, we both sat down and discussed whether both of us should be in it or one of us should be in it. I think my view was that at that point of time I was trying to reduce unnecessary friction amongst the group of founders,” said Murthy.
Concurring with her husband, Sudha Murty recalled how then Murthy as a young man dreamt of building a software company. “He explained to me in the year 1981 the role of entrepreneurship in our country.”
The chemistry between the two was on display as the power couple now represented two diverse and distinct ends of enterprise – the pureplay P&L and the social contract. Their aspiration for India taking the global head table navigating myriad opportunities and challenges featured as the key takeaway.
“I was truly captivated and inspired during my conversation with NR Narayana Murthy and Sudha Murty. Witnessing the journey of building a company like Infosys, with his unwavering determination and strong leadership, was truly admirable. However, I still feel that 40 years back, had Sudha Kulkarni, truly being the better half, not taken the back seat and donned the chairperson’s seat, fair and equal participation of women in India Inc corner offices would have been fast tracked,” said TV9 Network CEO & MD as well as show host Das.
“In my opinion, India can learn a lot from Murthy's leadership and vision to recreate the Infosys success story across diverse businesses. By doing so, we can pave the way for further growth and achieve even greater glory for India.” Das added.
‘Duologue With Barun Das’ is a cerebral conversation with a legend or a legend in the making. As the title suggests, it is a two-way interaction to enable exchange of ideas in a free-flowing manner. Duologue is not provoked by headline management but to evolve emancipated influencer conversations.
In this episode of ‘Duologue With Barun Das’, the conversation was a veritable feast of experiences, touching upon India's competitive index, acquiring the zeal to win as a nation, changing a generation's mindset, and the role of the youth in shaping the future.
The three-part series is now streaming on News9 Plus.
EP1: INDIA’S WORLD
EP2: MAN, WOMAN, & INFOSYS
EP3: THE STARTUP DILEMMA