Exclusive: Rajdeep Sardesai In Conversation With N.R. Narayana Murthy & Sudha Murty

00:46:25
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0-xqfQdLVBM

Résumé

TLDRThis insightful discussion with Naran and Sudha Murti delves into their lives, highlighting their partnership in building Infosys and their values shaped by middle-class backgrounds. Naran shares his views on hard work and productivity, while Sudha reflects on balancing family life and maintaining joy in their work. The couple discusses sacrifices, the importance of gratitude, and the evolutionary journey of their careers. They also contrast the difficulties of starting a business in India during the 1970s and 1980s with the much-facilitated startup environment today, crediting reforms and supportive leaders. Their narrative serves as a source of inspiration for aspiring entrepreneurs and emphasizes the significance of personal relationships and values.

A retenir

  • 💼 Naran Murti emphasizes hard work as crucial for societal contribution.
  • ❤️ Sudha Murti values enjoying work and family life simultaneously.
  • 💡 Sacrifices made in early years paved the way for success.
  • 🌍 Middle-class origins instilled strong ethical values.
  • 🙏 Gratitude is central to their philosophy of life and work.
  • 📈 The evolution of their views on work-life balance over time.
  • 🛠️ Acknowledging past challenges showcases resilience in entrepreneurship.
  • 🏢 Comparison of bureaucratic hurdles then vs. the ease of current times.
  • 📚 The book sheds light on their human, relatable experiences.
  • 🤝 Partnership in life and work has been key to their journey.

Chronologie

  • 00:00:00 - 00:05:00

    The introduction welcomes the Mortis, highlighting their significance as pioneers of India's entrepreneurial middle class. They discuss their new book, which reflects on their early life together.

  • 00:05:00 - 00:10:00

    Naran Murti addresses recent controversy over his comments on working long hours, defending the notion of hard work and responsibility towards society, while Sudha Murti supports a balanced view of work and family life.

  • 00:10:00 - 00:15:00

    The couple reflects on how they raised their children with support from each other, acknowledging their respective contributions and the importance of quality time over quantity during their upbringing.

  • 00:15:00 - 00:20:00

    Sudha Murti describes her unwavering support for Naran during his entrepreneurial journey, emphasizing that their love and partnership allowed them to navigate challenges together without regrets about missed occasions.

  • 00:20:00 - 00:25:00

    Naran acknowledges the sacrifices Sudha made for him, expressing gratitude while highlighting personal values he learned about the importance of support and gratitude in a partnership.

  • 00:25:00 - 00:30:00

    The conversation shifts to how they balanced their relationship with familial roles, with Sudha asserting her own successes while supporting Naran's ambitions, both feeling fulfilled in their respective paths.

  • 00:30:00 - 00:35:00

    Their relationship is characterized by mutual respect and understanding, valuing their individual contributions while recognizing the importance of family and societal responsibilities.

  • 00:35:00 - 00:40:00

    Sudha shares her perspective on middle-class values that shaped their approach to life, while Naran reflects on the entrepreneurial challenges faced in the past, contrasting with the current business landscape.

  • 00:40:00 - 00:46:25

    The dialogue concludes with a humorous episode of their relationship, illustrating enduring love and commitment to humility and social responsibility, embodying their belief that hard work and honesty are central to their success.

Afficher plus

Carte mentale

Vidéo Q&R

  • What is Naran Murti's stance on work hours?

    Naran Murti believes in working hard and being productive, advocating for a commitment to contribute to society.

  • How does Sudha Murti view work-life balance?

    Sudha Murti emphasizes enjoying work and finding joy in both professional and family life.

  • What sacrifices did Sudha Murti make for Naran Murti's career?

    Sudha supported Naran's entrepreneurial journey by providing financial assistance and prioritizing family.

  • What are the core values of the Murti couple?

    Honesty, hard work, discipline, and a commitment to family are central to their values.

  • How did they cope with challenges in the early years?

