Title: An Uncommon Love: The Early Life of Sudha and Narayana Murthy
Author: Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni
Publisher: Juggernaut
Format: Hardcover
Length: 352
Blurb: Sudha Kulkarni was forging a career as TELCO’s first woman engineer when she met the serious, idealistic and brilliant Narayana Murthy, and they fell in love. For the first time comes the story of their early years – from their courtship to Infosys’s founding years, from their marriage to parenthood – told by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni. What drew them together and kept them bound tightly through the challenges and loneliness they faced? What was it like to create a start-up during the licence raj, when there were no VCs, and entrepreneurship was regarded as a dirty word? How did Sudha Murty balance being a career woman, a mother and a start-up wife? How did Narayana Murthy’s obsession affect himself and his family? Taking us deep inside the minds, hearts and values of the Murthys, with exclusive access to them, Divakaruni tells their story with extraordinary emotional depth, bringing them and their worlds vividly alive. This book is about the sacrifices it takes to forge a powerful and lasting marriage, about the early story of Infosys and Indian business before liberalization, and most of all about two icons before they became the legends that transformed the fields of business and philanthropy.
My rating: 4/5
Review: The book likely delves into the early lives of both Sudha and Narayana Murthy, exploring their backgrounds and aspirations that eventually led them to co-found Infosys. It portrays them as ordinary people with extraordinary dreams, emphasizing that achieving success doesn’t require ostentatious displays of wealth or power.
Building Infosys from Scratch
The narrative likely goes into detail about the couple’s journey of building Infosys from the ground up. It probably describes the challenges they faced, the financial hurdles they overcame, and the impact of government regulations on their business. The book might depict their perseverance in starting in a small apartment and transforming Infosys into a multi-million dollar company, providing livelihood for many.
Humility and Simplicity: The Core Values
The book highlights the importance of humility and simplicity in the couple’s approach to business. It might illustrate how these values, often seen as contrasting success, were instrumental in Infosys’s growth.
Overcoming Challenges
The book would probably cover the various challenges Infosys faced during its initial stages. This could include navigating complex government regulations, securing funding, and building a strong team. It might also explore how Sudha and Narayana Murthy tackled these challenges and steered the company towards success.
Impact and Legacy
The biography might also explore the wider impact of Infosys on the Indian IT industry and the country’s economy as a whole. It could delve into the legacy of Sudha and Narayana Murthy as pioneers who helped establish India as a major player in the global IT sector.
The final part of the book could explore how Infosys grew from a small operation in a matchbox apartment to a multi-million dollar company, providing livelihood for many. It might also touch upon the wider impact of Infosys on the Indian IT industry and its role in establishing India as a major global player.
In the chapters, specific technical jargon is employed, which individuals with an engineering background would likely comprehend more easily. I wish to emphasize that Sudha Murthy was among the pioneering female employees at TELCO, and today, numerous women have the opportunity to work at Tata Motors (previously known as Telco). Hailing from Jamshedpur, a city founded by the Tata Group, Sudha Murthy’s exchange with JRD Tata evoked a heartfelt response when I encountered it.
JRD Tata’s words quoted from his conversation with Sudha Murthy (the day she resigned from TELCO, she bumped into JRD at Bombay House) – “Never start with diffidence. Always start with confidence. When you are successful, you must give back to society. Society gives us so much, we must return it. I wish you all the best”
Narayan Murthy’s quote – “Understanding challenges is the first step towards finding a solution”
The book also contains witty and funny conversations, as I recall the birth of their daughter brought tears to Narayan Murthy’s eyes while he held the newborn Akshata. His father-in-law humorously said – “It seems the robot has a heart, after all!”
Sudha Murthy’s quote – “I want you to be like the trapeze artist in a circus and take a spectacular leap of faith. I’m willing to be your safety net.”
Furthermore, we often overlook the romance that blossoms among aging couples in our midst. Reading about Narayan Murthy’s proposal to Sudha Kulkarni was truly one of the most beautiful expressions of love ever witnessed.
nidhantrika 