With a capital of just Rs 10,000 in 1981, NR Narayana Murthy with six other engineers founded a company – Infosys – which has now grown into an IT behemoth having a Rs 6.32 lakh crore market capitalisation. Murthy set out on his entrepreneurial journey in the 1980s when the time was “extremely business-unfriendly”, as he had once said.
not only he is successful, but is counted amongst the top 50 richest Indians with a net worth of $4.5 billion, according to Forbes. Murthy stepped down as chairman of the IT major, which recently commemorated its four decades of excellence, in 2011 after 30 years with the company but returned in 2013 to hand over management to a professional CEO in 2014.
The 76-year-old industrialist has always led by example, be it taking a pay cut and giving others a raise or travelling economy class even on international flights, thus, sending an “indelible message to youngsters about reaching office on time”.
Here are a few encouraging quotes from Infosys founder NR Narayana Murthy:
Murthy on entrepreneurship
The Infosys founder believes that entrepreneurship is all about deferred gratification. Entrepreneurship is all about an idea that creates differentiated business value to one’s customers. You must be able to convince your customers about the benefits that an association with you or your products will give them, he once said.
Murthy on Startups
Startups are about entrepreneurs coming up with an idea whose proposition is very different from any existing idea in the market. Startups are about a set of people whose collective experience can test an idea’s market fit and scale it up.
Murthy on outcomes
It is better to underpromise and overdeliver than vice versa. For this one need not break the law of the land.
Murthy on money
Money has its uses. I buy a lot of books, all the gadgets, I live in a comfortable house. But the power of money to me is the power to give it away, the Infosys founder had said at the World Economic Forum in 2005.
Murthy on recognition and respect
The only instrument to gain recognition and respect is performance, Infosys Founder NR Narayana Murthy had told graduating students at IIT Guwahati last year in July.
Murthy on leadership
You become a star not because of your title; you become a star because you are adding star value to the company.
A great leader also has the ability to make people an inch taller in his presence.
Murthy on growth
Growth is painful. Change is painful. But, nothing is as painful as staying stuck where you do not belong, he had said in a message to Infoscions in the company’s annual report last year.
Murthy on leading by example
The 76-year-old, a Padma Vibhushan recipient, once recalled how he used to travel economy class even on international flights. “I travel by economy even today on domestic flights. I would be in the office at 6.20 am every morning till I retired in 2011. That sent an indelible message to youngsters about reaching office on time,” he said.