    They approached hardships with a resilient mindset, focusing on gratitude and making the best of situations.

  • What themes are explored in their story?

    Middle-class origins, values, entrepreneurship challenges, and the power of partnership are key themes.

  • What impact did Indian socio-economic changes have on them?

    Liberalization helped ease business operations compared to the bureaucratic challenges of the past.

  • What role does gratitude play in their lives?

    Both Naran and Sudha highlight the importance of being grateful for support and opportunities throughout their journey.

  • What does Sudha think about their children's perception of their parenting?

    Sudha believes the quality of time spent is more important than quantity in parenting.

  • How have their views on work and success evolved over time?

    With experience, they've learned that achieving balance and fulfillment in life must accompany hard work.

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Sous-titres
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Défilement automatique:
  • 00:00:00
    hello and welcome to an India Today
  • 00:00:02
    special with a couple that I would like
  • 00:00:04
    to describe as the first couple of
  • 00:00:08
    India's great middle class
  • 00:00:12
    entrepreneurial startup dream delighted
  • 00:00:15
    to be joined today by the iconic Naran
  • 00:00:19
    morti and some would say his better half
  • 00:00:23
    sudha morti appreciate both of you
  • 00:00:25
    joining us the occasion is also special
  • 00:00:28
    an uncommon love the early life of sudha
  • 00:00:31
    and Naran morti is a new book that has
  • 00:00:33
    been brought out by juggernaut with
  • 00:00:36
    chitra banerji DEA karuni the author
  • 00:00:39
    also joining us from America appreciate
  • 00:00:43
    all of you joining us on uh the show
  • 00:00:45
    thank you very much namaskar it's always
  • 00:00:47
    a pleasure Raj you know I want to start
  • 00:00:52
    before I delve into the book with a
  • 00:00:55
    controversy that has erupted over Mr
  • 00:00:59
    morti your comments uh recently that
  • 00:01:02
    Indians should work 70h hour weeks that
  • 00:01:05
    stirred a controversy and as the book
  • 00:01:08
    also reveals there's a parallel theme
  • 00:01:09
    that you definitely work more than 70
  • 00:01:11
    hours a week when you are building uh
  • 00:01:14
    infosis and more are you sticking by the
  • 00:01:17
    comments given the backlash that you've
  • 00:01:19
    received people saying does Mr morti
  • 00:01:21
    understand that today's India wants a
  • 00:01:23
    work life
  • 00:01:25
    balance
  • 00:01:27
    well I used to work 85 to 90 hours a
  • 00:01:33
    week definitely till I
  • 00:01:37
    retired number
  • 00:01:40
    two
  • 00:01:42
    I received
  • 00:01:44
    scholarship right from my pre University
  • 00:01:47
    in
  • 00:01:49
    1961 number two all my friends who went
  • 00:01:52
    to engineering College
  • 00:01:55
    they received lot of help from the
  • 00:01:58
    government in terms of their fee
  • 00:02:00
    being a highly discounted
  • 00:02:03
    figure therefore my view has always been
  • 00:02:07
    that those of us in India who have
  • 00:02:10
    received so much benefit from the
  • 00:02:12
    country from the
  • 00:02:14
    taxpayer have an enormous
  • 00:02:17
    responsibility to work very very hard to
  • 00:02:23
    bring
  • 00:02:24
    a chance for the betterment of life of
  • 00:02:28
    the poorer sections of the society
  • 00:02:31
    therefore I don't regret it you're
  • 00:02:33
    sticking by your comments absolutely 70
  • 00:02:35
    hour weeks should be there to give as a
  • 00:02:37
    way to give back to society no Raj I
  • 00:02:40
    don't think 70 is important all that it
