Sudha Murthy

Founder-Chairperson of the Infosys Foundation, Murty built the non-profit charitable organization into a vehicle for wide-ranging social impact across India. She founded several orphanages, supported rural development efforts, and championed a movement to provide all Karnataka government schools with computer and library facilities. She also established the Murty Classical Library of India at Harvard University and became a member of public health care initiatives at the Gates Foundation.

Recognized for her contributions to social work and education, Murty received the Padma Shri in 2006 and the Padma Bhushan in 2023, the fourth and third highest civilian awards in India, respectively. In 2024, she was nominated as a Member of Parliament to the Rajya Sabha.

Beyond her philanthropic work, Murty is a noted author whose writing spans Kannada and English literature. Her novel Dollar Bahu was adapted as a televised dramatic series by Zee TV in 2001, and her story Runa was adapted as the Marathi film Pitruroon, directed by Nitish Bhardwaj. She also appeared as an actress in that film as well as in the Kannada film Prarthana. She began her professional career in computer science and engineering before turning to philanthropy and writing.