Sudha Murthy: Superwoman in a Saree

Edited by Megan Cambruzzi

Born in Karnataka, India, Sudha Murthy is a true inspiration. As a woman living in the 1970s, she fought many stereotypes and is currently an engineer, author, co-founder of Infosys – an information technology company, philanthropist, and much more. She was the first woman to have been recruited to work for India’s largest auto-manufacturing company manufacturer, TATA Engineering and Locomotive Company (TELCO) and is a recipient of one of the most prestigious awards in India– The Padma Shri award1. Her life calls for true inspiration, a role model that overcame everything that was thrown in her way with grace and humility. 

Early Life

Mrs Murthy was born in 1950 to surgeons Dr R. H. Kulkarni and Vimala Kulkarni. She spent her childhood with her parents, siblings, and maternal grandparents. More on her childhood life and upbringing can be read about in her first published book, “How I Taught My Grandmother to Read”¹.

She was a very bright and ambitious student. Murthy chose to pursue a career in STEM and, more specifically, as an engineer, a profession in which the ratio of men to women is staggeringly high. Despite the male-dominated professional circumstances, Sudha Murthy graduated from B.V.B. College of Engineering with a degree in Electrical Engineering and a gold medal for placing first in her entire graduating class. She went on to get another degree in Computer science from the Indian Institute of Science, where she again received a gold medal for placing first in her entire class!2 Despite the constant discrimination and disregard of women, Sudha Murthy, prevailed and was ready to take on the world.

Job at TELCO

After attaining degrees in electrical engineering and computer science, Sudha Murthy began her search for a job. She aimed high and desired to apply for TELCO (currently known as Tata Motors), India’s largest auto-manufacturing company manufacturer. However, she noted that the footnote of the application had written, ” Female candidates need not apply.” TATA, a company with a reputation as a very innovative and progressive company, was showcasing blatant discrimination. This was very upsetting for Murthy, and she decided that she would not give up. With determination and a thirst for answers, Murthy wrote to J.R.D. Tata–the chairman of Tata group– on the rising issue of gender bias and questioned Tata’s progressive reputation. J.R.D. was very impressed by her go-getter and fearless attitude; thus, he granted her a special interview. Sudha Murthy, with her gracious and intelligent attitude, was hired as the first female engineer for Tata motors and paved the way for women in STEM, especially in engineering³.

Career as a Writer

Sudha Murthy has sold over 1.5 million books in both Kanna and English languages. She is a best-selling author of children’s books consisting of short stories, lessons, teachings, etc., which all are a mirror of her intellect and heart of gold¹. Mrs Murthy even travelled to the U.S.A. alone at the age of 29 to publish her 1st book³!

Philanthropic Work

Sudha Murthy is on the move 20 days of the month, engaging in philanthropic work for variousN.G.O.ss and her own established foundation, Infosys¹. She is a firm believer that if one makes one, they must give back to society. She is a co-chair (along with her husband, Narayan Murthy) of Infosys foundation, anN.G.O.O which supports the underprivileged sections of society. She provides relief by bringing awareness to the current gender bias, lacking education system and disadvantages for the lower economic class of India. She has worked to build schools, hospitals, rehabilitation centres, etc. She personally travels and ventures to all her places of work and builds personal connections with the people⁴.

Her Motto

The most influential and noteworthy thing that many people admire about Mrs Murthy is her personality. Her humble and grounded attitude is something people should be aspiring to carry. Being one of the most successful and rich people in India, she still strives to lead a very simple life with no glitz or glamour. She says, “Money is like a heavy bag and you should lead a simple, lightweight life.³”

Sudha Murthy has always decided to choose the lesser path in life. She has always stuck to her decisions and is never one to back down. Her fearlessness and risk-taking persona are never shadowed by regret or hesitance. This is the kind of person we should all aspire to be. She did not know what would happen with her career as she wrote to one of India’s most powerful menJ.R.D.D Tata– questioning his company and fighting for her rights. As she often says,

“Limitation is only your imagination.”

When movies and the media represent these fearless and “badass” women, we often see only one kind of representation. Sudha Murthy challenges this and proves that “badass” has no definite look. You are “badass” within your mind; whether it be a man, child or a woman in a simple saree, you can pave your own path and be your own superhero.

rEFERENCES:

1. Nambiar, A. (2018, August 19). Sudha Murthy : The role model for all generations. Republic World. Retrieved January 24, 2022, from https://www.republicworld.com/india-news/general-news/sudha-murthy-the-role-model-for-all-generations.html
2. Edu, T. L., Kashish Panwar, & Dr. A. Praveena Gynaecologist. (2021, December 17). Sudha Murthy. Leverage Edu. Retrieved January 24, 2022, from https://leverageedu.com/blog/sudha-murthy/
3. Negi, D. (2019, August 14). Brilliant, brave & badass, Sudha Murthy is the kind of role model we women need today. ScoopWhoop. Retrieved January 24, 2022, from https://www.scoopwhoop.com/sudha-murthy-and-her-inspiring-journey/
4. Meghna. (n.d.). Sudha Murthy -an idol and a superstar for millions and trillions. Learn Stock Market and Investments from Basic To Advanced. Retrieved January 24, 2022, from https://www.finnovationz.com/blog/sudha-murthy–an-idol-and-a-superstar-for-millions-and-trillions