  • 00:02:44
    means is you have to be very productive
  • 00:02:46
    you have to work very hard like the
  • 00:02:48
    Germans did after the World War I like
  • 00:02:51
    the Japanese did and we owe it to the
  • 00:02:55
    poor people in our society to work hard
  • 00:03:00
    and make the quality of their life a
  • 00:03:03
    little bit better you share his view of
  • 00:03:06
    70-hour week you agree that you know you
  • 00:03:09
    have to be there all the time in a way
  • 00:03:11
    in the office grinding away no not that
  • 00:03:14
    way because at least for both of us work
  • 00:03:18
    was always a joy so it was not grinding
  • 00:03:21
    or anything I even I work more than 70
  • 00:03:23
    hours at this age because it is like
  • 00:03:26
    work is different oh you can't share
  • 00:03:30
    family life it is not true we can still
  • 00:03:32
    do that along with the work like you
  • 00:03:34
    come home you know I'm in the kitchen
  • 00:03:36
    he'll come and help is it not spending
  • 00:03:38
    time together so my definition is you
  • 00:03:41
    should enjoy your work you should be
  • 00:03:43
    passionate about your work the work is
  • 00:03:46
    holiday then you know because today's
  • 00:03:47
    generation says we need a work life
  • 00:03:49
    balance what about our mental health if
  • 00:03:51
    we spend so much time working when will
  • 00:03:54
    we genuinely enjoy life what is enjoying
  • 00:03:57
    life I always enjoyed working my work as
  • 00:04:00
    well as working with him and working
  • 00:04:02
    together in the house you know Raj
  • 00:04:04
    before interject here yes I think it was
  • 00:04:07
    98 or 99 I don't remember that was a
  • 00:04:11
    year when
  • 00:04:12
    uh uh I was voted the best SE of the
  • 00:04:17
    Year by the economic Times 98 I think 98
  • 00:04:21
    probably at that there was a panel
  • 00:04:23
    discussion
  • 00:04:25
    where uh my friend Shri Ki KT uh
  • 00:04:30
    uh was
  • 00:04:32
    participating and one of the people the
  • 00:04:35
    the the uh the interviewer asked him
  • 00:04:39
    what is your uh view on work life
  • 00:04:42
    balance he made a very important
  • 00:04:44
    statement that has stood as The Guiding
  • 00:04:47
    Light for me he said look we in India
  • 00:04:50
    must first get a
  • 00:04:52
    life and then talk of work life balance
  • 00:04:56
    I think it was a fantastic statement by
  • 00:04:59
    Shri Comm I am very inded to him for
  • 00:05:04
    making this whole philosophy very clear
  • 00:05:08
    in that short sentence you know because
  • 00:05:11
    there is a parallel to this in the book
  • 00:05:13
    and we're coming to the book in a moment
  • 00:05:14
    because in the book it is revealed that
  • 00:05:18
    you were seen by your children
  • 00:05:19
    particularly your daughter akata as a
  • 00:05:22
    bonus dad that you often missed special
  • 00:05:25
    occasions while they were growing up
  • 00:05:26
    because you weren't at home most of the
  • 00:05:28
    time that your first and second love
  • 00:05:31
    according to a colleague was infosis the
  • 00:05:33
    children was somewhere there but first
  • 00:05:35
    and second love was infosis so you don't
  • 00:05:38
    have any regrets they were growing up
  • 00:05:40
    and Mr morti was uh busy building his
  • 00:05:43
    company I was there you were there then
  • 00:05:46
    and my parents stayed downstairs I
  • 00:05:48
    stayed upstairs so it is not like you
  • 00:05:50
    know morti should be there always he
  • 00:05:52
    whenever he has time he'll take them out
  • 00:05:54
    he'll spend time with them and you know
  • 00:05:57
    when it a home time it was a M's time
  • 00:06:00
    always it's his time you always call him
