New Delhi/Bengaluru: Engineer-turned-philanthropist and author Sudha Murty was nominated to Rajya Sabha on Friday, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi lauding her contribution in diverse fields.
Murty, 73, the former chairperson of Infosys Foundation, is also renowned for her contribution to Kannada and English literature and is a recipient of the Sahitya Akademi Bal Sahitya Puraskar, Padma Shri (2006) and Padma Bhushan (2023).
Murty, who was the first woman engineer to have worked with TELCO, is famously known to have provided the seed capital of Rs 10,000 from her emergency funds to her husband N R Narayana Murthy to start Infosys, which has a market cap of over 80-billion-dollars.
President Droupadi Murmu has nominated philanthropist and author Sudha Murty to the Rajya Sabha. Lauding her contribution in diverse fields, Prime Minister Narendra Modi noted that her presence in the Upper House of the Parliament is a powerful testament to “nari shakti” (women’s power).
“I am delighted that the President of India has nominated @SmtSudhaMurty Ji to the Rajya Sabha. Sudha Ji’s contributions to diverse fields including social work, philanthropy and education have been immense and inspiring. 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. Wishing her a fruitful Parliamentary tenure,” PM Modi wrote on X.
Replying to the Prime Minister, Sudha Murty, said she was grateful for the opportunity to serve the nation.
“Thank you, Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri @narendramodi Ji. It is my privilege and honour to be nominated to the Rajya Sabha by our Hon’ble President of India Smt. Droupadi Murmu Ji @rashtrapatibhvn. I am very grateful for the opportunity to serve our nation,” she said.
The 73-year-old, whose nomination comes on the occasion of International Women’s Day, is the wife of Infosys Co-Founder N.R. Narayana Murthy. She is the chairperson of the Murty Trust and has authored several books in the past.
She was honoured with the Padma Shri in 2006 and the Padma Bhushan in 2023 by the central government.
The president of India nominates 12 members to the Rajya Sabha for their contributions in the fields of social services, arts, literature and sciences.
In recent years, several individuals from different walks of life have been nominated to the Rajya Sabha, bringing diversity in representation to the Upper House.
