From a non-descript office in Pune to multiple campuses across the world and from seven co-founders to over 1.3 lakh employees in the span of three decades, Mr N.R. Narayana Murthy, 65, Chairman of the $6-billion Infosys Ltd, would look back with a lot of satisfaction when he turns up for the last time in his office on Friday.
As co-founder Mr N.S. Raghavan, once said, “the difference between Infosys and the rest was that Mr Murthy was clear that he wanted to build an institution and put in place institution-building processes and got all the employees to adhere to them even if it meant letting go short-term gains.”
This meant Infosys walking away from a huge contract when the client was found indulging in unethical practices, or when it had to let go a favourite senior colleague. Or when it decided to share the company's profits with employees or when it decided not to let its family members to succeed them.
At the end of the day, when Mr Murthy returns home, he will know that he hasn't failed himself, rather he has succeeded in becoming an icon for the middle class.