  • 00:06:02
    morti yeah ever even now from the first
  • 00:06:05
    day that you met him he was 1974 on okay
  • 00:06:09
    October 4th or fifth I met him fourth
  • 00:06:11
    fifth I think it's actually 50 years
  • 00:06:13
    therefore since you first met each other
  • 00:06:15
    in 1974 but so you don't think that it's
  • 00:06:18
    a you know fathers not spending their
  • 00:06:20
    birthdays or special occasions with
  • 00:06:23
    their children uh should matter I will
  • 00:06:26
    tell you morti comes from a family
  • 00:06:30
    and background where we did not have any
  • 00:06:33
    connection political connection money or
  • 00:06:36
    anything we are Ordinary People and it
  • 00:06:39
    is not like a cindella you touch
  • 00:06:41
    something you have a castle you become a
  • 00:06:43
    princess how a person like morti coming
  • 00:06:46
    from a normal background build a great
  • 00:06:49
    company like infosis in 30 40 years it
  • 00:06:52
    sheer hard work of course grace of God
  • 00:06:56
    good colleagues
  • 00:06:58
    teamwork tell me how he can do so when
  • 00:07:02
    husband is doing a great work like this
  • 00:07:04
    wife should stand and say look your APPA
  • 00:07:06
    is working very hard for a reason your
  • 00:07:09
    birthday is there my father was there my
  • 00:07:12
    sister was there my mother was there so
  • 00:07:15
    I never told them no no it's very
  • 00:07:17
    important your father should come I said
  • 00:07:19
    we will celebrate at home but APPA care
  • 00:07:22
    for you APPA cares for you when he comes
  • 00:07:25
    home he spends entire time with you so I
  • 00:07:28
    support morti looking more serious when
  • 00:07:30
    I asked that bonus dad your daughter say
  • 00:07:32
    you are a bonus dad you regreted all
  • 00:07:34
    these years later maybe I should have
  • 00:07:36
    been there when the cake was being cut
  • 00:07:38
    at home when there was a special
  • 00:07:39
    occasion parents Teachers Association
  • 00:07:41
    meeting suda G going there you're not
  • 00:07:43
    available okay no not really not really
  • 00:07:46
    it's okay
  • 00:07:48
    because I always believed that quality
  • 00:07:52
    is more important than quantity you know
  • 00:07:55
    I used to leave for office at 6:
  • 00:07:58
    a.m.
  • 00:08:00
    and I would
  • 00:08:01
    return by about
  • 00:08:03
    9:15 I would leave the office at 8:30 M
  • 00:08:07
    would leave 5 minutes after I
  • 00:08:10
    left
  • 00:08:12
    and as soon as I reached home children
  • 00:08:15
    would be at the gate so that children
  • 00:08:18
    they would get into the car then my
  • 00:08:20
    father-in-law would get into the car and
  • 00:08:22
    we would go to maast or whatever the
  • 00:08:25
    food they like either pizza or some uh
  • 00:08:29
    Punjabi dishes whatever it is and we
  • 00:08:32
    used to have lots of fun during that
  • 00:08:34
    time those hour and a half two hours was
  • 00:08:39
    most relaxing for the children that's
  • 00:08:42
    one the second principle that I have
  • 00:08:44
    always followed I have told everybody
  • 00:08:47
    including my sisters is this
  • 00:08:52
    look you don't need me when everything
  • 00:08:55
    is going well however if there is any
  • 00:09:00
    time that you have a difficulty I will
  • 00:09:03
    always be there for you I will make sure
  • 00:09:06
    that you come out of that difficulty if
  • 00:09:09
    you're not well I will be there to take
  • 00:09:12
    you to the hospital all of that in other
  • 00:09:15
    words it is not the quantity that is
  • 00:09:18
    important it is the quality I take your
  • 00:09:20
    point but as I see in the book it was
  • 00:09:23
    sudaji who was really nurturing and
