Sudha Murthy
Sudha Murty was nominated as a Member of Parliament in the Rajya Sabha , the Upper House of India’s Parliament, by the President of India on 8 March 2024 for her contributions to social work and education, and she is also an Indian author,…
Sudha Murty was nominated as a Member of Parliament in the Rajya Sabha, the Upper House of India’s Parliament, by the President of India on 8 March 2024 for her contributions to social work and education, and she is also an Indian author, philanthropist, and former chairperson of the Infosys Foundation, known for her simple living and impactful social work.
Table of Contents
Basic Profile
- Full Name: Sudha Murthy
- DOB: 19 August 1950
- Birth Place: Shiggaon, Haveri District, Karnataka, India
- Nationality: Indian
- Profession: Author, Philanthropist, Social Worker, Engineer, Educationist
- Political Status: Nominated Member of Rajya Sabha
- Nomination: Nominated to Rajya Sabha by the President of India in March 2024 under the category of distinguished contributions to social service and literature.
Family Background
- Father: Dr. R. H. Kulkarni (Surgeon)
- Mother: Vimala Kulkarni (Teacher)
- Spouse: N. R. Narayana Murthy – Co-founder of Infosys
- Children: Akshata Murty (married to Rishi Sunak) and Rohan Murthy
Educational Qualifications
- B.E. in Electrical Engineering from B.V.B. College of Engineering and Technology (Gold Medalist)
- M.E. in Computer Science from the Indian Institute of Science
- First female engineer hired by Tata Engineering and Locomotive Company (now Tata Motors)
Professional Career
Engineering Career
- Began her career at TELCO, working in Pune, Mumbai, and Jamshedpur
- Gained recognition for challenging gender discrimination by writing directly to J.R.D. Tata, which led to her historic recruitment.
Infosys Foundation
- Served as Chairperson of Infosys Foundation from 1996 to 2021
- Led several philanthropic initiatives, including:
1) Rural Development
2) Education and School Infrastructure
3) Library Programs
4) Healthcare and Hospital support
5) Disaster relief operations
Literary Career
Sudha Murty is one of India’s most widely read authors, writing in both English and Kannada.
Popular Books
- Wise and Otherwise
- How I Taught My Grandmother to Read
- The Day I Stopped Drinking Milk
- Dollar Bahu
- Three Thousand Stitches
Entry into Rajya Sabha
- In March 2024, she was nominated to the Rajya Sabha by the President of India.
- Her nomination recognized her extraordinary contributions in literature, education, and philanthropy.
- She represents the nominated category of members in the Upper House of Parliament.
Awards and Honours
Sudha Murty has received several prestigious awards:
- Padma Shri – 2006
- Padma Bhushan – 2023
- R.K. Narayan Award for Literature
- Attimabbe Award (Karnataka Government)
- Lifetime Achievement Awards from several institutions
Social and Humanitarian contributions
Her social work includes:
- Building over 15,000 libraries in rural schools
- Funding thousands of toilets and school buildings
- Supporting orphanages and destitute homes
- Major support for flood, earthquake, and pandemic relief
- Promoting Indian culture and traditional values
She is widely regarded as one of India’s most influential philanthropists.
Sudha Murty is an engineer, bestselling author, and social worker who has played a transformative role in India’s social sector through her leadership at the Infosys Foundation. Renowned for her humility and commitment to grassroots development, she has supported thousands of welfare projects nationwide. Her 2024 nomination to the Rajya Sabha honors her decades-long contributions to literature, education, and public service.
Contact Information and Address
- Office Address:
Room No. 406, Parliment House Annexe, Parliment House, New Delhi-110001, India.
Social Media Pages
- X(Twitter):[ https://x.com/SmtSudhaMurty]( https://x.com/SmtSudhaMurty)
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/smtsudhamurty/
- Facebook:[ https://www.facebook.com/people/Sudha-Murty/100010647611555/]( https://www.facebook.com/people/Sudha-Murty/100010647611555/)
- Wikipedia:[ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SudhaMurty]( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SudhaMurty)
