From a ₹10,000 loan to a Nasdaq-listed giant

Long before Infosys became a byword for Indian IT success, its story began with a modest loan from a wife who understood exactly the risk she was taking. In 1981, when N. R. Narayana Murthy wanted to start a software company, he found himself short of capital. Infosys's own records confirm the company was incorporated that year with paid-in capital of ₹10,000 — reportedly borrowed from Sudha Murty.

Sudha recalled having ₹10,250 in savings. She kept ₹250 and handed the remaining ₹10,000 to her husband. Her caution had a sound reason: Murthy's earlier venture, Softronics, had failed within a year. She gave him three years to make the new venture work before he would need to find a proper job again. It was not blind faith, but a calculated judgement from someone who understood precisely what could go wrong.

A bond built before the name

The couple first met in Pune in the mid-1970s through a mutual friend, with books becoming one of their earliest connections. Murthy later joked that he tried to impress her with his book collection, while she appeared more interested in the books than in him. Their relationship grew when Murthy was still an idealistic young engineer with entrepreneurial ambitions, and Sudha was already establishing herself as an engineer.

Their marriage, however, was never simply the story of one person chasing a dream while the other stood quietly behind. One of the more complicated chapters of their story came after the money was given: Sudha was not included in the Infosys founding team. Murthy later explained he did not want to build the company as a family-run organisation, even while acknowledging she was highly qualified.

That decision hurt her for a couple of years. Yet time changed how she viewed it. Sudha later said she was glad she did not become part of Infosys because her work through the Infosys Foundation allowed her to touch many lives.

'When you are married, you are bound to fight'

The early Infosys years demanded sacrifice from the entire family, with Sudha describing how building a company requires support and sacrifice from the family. The gamble eventually transformed into something far larger: Infosys, started in Pune by seven engineers, later became India's first IT company listed on Nasdaq in 1999. Murthy has recalled sitting under the bright lights at Nasdaq as one of his proudest professional moments.

Perhaps the most revealing part of their story is how they speak about each other now. Sudha has spoken plainly about marriage, remarking that when you are married, you are bound to fight, adding that disagreements are part of being husband and wife.

That may be the most relatable part of their story. Their bond was not built on never arguing or always agreeing. It survived because both built independent identities while continuing to respect the person beside them. The ₹10,000 mattered, but the bigger investment was trust — even when the future was uncertain.

Disclaimer: This article is based on publicly reported accounts and statements by Sudha Murty, N. R. Narayana of Murthy and Infosys.