  • 00:09:26
    ensuring that akata and Rohan through
  • 00:09:29
    their difficult times children ill uh
  • 00:09:32
    through all those tough times she was
  • 00:09:34
    there morti was in America or some part
  • 00:09:37
    of the World building his his business
  • 00:09:40
    not everyone is as driven as him
  • 00:09:42
    possibly to work those groing hours 6:00
  • 00:09:44
    a.m. to 9:15 Raj your father was a
  • 00:09:46
    cricketer so you know that when you have
  • 00:09:49
    a good partner then only you can get a
  • 00:09:52
    century yeah he was traveling he
  • 00:09:54
    traveled so you're saying that you were
  • 00:09:56
    the good partner who we together
  • 00:09:59
    we together we partnership so morti will
  • 00:10:02
    do business job he will work hard and I
  • 00:10:05
    will take care of the house I will also
  • 00:10:07
    teach them I'm a teacher and morti will
  • 00:10:10
    spend good time with them with the good
  • 00:10:12
    partnership it you didn't see yourself
  • 00:10:14
    as the house wife and he was the one you
  • 00:10:16
    know who had to go and earn the earn the
  • 00:10:20
    family a living no she was more
  • 00:10:22
    qualified than I she was more qualified
  • 00:10:24
    than and I see in the book she made the
  • 00:10:26
    greater sacrifices and we'll come to
  • 00:10:28
    that in a moment yeah no it's okay I
  • 00:10:30
    used to do part-time job as a lecturer
  • 00:10:32
    in a college 9 to 12 okay I never felt
  • 00:10:35
    it because raising a family requires
  • 00:10:37
    many things okay priority is family so I
  • 00:10:42
    kept priori family children and for that
  • 00:10:45
    I will walk any distance any number of
  • 00:10:47
    miles so it was a good partnership that
  • 00:10:50
    I will do some work AA compliment makes
  • 00:10:52
    a universal set mathematically I can
  • 00:10:54
    tell I did something he did something
  • 00:10:57
    together we did something good
  • 00:10:59
    no but Raj it is very important for all
  • 00:11:02
    of us to
  • 00:11:03
    remember
  • 00:11:06
    that our Heroes all for you for me S
  • 00:11:10
    everybody here or people like Mahatma
  • 00:11:13
    Gandhi gopal Krishna molana aad I mean
  • 00:11:18
    these
  • 00:11:20
    people sacrifice so
  • 00:11:23
    much that whatever little we do is puny
  • 00:11:31
    so we should not
  • 00:11:32
    even make this a big deal they you know
  • 00:11:36
    MMA Gandhi was hardly at home he didn't
  • 00:11:39
    bring up his children I think because of
  • 00:11:43
    that we have an independent India gopal
  • 00:11:46
    Krishna go did you know maana did you
  • 00:11:50
    know goal rajal AAR did you know Wai
  • 00:11:54
    Patel did jaal Neu did you know I mean
  • 00:11:59
    it's it's extraordinary what they did I
  • 00:12:02
    don't know probably you know better than
  • 00:12:04
    I do I believe once uh M Neu was
  • 00:12:09
    sleeping on on
  • 00:12:13
    a w not wooden Stone bench in his uh
  • 00:12:19
    huge uh I know in the garden of the huge
  • 00:12:23
    house and Ja went and asked why are you
  • 00:12:26
    doing it he says I'm getting used to the
  • 00:12:28
    the prison I want to get used to the
  • 00:12:31
    prison so I think whatever we are doing
  • 00:12:34
    is all puny it is meaningless it is
  • 00:12:39
    nothing therefore for me these are the
  • 00:12:45
    extraordinary
  • 00:12:47
    Heroes if I can do one millionth of what
  • 00:12:51
    they did I
  • 00:12:53
    think our family would be happy I would
  • 00:12:56
    be happy let's come to the book and the
  • 00:12:59
    joy of your early years and I want to
  • 00:13:01
    come to you chitra first because you put
  • 00:13:03
    this together and got to rather
  • 00:13:06
    otherwise private reticent people to
