Sudha Murty (néeKulkarni; born 20 August 1951) is an Indian educator, author, and philanthropist. She is married to the co-founder of
Infosys,
N. R. Narayana Murty. She was a former chairperson of the non-profit charitable organization
Infosys Foundation. In 2024, Murty was nominated as
Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha on 8 March 2024 for her contribution in social work and education. Murty was awarded the
Padma Shri, the fourth highest civilian award in India, for social work by the
Government of India in 2006.[1] In 2023, she was awarded the
Padma Bhushan, the third highest civilian award in India.[2]
Murty is best known for her philanthropy and her contribution to literature in Kannada and English. Dollar Bahu (
lit.'Dollar Daughter-in-Law'), a novel originally authored by her in
Kannada and later translated into English as Dollar Bahu, was adapted as a
televised dramatic series[10] by
Zee TV in 2001.[11]Runa (
lit.'Debt'), a story by Sudha Murty was adapted as a Marathi film, Pitruroon by director
Nitish Bhardwaj. Sudha Murty has also acted in the film[12] as well as a Kannada film Prarthana.[13][14]
Early life and education
Sudha Murty was born to a
Kannada-speaking family on 20 August 1951 in
Shiggaon,
Haveri district in
Mysore State (present-day
Karnataka), India, the daughter of R. H. Kulkarni, a surgeon, and his wife Vimala Kulkarni, a schoolteacher. She was raised by her parents and maternal grandparents. These childhood experiences form the historical basis for her first notable work entitled How I Taught My Grandmother to Read, Wise and Otherwise and Other Stories.[15] Murty completed a
BEng in Electrical and Electronics Engineering from the
B.V.B. College of Engineering & Technology (now known as KLE Technological University), and then a
MEng in Computer Science from the
Indian Institute of Science.[16][17]
Career
Sudha Murty became the first female engineer hired at India's largest auto manufacturer
TATA Engineering and Locomotive Company (TELCO).[18] She joined the company as a Development Engineer in Pune and then worked in Mumbai & Jamshedpur as well. She had written a postcard to the company's Chairman complaining of the "men only" gender bias at TELCO. As a result, she was granted a special interview and hired immediately.[19][17] She later joined
Walchand Group of Industries at Pune as Senior Systems Analyst.
Sudha Murty has written and published many books which include novels, non-fiction, travelogues, technical books, and memoirs. Her books have been translated into all major Indian languages. She is also a columnist for English and Kannada newspapers.[21]
2023: The Global Indian Award, which is worth $50, 000, is given each year to a prominent Indian who has made a major mark in his or her chosen field. Her husband Narayana Murthy too got the same award in 2014, so they became first couple conferred with this award. She donated the sum to the Field Institute (University of Toronto).[37]