Sudha Murthy's Story: From a Small Town Girl to the First Female Engineer Hired at TELCO

Sudha Murthy's Story

Tuesday, 14th September 2021

She is now a Padma Shri awardee, the chairperson of the Infosys Foundation, and an active member of the Gates Foundation's public health care initiatives. Her journey from a small town in Karnataka to becoming the first female engineer hired at TELCO, on the other hand, is a storey of breaking stereotypes and combating gender inequality.

Sudha came across a recruitment advertisement by renowned company TELCO during her college days at the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore (now known as Tata motors). According to the advertisement, the company is looking for young, hardworking engineers with a strong academic record. However, there was one line written at the bottom of the pamphlet that drew Sudha's attention and broke her heart. The job posting stated unequivocally that ‘Women Candidates Are Not Required to Apply.'

Sudha, who had always ranked first in her class, couldn't ignore the blatant gender discrimination promoted by the ad. Sudha wasted no time in writing a letter of rage on a postcard addressed to none other than JRD (Jehangir Ratanji Dadabhoy) Tata, chairman of the Tata group.

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Sudha received a response from TELCO within 10 days and was invited for an interview in Pune; the company even offered to cover her travel and other expenses. Sudha's letter to the chairman condemning the discrimination proved to be a watershed moment in her life. Sudha was hired by TELCO and thus became the company's first female engineer.

Sudha, a bright and ambitious TELCO employee, was introduced to Narayana Murthy, a shy and introverted TELCO employee, by their mutual friend Prasanna (global head of Wipro). Sudha and Narayana became friends, and despite family reservations, both convinced their parents to marry them in 1978.

Narayana wanted to start a software company called 'Infosys' in 1981, but he didn't have enough money. Sudha, a strong Pillar, then encouraged Narayana to pursue his dream and gave him Rs 10,000 to start his own business. Sudha is now the backbone of the Infosys Foundation, a non-profit organisation that helps the underprivileged in society.

Contribution To Society

Sudha Murthy is well-known for her social work and promotion of Kannada and English literature. Sudha, as chairperson of the Infosys Foundation, has contributed to raising awareness about education, public hygiene, and poverty alleviation.

When the entire country was fighting the novel coronavirus, the Infosys Foundation contributed an additional 100 crore to help frontline workers and the government combat Covid 19 in India. The foundation also contributed 100 crores last year, for a total contribution of 200 crores.

Sudha Murthy's story inspires us to dream big and believe that we can accomplish even the most difficult tasks in life. She is the epitome of motivation, inspiring us to keep working hard without worrying about the outcome because success will come if your intentions and determination are on point.

The News Talkie Bureau

Source

Herzindagi