  • 00:13:09
    speak about a lot about their romance
  • 00:13:14
    coming together and their lives uh over
  • 00:13:17
    the years what was it like for someone
  • 00:13:20
    like you a fiction writer to write a
  • 00:13:22
    biography of sorts of suda and Naran
  • 00:13:26
    morti it was really a movement in a
  • 00:13:30
    whole different direction it was a great
  • 00:13:33
    challenge but I thought that this book
  • 00:13:35
    was very important to write because I
  • 00:13:40
    felt that this book if we really see
  • 00:13:43
    into the lives of sudha gii and Muti G
  • 00:13:47
    will inspire people but not because they
  • 00:13:51
    are great Heroes up here that we cannot
  • 00:13:54
    relate to but because they are so human
  • 00:13:58
    and they went through many of these
  • 00:14:00
    problems that they were very kind to
  • 00:14:03
    share with me they were so honest they
  • 00:14:05
    didn't just show me that oh you know it
  • 00:14:09
    was always hard work it was always
  • 00:14:11
    ideals it was always doing everything
  • 00:14:15
    just right they shared with me the
  • 00:14:17
    moments of frustration the moments of
  • 00:14:20
    pain things from their childhood yes
  • 00:14:23
    inspiring but also very very difficult
  • 00:14:27
    and I think as people read the story of
  • 00:14:30
    these two in some ways very human very
  • 00:14:34
    ordinary people that is more aspiring
  • 00:14:38
    that is more inspiring because we can
  • 00:14:41
    aspire to do the things that they have
  • 00:14:44
    done and I I feel very happy that they
  • 00:14:47
    were you know willing to share they were
  • 00:14:49
    willing to make themselves vulnerable
  • 00:14:52
    for the sake of this book let's come
  • 00:14:54
    therefore to those exciting Journeys
  • 00:14:56
    that you've shared the frustrations the
  • 00:14:59
    vulnerabilities as I read the book sudha
  • 00:15:02
    G comes across particularly in the early
  • 00:15:04
    years and possibly even today as the
  • 00:15:06
    cheerful pragmatist always smiling
  • 00:15:09
    always positive and Muti uh comes across
  • 00:15:13
    in the book as dare I say in the early
  • 00:15:16
    years as an unemployed communist not my
  • 00:15:18
    words words of suda's Father uh a kind
  • 00:15:22
    of dreamy idealist is that a fair
  • 00:15:24
    categorization you in the early years
  • 00:15:26
    you were the unemployed communist with
  • 00:15:28
    these ideals and she was the cheerful
  • 00:15:30
    pragmatist holding it all together uh
  • 00:15:33
    yes uh that depic laughing now that
  • 00:15:36
    depiction by chitra is absolutely
  • 00:15:41
    correct uh I grew up as a socialist
  • 00:15:47
    influenced by javal Neu and my
  • 00:15:52
    father uh it when I went to France I
  • 00:15:56
    realized that that model just would not
  • 00:16:00
    work for
  • 00:16:01
    India and I gradually converted myself
  • 00:16:05
    to a compassionate cattle capitalist but
  • 00:16:07
    that took a little bit of time therefore
  • 00:16:09
    by and large as is depicted in the book
  • 00:16:13
    I was a strong
  • 00:16:16
    leftist sometimes uh borrowing the ideas
  • 00:16:21
    of socialist and sometimes borrowing the
  • 00:16:23
    ideas of communist and even today I am a
  • 00:16:28
    capitalist in mind but a socialist at
  • 00:16:32
    heart you know he is the serious one in
  • 00:16:36
    this partnership am I correct you're
  • 00:16:38
    you're the shrihan to his
  • 00:16:41
    gasa you're the more eul if there was an
  • 00:16:44
    opening partnership you're the one ready
  • 00:16:46
    to to take more risks in a strange way
  • 00:16:48
    than even he would uh is that how you
  • 00:16:51
    saw him uh as
  • 00:16:53
