The Infosys saga
Infosys Technologies is one Indian company that has changed the way the world looks at India. It is an emblem of India's supremacy in information technology. But how much do you know about India's favourite company? Take the rediff biz quiz and find how much you know about this IT giant.
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1. Which was the first company that N R Narayana Murthy launched? a) Softronics b) Infosys Technologies c) Integrated Software Research Ltd
Wrong! Try again..
Wrong! The correct answer is Softronics. According to a Business Today article, Infosys wasn't N R Narayana Murthy's first entrepreneurial venture. It was actually a company named Softronics, which Murthy founded in 1976 in Pune. It was an IT consulting firm. He shut it after a while and took up a job at Patni Computer Services as the had of its software business.
Correct! According to a Business Today article, Infosys wasn't N R Narayana Murthy's first entrepreneurial venture. It was actually a company named Softronics, which Murthy founded in 1976 in Pune. It was an IT consulting firm. He shut it after a while and took up a job at Patni Computer Services as the had of its software business.
2. Which was Narayana Murthy's first job? a) Patni Computer Systems b) IIM-Ahmedabad c) SESA
Wrong! Try again..
Wrong! The correct answer is IIM Ahmedabad. Narayana Murthy was born on August 29, 1946. One of the eight children born to a physics teacher in southern India, he hailed from an average middle-class family. He studied electrical engineering and obtained a master's degree in 1969. After his studies, he worked in the computer department of the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad. His first real job overseas was in 1971 when he took up employment with SESA in Paris. He worked with a team to design a real time operating system for handling air cargo for the Charles de Gaulle airport. In 1974, at the age of 26, confident that he had gained a lot of insight into the world around him, he decided to return to India.
Correct! Narayana Murthy was born on August 29, 1946. One of the eight children born to a physics teacher in southern India, he hailed from an average middle-class family. He studied electrical engineering and obtained a master's degree in 1969. After his studies, he worked in the computer department of the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad. His first real job overseas was in 1971 when he took up employment with SESA in Paris. He worked with a team to design a real time operating system for handling air cargo for the Charles de Gaulle airport. In 1974, at the age of 26, confident that he had gained a lot of insight into the world around him, he decided to return to India.
3. What made Murthy change his beliefs from communism to capitalism? a) His arrest in Bulgaria for espionage b) The poverty he saw in India c) He never believed in communism
Wrong! Try again..
Wrong! The correct answer is his arrest in Bulgaria for 'espionage.' While travelling on a train through Bulgaria, his belief in communism received a major blow. He was arrested for talking to a passenger about capitalist ideas on the train, and was put in jail. After 2-3 days, he was released because India was considered a 'friendly' country by Bulgaria. Murthy has said that this experience shook his faith in communism, and made him determined to create an enterprise that combined the best features of capitalism and socialism.
Correct! While travelling on a train through Bulgaria, his belief in communism received a major blow. He was arrested for talking to a passenger about capitalist ideas on the train, and was put in jail. After 2-3 days, he was released because India was considered a 'friendly' country by Bulgaria. Murthy has said that this experience shook his faith in communism, and made him determined to create an enterprise that combined the best features of capitalism and socialism.
4. Who was the first founder employee of Infosys? a) Nandan Nilekani b) N R Narayana Murthy c) N S Raghavan
Wrong! Try again..
Wrong! The correct answer is N S Raghavan. Nadathur Sarangapani Raghavan, or NSR, was employee Number One at Infosys. The oldest amongst the founders, a passable singer and a great cook, NSR was the first person Narayana Murthy spoke to about founding Infosys. Infosys was born with NSR's house in Matunga as its registered office. NSR, now retired, continues to be a Trustee of the Infosys Foundation. Murthy himself was employee Number Four. Today Infosys has over 53,000 employees. Infosys was originally founded by seven people, although only six of them are now with Infosys. Ashok Arora, the seventh founder, quit Infosys in 1989 before the company went public as it was going through tough times. Arora later moved to the United States to work with a consulting firm. The six other original founders are N R Narayana Murthy, Nandan Nilekani, N S Raghavan, S Gopalakrishnan, S D Shibulal and K Dinesh. According to Business Today, Sharad Hegde was Infosys' first non-founder employee. Like Murthy and Nilekani, he too was a former Patni employee and Infosys' tech-guru in its early years. He left Infosys a few years ago and is planning to set up a golf resort near Bangalore. His wife, Anu, who left the company in the early 1990s, was an expert in quality and processes. The two met in Infosys and were Infosys' first 'office romance,' says Business Today.
Correct! Nadathur Sarangapani Raghavan, or NSR, was employee Number One at Infosys. The oldest amongst the founders, a passable singer and a great cook, NSR was the first person Narayana Murthy spoke to about founding Infosys. Infosys was born with NSR's house in Matunga as its registered office. NSR, now retired, continues to be a Trustee of the Infosys Foundation. Murthy himself was employee Number Four. Today Infosys has over 53,000 employees. Infosys was originally founded by seven people, although only six of them are now with Infosys. Ashok Arora, the seventh founder, quit Infosys in 1989 before the company went public as it was going through tough times. Arora later moved to the United States to work with a consulting firm. The six other original founders are N R Narayana Murthy, Nandan Nilekani, N S Raghavan, S Gopalakrishnan, S D Shibulal and K Dinesh. According to Business Today, Sharad Hegde was Infosys' first non-founder employee. Like Murthy and Nilekani, he too was a former Patni employee and Infosys' tech-guru in its early years. He left Infosys a few years ago and is planning to set up a golf resort near Bangalore. His wife, Anu, who left the company in the early 1990s, was an expert in quality and processes. The two met in Infosys and were Infosys' first 'office romance,' says Business Today.
5. Who was the lead manager to the Infosys IPO on the Nasdaq? a) JP Morgan Securities Inc b) Merrill Lynch & Co c) NationsBanc Montgomery Securities
Wrong! Try again..
Wrong! The correct answer is NationsBanc Montgomery Securities. NationsBanc Montgomery Securities was picked by Infosys as its lead manager for Nasdaq listing in 1999. Rumour has it that NationasBanc was the only one to actually that the Infosys services business model was sound, while others said that the company needed to have a strong products base. Infosys listed on the Indian stock markets in February 1993. It was listed at a premium of Rs 86, that is an issue price of Rs 96. It is said that the then finance minister -- and current prime minister -- Manmohan Singh facilitated the Infosys IPO. The issue was subscribed 1.06 times, and its lead managers were SBI Capital Markets and Vallabh Bhansali's Enam Financial Consultants.
Correct! NationsBanc Montgomery Securities was picked by Infosys as its lead manager for Nasdaq listing in 1999. Rumour has it that NationasBanc was the only one to actually that the Infosys services business model was sound, while others said that the company needed to have a strong products base. Infosys listed on the Indian stock markets in February 1993. It was listed at a premium of Rs 86, that is an issue price of Rs 96. It is said that the then finance minister -- and current prime minister -- Manmohan Singh facilitated the Infosys IPO. The issue was subscribed 1.06 times, and its lead managers were SBI Capital Markets and Vallabh Bhansali's Enam Financial Consultants.
