foreign [Music] of computer science author for books author of many books but more with the children book wife of Narayan Murthy and I was the chairman of Infosys Foundation when we built in forces or when we conceived the idea of Infosys we never at least I never expected it will be a great hit a jackpot or a great big company with lacks of people as employees I never imagined it's my faith in Narayan murti I I did not know whether it will be successful or not but I knew my husband is a very sincere person hard working and it is his dream to start a company whether we make profit or losses immaterial to me so I said okay this is a time I should help I feel very proud the kind of work we did at Infosys foundation in all the disasters include the last one was covet so it has touched millions of people if we would not have people say in covet you know two years we did not know what to do other than kovid we worked very hard and there were no time because we had a hospital we had ambulance we are spending sending people and even go with the second wave we worked very hard if there is no hospital and if you would not have really many many thousands of people who have died actually okay then for the lockdown in a small lockdown I used to write to CM and saying that sir it is not my personal care advice but it's my recumble request that you have to close down these areas because people will get affected the first time in Corona time we have done a lot of work and it's all because of Infosys Foundation before 1990 one I suppose uh sometimes we will get clients sometimes we won't get clients we are in a rented house but I never felt it like oh it is not going smoothly let's quit I never felt it at all because my my mindset is never attached to money or success so I knew my husband is working very hard whole team is working very hard at Ananda and rohini Shibu Kumari Dinesh and Asha where the original people wish to interact a lot every one of the working hard everybody's wife was working very hard when info started it was on Friday evening we did not get the check normally used to get you know on Friday morning or Thursday morning so that we'll pay to our employees and that was in 10th a main road office uh small office with the rent was 4200. and Diwali time there are two three holidays were there at that time uh the check the check did we get it in the evening but we cannot encash it because of the following holiday Monday Tuesday due to Diwali murti was feeling very sad that how murthya always believed employees are our assets he said how can they celebrate Diwali without salary and we will use salary but it will take three four days by the time the war will be over that he was really worried and then I took my Bangles went to the uh Union Bank and I told them look you take this jewelry you know and give me some 10 000 or 12 000 rupees I I remember small amount of money and when the check is encashed I will give the money and now you're mortgage it and then you can give my money my Bangles back uh we I want that kind of money the manager of the old man kind man he said he says you don't understand what it means to watch your jeweleries to a bank you require a certification this is really gold how much it weighs 80 percent of that will give all those things then I said you do whatever is needed but I require money he said why do you want I said Diwali Festival is there and we don't have money we have to go to our employees he said don't worry I know I will give you or draft of 10 000 rupees and you know you take the bank I said no we should be straight in transaction and left the money I don't know whether he kept it in the bank or you know he was such a nice man he kept in his drawer and when they said got the money he gave their salary when the um Festival was over the back our check was encashed and after that only I took my Bangles so this is entirely different episode that happened in Bangalore accept that was a year old in 1982 and she had a fever and there's nobody to look after her so I put akshita on my shoulder that day we had a meeting with the banker we wanted some loan five laps or seven laps I don't remember then they gave us appointment at 10 30. both of us went and I said I can't leave the child so I still remember when I think of this incident I feel my left shoulder is warm even today she was warm I put a bed sheet on her and I went and waited in the Corridor it's about 10 30 he called us at 11 30. both of us went and Mr Murthy being a man of few words and a shy person he said what is this software what it means uh explained to me Murthy explained set of logic it works like this this Etc he said Mr Murthy I just cannot understand what is software means he took his specs and showed look this is the specs you tell I manufacture specs then I will give you a loan and he showed us a pen this is a pen you manufacture pen then I'll give you money this software which is so invisible and to say manufacture software how will I give money there is no other way we can explain that one and the you are not convinced he said I'm not convinced why should I give loan to you people when you are talking in the air okay so murti was worried then he said do you have anything to morticage um so we don't have anything to mortgage otherwise I would have sold it and come he said thank you very much and the child was not well and we didn't get alone and I was a little upset in the sense I felt sad you know because I know what software means how to convince to these people what is not soft what is software what is not software you know about Murthy said thank you very much and we're about to get up I said yes Mr so and so I have something to mortgage Murthy or sir who I'm talking he said what is that he said we have four hands and two logical brains and then Mrs murti I want to tell you by your definition of four hard-working hands hands and two logical brains brains we cannot give you any money asset software is built with that it is not with the product with the money with the brain and the hands we came out and told me why did you talk like that I said anyway we are not getting so let us tell what software