    uh you were always the ever smiling suda
  • 00:16:57
    G right M well uh in initial days you
  • 00:17:02
    know uh when the question of marriage
  • 00:17:06
    came I always tell my father I want to
  • 00:17:07
    marry a man who reads a lot a
  • 00:17:10
    lot it's not money he may be in a
  • 00:17:13
    smaller job it doesn't matter but the
  • 00:17:15
    person should read a lot and though
  • 00:17:17
    morti was unemployed but he used to read
  • 00:17:19
    a lot and also borrow money from me and
  • 00:17:23
    buy books and read a lot that's right so
  • 00:17:25
    books brought you together yeah always
  • 00:17:27
    and when when a close friend of yours
  • 00:17:29
    told you about a friend who had all
  • 00:17:31
    these books yeah who turned out to be
  • 00:17:33
    morti uh apparently you thought he might
  • 00:17:36
    look like Rajesh K yeah right early has
  • 00:17:39
    gone to Paris who is hitchhiked and who
  • 00:17:41
    can speak French you know in 1974 time
  • 00:17:44
    it was a great thing today it is not
  • 00:17:45
    great I said let me I going to meet
  • 00:17:47
    someone here comes a school boy or
  • 00:17:49
    college boy I said is it morti he said
  • 00:17:53
    yeah was he Rajesh kanana or
  • 00:17:56
    not no why do you want to insult
  • 00:17:58
    raaj he was a young man with lot of
  • 00:18:01
    Brilliance he was a young man with a lot
  • 00:18:03
    of Brilliance and reading reading is the
  • 00:18:06
    name in a way you therefore were his
  • 00:18:08
    Muse I think she was your Muse right she
  • 00:18:11
    inspired you uh right through but as I
  • 00:18:14
    see in the book sud you give Naran morti
  • 00:18:17
    or miti 10,000 rupees from your savings
  • 00:18:20
    to set him off on his entrepreneurial
  • 00:18:22
    Journey you then even offer a bank to
  • 00:18:24
    pawn your jewelry uh for a bank loan uh
  • 00:18:28
    you stay away from your little daughter
  • 00:18:30
    for a while uh keep her with your mother
  • 00:18:33
    and sister and Hui because you need to
  • 00:18:35
    support him in his uh in his business
  • 00:18:38
    what was it was it love was it
  • 00:18:41
    conviction that your husband was going
  • 00:18:43
    to achieve something seemingly
  • 00:18:44
    impossible or is it just the kind of
  • 00:18:46
    person you are that made you be ready
  • 00:18:51
    for all these sacrifices uh mainly love
  • 00:18:54
    love for my husband whether he'll make
  • 00:18:56
    it money or not never ever I never ever
  • 00:18:59
    thought many times I told m in case it
  • 00:19:01
    fails why you should worry I have a
  • 00:19:04
    degree you have a degree we can always
  • 00:19:06
    go back to salar job okay then I have a
  • 00:19:10
    two-bedroom apartment in Pune which was
  • 00:19:12
    like a m to me know two bedroom
  • 00:19:14
    apartment in Pune Model Colony why do
  • 00:19:17
    you worry just don't worry we can lead a
  • 00:19:20
    normal life I mean how we have let we'll
  • 00:19:23
    continue it partially because of my
  • 00:19:26
    nature also because I feel in
  • 00:19:29
    life it is in life it is not 2+ 2 is
  • 00:19:31
    four you know it is 2+ 2 maybe three it
  • 00:19:35
    may be five don't worry whatever you get
  • 00:19:38
    enjoy do that life well at that moment
  • 00:19:42
    like I enjoyed being a teacher in a
  • 00:19:44
    college I enjoyed being a mother at home
  • 00:19:47
    I now I'm enjoying as a grandmother
  • 00:19:50
    whatever situation you get do your level
  • 00:19:53
    best and enjoy that is my motto in life
  • 00:19:56
    but here is an engineering topper no who
  • 00:19:58
    is with Telco in a good job eventually
  • 00:20:02
    gives up her job because you need to
  • 00:20:05
    support him at at various stages in his
  • 00:20:08
