Generational Wealth: Narayana Murthy Gifts Grandson Shares Worth Rs 240 Crore

Narayana Murthy, the founder of Infosys, attracted media attention when he gave his four-month-old grandson, Ekagrah Rohan Murty, shares valued at over Rs 240 crore.

This generous act, as disclosed in a company filing, could potentially position Ekagrah as India’s youngest millionaire. The substantial gift underscores Murthy's commitment to his family's future and highlights his dedication to fostering generational wealth.

Shareholding Details:

Ekagrah now owns 1,500,000 shares, equivalent to a 0.04 percent stake, in India’s second-largest information technology services company, Infosys.

Post this acquisition, Narayana Murthy's share in Infosys reduced to 0.36 percent from 0.40 percent or over 1.51 crore shares. The transaction was conducted "off-market."

Family Shareholding:

Sudha Murty, recently sworn in as a Rajya Sabha Member of Parliament, holds a 0.83 percent stake in Infosys, valued at approximately Rs 5,600 crore at current market prices.

Sudha Murty had provided Narayana Murthy with Rs 10,000 as seed capital to establish Infosys, choosing to retain only Rs 250 from her own savings due to perceived risk stemming from his prior business endeavors.

After their son Rohan Murty and wife Aparna Krishnan received a newborn boy called Ekagrah, the third of the Murthys' grandchildren, in November, Narayana Murthy and Sudha Murty became grandparents.

Ekagrah means "unwavering focus and determination" in Sanskrit, inspired by Arjuna's "ekagrah" in the Mahabharata.

Narayana Murthy founded Infosys in 1981, listed on Nasdaq in March 1999, aiming to attract the best talent available.

When we became the first Indian business to be listed on Nasdaq, Narayana Murthy said, "I sat in front of those scorching lights on a high stool in Nasdaq."

That was his finest moment. I believe that we were doing something that no Indian firm had ever done before, in a way.