Noted author and philanthropist Sudha Murty was thrilled to be nominated to the Rajya Sabha by the President of India on International Women’s Day.
“The nomination has come as a pleasant surprise, and I am doubly thrilled to be presented this honour on Womens’ Day,” she told The Hindu.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed her nomination on social media saying: “Her presence in the Rajya Sabha is a powerful testament to our Nari Shakti, exemplifying the strength and potential of women in shaping our nation’s destiny”.
Ms. Murty told The Hindu that the honour provided her with the highest public platform in India to serve people. “The announcement has come out of the blue. So, I am yet to chalk up my plans for my parliamentary tenure. I am in Thailand to deliver a series of lectures. Once I return home, I will see what best I can do to utilise this platform to work for the people of india,” she said.
Ms. Murty, 73, was born in Shiggaon, Haveri district of Karnataka, in 1950. A graduate in Computer Science engineering from the Indian Institute of Science (IISc.), she was the first woman engineer at Tata Engineering and Locomotive Company (TELCO), which is now Tata Motors. She’s married to N. R. Narayana Murthy, co-founder, Infosys.
She chaired the Infosys Foundation for over two decades, and through the foundation carried out several philanthropic activities. She is a renowned author and motivational speaker in both Kannada and English. Her books for children have been bestsellers. She was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 2023. Her daughter Akshata Murthy is married to U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.