means in my own way okay that is probably the lowest point in my life I felt it how to explain people what is software when we became successful I told let's not put any money in that bank okay a person who cannot understand what is entrepreneurship a person who gives appointment at 10 30 meets at 11 30. a person could sense a child is not well parents have come and one who will not understand the difficulties of people who do not have money why should I keep that many money there and get one percent more interest I said no I'm not interested this is one of the lowest point where I felt people don't understand and appreciate when there are no angel funding when there was nobody to understand a new entrepreneurship when when in the whole country what we were talking people thought were foolish but still we had hoped we never had so much money or so much luxury it never bothered me because I'm not brought up in luxury neither I have aspiration for that but they're more than the uh enforces success the journey was beautiful it made me to understand out of 100 companies then succeed out of 10 one will really go up and our thoughts one of the company I was very happy because we paid some money Advance money in computer Point Area lincolnson road I remember I don't remember how many lakhs before lacks or five lakhs and uh you know we did not take that place and they have to return money to us and they did not I and Shibu were so much worried Mr Murthy Nandan and always brought Chris where I brought how to get that money back it's a huge money for us you know in those ways and that person will tell us the person whom you gave advances come at 10 o'clock in the night okay because he was working he was in a bank chairman or something he would come back home that time and Rohan was two years old and computer that area was full of mosquitoes I covered Rohan with the bed sheet and and she never used to drive I used to drive actually I used to drive and we bought our car for 83 000 rupees my father gave some money for that I suppose we look dry and then we will get money fifty thousand ones twenty five thousand words the last installment when you got four lakhs or something I was so happy that was a point I said no that means persistence works I felt it anything in there you have to get debtors outstanding I think I can work with you like this I remember that and once we recognize that it is the upcoming Company by government of Karnataka you know when I look back it's a small event many companies rather we are one of them I was extremely happy Murthy was not there I think I went on the behalf of Infosys and received that then came loan uh we wanted some loan um we went to rudra Dev late rudra Dev he was a very nice person and Rohan was three years old and he wouldn't sit so I will drive the car keep the Rohan with you know a pound of bread I said eat slowly okay by the time he finishes I can reach the destination he and he will eat fast you know I will really get worried and there's no carb seeds or belts in those days and then once I went with Murthy I remember we went and you know we were worried we're unknown people who will give us loan but he was so kind and we got 35 lakhs lower I was extremely happy I said Mr Ruth every month we'll pay and the duration was five years or something and we'll pay every month and then we'll take our salary you know as if it was my personal loan I talk like that for me the line was in invisible between personal life and Infosys I remember it's a very funny story I went with Mr Narayan Murthy to Kolkata and he was on his work I was on my personal work for some work so Mr Murthy said we want two single rooms they come they booked one double room he said no I have come on my work and incidentally my wife has come so I I cannot pay her Infosys will not pay her room rent why should we it is she can afford a room rent and we took and they were not able to understand he said no I am very transparent my company pays for my work my wife's company or my wife's work she will pay so either you've split the bill into two parts or give us two separate rooms to that extent Murthy kept transparency okay which is very hard very hard for human being and on time like Murthy will tell so that are you ready I require two minutes he said okay for 120 seconds it was 120 seconds I I cannot wait 120 seconds I have to be there at that time so Murthy kept this very high bar of transparency and for that we you know it has to be very difficult but we maintained it we maintained it anybody even in Foundation anybody can come check our account anybody can come see where we have spent nothing hidden transparency when your transparency then people have faith in you and that's the reason when I was working for tsunami I used to get tremendous amount of money from the public saying that we can't go to the site we are giving it to you because yours is a very fine credible non-profit organization transparency leads to credibility I grew up of giving to someone and leading a simple life from my childhood but making it a proper way making the systematic way and giving as a as compulsory giving it really helped me because I I worked in the house of tatas where they were the real philanthropist the first philanthropist in India in 1896 Jared Tata made his will jamshir ji Tata made his will and he filled one third of his property to Indian Institute of science where I studied so I was aware of the philanthropic activities in the same room in the year 1976 in the year 1976 sorry 1996 1996 akshita was 16 years old girl and I was a professor in a college teaching computer science it was somewhere in April where I wanted to set the question paper and actually had a holiday she used to go and read to a blind Child by the name Ananda Sharma in a blind School in JP nagar one day she came and I was going to the university to set the question paper so I was collecting all the data and the old question paper sitting in the same Hall she came and running and told me Amma you know Anna Sharma has done well I used to write for him in the examination now he is uh he may get good marks and he wants to go to Saint Stephen's College