Earlier this week, the Infosys Foundation announced that Sudha Murty would be retiring on December 31, 2021, ending a 25-year-run at the foundation. Elected as Chairperson at the time of its inception in 1996, her retirement also marks the 25th anniversary of the foundation.
However, Sudha Murty has said that this is not the end of philanthropy for her, and that she will continue with the Murthy Foundation, held by the family.
“I am grateful that I have had the opportunity to walk the path of philanthropy at Infosys Foundation for the last 25 years. The Foundation opened my eyes to the true state of my country and the needs of the common man. The rewarding journey of Infosys Foundation had many supporters – my family, my team at work, the senior management, the various employees, and the beneficiaries themselves. I cherish the memories we have made, and I will continue on my own, on my journey of helping the underprivileged,” she had said in the announcement made by the Infosys Foundation about her retirement.
Under Sudha Murty’s leadership, Infosys Foundation has focused on areas such as education, healthcare, rural development, mid-day meal schemes, and more. The foundation has reportedly built over 14,000 toilets, over 60,000 libraries for the underprivileged, as well as several hospitals, schools, orphanages and rehabilitation centres
In an interview to Moneycontrol, she said she may retire from the Infosys foundation, but will not retire from philanthropy. “I will continue whether there is CSR or no CSR, with my own money,” she said.
Outlining her plans for the Murty foundation, she said that it will be on the lines of what they did at the Infosys Foundation. “In 1996, Murty was the one who made the charter for the foundation. So, he has made the same rules for the Murty foundation. We will focus on areas like healthcare, and education, the same as Infosys Foundation,” she told Moneycontrol.
She added that while they were still learning when they started the Infosys foundation, now they don’t need to experiment and can hit the ground running from day 1 at the Murty foundation.
“We may not be able to match the scale at which Infosys Foundation operates. We will do whatever is proportionately needed. I will be able to share more once I sit in that position. But we will do as much as possible,” she said.