Narayana Murthy
Indian IT major Infosys’ co-founder and chairman emeritus N.R. Narayana Murthy has been recently honoured in the United States with the James C. Morgan Global Humanitarian Award, sponsored by the Silicon Valley-based software major Applied Materials.
“It is a privilege for us to honour Indian entrepreneur and philanthropist N.R. Narayana Murthy with this year’s tech award and we look up to him as a role model. His contribution to the Indian IT industry is monumental,” Applied Materials managing director Aninda Moitra said Monday in a statement from California.
“He has set a benchmark for doing business globally and played a large role in putting India on the global IT map,” Moitra said.
Murthy and a dozen innovators across the globe received the tech awards last week (Nov 15) for pioneering technology that benefits humankind in diverse areas such as health, education, environment and economic development.
“Technology uses the power of science to make life better for all of society. Technology not only has the power to make a difference in health, nutrition and sheltering the poor, but also can enhance one’s confidence and dignity,” Murthy said on the occasion.
Murthy co-founded tech services giant Infosys along with six colleagues in 1981 and went on to become one of India’s most influential advocates for health care and rural development.
The global software major established Infosys Foundation in 1996 to help underprivileged communities in India, focusing on healthcare, education and rural development.
“As an entrepreneur and a philanthropist, Murthy focused on helping people achieve the economic empowerment that offers a path out of poverty,” Applied Materials chairman Mike Splinter said.
Among other recipients of the prestigious award since it was instituted over a decade ago are internet entrepreneur Jeff Skoll, queen Rania Al-Abdullah of Jordon, Nobel Laureate and former US vice-president Al Gore and Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates.
Since the inception of the tech awards programme in 2001, 245 laureates from the world over were recognised for their work to change millions of lives for the better.
This year’s laureates represent regions as diverse as Africa, India and Latin America and their work impacts people across the world.