I was in a hurry to go to university I told her well very good and they kept quiet she said but he doesn't have money he has to be sponsored by somebody and someone has to give him money I told akshita why can't you give money she said where do I have money I don't even get 10 Rupees pocket money from you and there is no birthday in our family and every birthday whenever there's a birthday I said this will cost two or three thousand rupees for buying many things instead of three that money we should buy something for the general hospital because my dad was a doctor my sister is a doctor so something I will buy to the maternity hospital some instrument that was going on for a long time and then I said she said Amma will you sponsor I said I did I didn't answer because I was so busy in the question paper she told me Amma you are 46 years old or 45 years old what do you look forward in life it is a glamor Glory what is that because I am always open with my children you know I never get upset with such things she said if you cannot do sponsoring or any social activity then don't expect anyone to do you have reasonable brain you have good amount of money and you have a Compassionate Heart and if you don't do then you don't have a right to tell anybody and she went away she went this way and there's a Space Case she stood there very upset by the time I found out my question paper and I was getting down I told accept I will see you in the evening and I got done from this staircase went to the car I used to drive myself what am I doing I'm 45 years old first 25 years I worked for myself excelled in my education got a first rank to tell everyone that women can also become good engineers then I worked for the info system next 20 years thinking it is like my own it's as if it you know it's like a child the way I did for akshata and Rohan I did that for info this anything is needed I'm always ready everything is you have to sacrifice I'm ready now my company has grown there it doesn't require my health it can succeed on its own you know hrp or all the finance department Etc initially I was a PR I would take the calls I you know we are leading a software engine in a software company I used to write all those letters I was a finance person I was looking after personal everything I used to do now my company doesn't require me that kind of a help what is my remaining life and what I'm supposed to do am I supposed to enjoy every day eating a five-star restaurants there but how long and I'm not fond of and this I went to this examination Hall and the as usual the meeting was postponed I sat there for two hours what it requires to be a you know to uplift our country what tatas did where am I doing they had money we have money but what attitude we should have I thought about it for next three days continuously and then went to Infosys board where Nandan Murthy everybody was there because I wanted to sell my shares and start from My Own Foundation when I put that Mr Nandan told me and raghavan also was there he said no no we'll start foundation and you can be part of it and you can do what you want to do thus in 1996 Infosys Foundation started akshata is my teacher she woke me up I was sleeping what my country requires I always thought my country is has many states so much Bollywood so much software Etc no my country had many more problems it has so many people below the poverty line there are many people who are who cannot even talk because they don't have confidence because they don't have education there are many women that are oppressed there are many places where the bridges are not built there are many areas where women go to toilet only in the evening because there are no toilets in the sea in the village there are no Lakes which have been rejuvenated so that many farmers can benefit there are many more problems what I imagine my Foundation taught me what my country is and for that exercise responsible you can start any if I believe in it so I never felt down in the Journey of what but I saw a lot of trouble difficulties it is a company there are many are there but most important is it is a company which dreamed that employed our assets it is not only Founders should make money even employees should be well off that's the reason our drivers everyone got a ease of shares that is one thing which I'm proud and it is not amassing wealth but distribution of wealth I remember when under and murti were there at CEO they will send letters because they will be pressurized to get so many letters for foundation they will send a letter this is what request we have received this is another decision is yours reply murti would say reply soon okay and many projects most of the projects what they have sent we have regretted the reason is not because they have sent it the reason is we felt it it will not fit in both his foundation uh principles we have rejected and I'll send a note Mr Nandan or Mr Murthy you can give personally this money but not from Foundation that kind of a openness or the Bold answer which I could do to Nandan and murti or CEO saying that look your request is appreciating is appreciable but we can't do that and that is that was the main reason in fossil Foundation flourished well made a good name and I will meet everyone actually in my work I would meet politician film stars uh prostitutes school children many many people and helped in many many areas and that was connected with Infosys and foundation and any work to be done anywhere if I'll go and tell them they would do because everyone knew that Infosys foundation and Infosys are connected for good work have good ethical values when your good ethics you will become bold when something is wrong boldness helps and which I always followed in my life it is not for the personal benefit but if something is wrong I'll Stand Up and work very hard I always worked very hard when you work hard money and success follows when you work for money and success not for your not for a personal benefit always for your personal benefit money and success runs away from you work for the company which has given you an opportunity work hard and work sincere be ethical [Music]