    journey I mean this level of sacrifice
  • 00:20:11
    is truly uncommon uh you know you have
  • 00:20:14
    10,200 in your bank account you give
  • 00:20:17
    10,000 uh out of your savings to him to
  • 00:20:19
    set up his business I mean this doesn't
  • 00:20:21
    happen all the
  • 00:20:22
    time um there are two things when I got
  • 00:20:25
    married my mother told me sudha you
  • 00:20:27
    should keep keep some money without your
  • 00:20:30
    husband's knowledge in a safe place
  • 00:20:33
    because you never know how difficult is
  • 00:20:36
    come in life my father was a salaried
  • 00:20:38
    man so she must have done that one so I
  • 00:20:41
    used to take out money and I'll keep it
  • 00:20:42
    in a old team that kind of a d where
  • 00:20:45
    nobody can suspect okay put rice on that
  • 00:20:48
    or something that kind but this money
  • 00:20:50
    should not be used for buying s or gold
  • 00:20:54
    by any of the pleasures it is only
  • 00:20:56
    emergency money so when morti said I
  • 00:20:59
    want to start a company initially I said
  • 00:21:01
    why we have a good job everything is
  • 00:21:03
    there then he explained to me the
  • 00:21:05
    importance of software Revolution and he
  • 00:21:09
    knows that I'm very fond of History so
  • 00:21:12
    he told when there was Industrial
  • 00:21:14
    Revolution in India we we were in the
  • 00:21:17
    British colony so we could not become
  • 00:21:19
    legally ethically Rich second revolution
  • 00:21:22
    is going to come now that is known as
  • 00:21:24
    software Revolution if we work hard we
  • 00:21:28
    can legally ethically do very well but I
  • 00:21:32
    want your support and it then I thought
  • 00:21:36
    my husband is dreaming something and let
  • 00:21:38
    us help him let me help him at the most
  • 00:21:41
    I may lose 10,000 rupees but dream it is
  • 00:21:44
    better to it is better to try and fail
  • 00:21:48
    not than not trying it at all all these
  • 00:21:52
    years later Mr MTI do you think about
  • 00:21:54
    the sacrifices that sud made what is she
  • 00:21:57
    says it's out of love it's out of love
  • 00:22:00
    and the Brilliance of the Rajesh K that
  • 00:22:03
    she was going to see who was flooded
  • 00:22:06
    with books in his library but all these
  • 00:22:08
    years later does it give you a sense of
  • 00:22:11
    uh do you feel like giving back to sud
  • 00:22:14
    in some way I think he has given much
  • 00:22:16
    more than 10,000 he's given you of
  • 00:22:18
    course much more than 10,000 yes I think
  • 00:22:20
    it's very important for me to State
  • 00:22:23
    something my mother taught me when we
  • 00:22:26
    were children
  • 00:22:29
    that the first attribute of a civilized
  • 00:22:34
    person is
  • 00:22:37
    gratitude therefore I am extremely
  • 00:22:41
    grateful to her I have demonstrated my
  • 00:22:45
    gratitude in different ways almost every
  • 00:22:49
    week sometimes in words sometimes in
  • 00:22:53
    actions sometimes in
  • 00:22:55
    gestures but I do remain very grateful
  • 00:22:59
    because gratitude is extremely important
  • 00:23:03
    unfortunately that is lacking in
  • 00:23:07
    [Music]
  • 00:23:08
    most Urban people loving Rajesh Kanna is
  • 00:23:13
    is you you sing songs to her
  • 00:23:16
    occasionally no those days I did but he
  • 00:23:19
    a very good voice you have a favorite he
  • 00:23:21
    he had a favorite song which he would CR
  • 00:23:23
    to you you remember any song no I think
  • 00:23:27
    those songs have been a song
  • 00:23:31
    [Music]
  • 00:23:32
    Somewhere song Canada song No but I
  • 00:23:36
    think uh the songs moved from uh decade
  • 00:23:41
    to decade they change from decade to
  • 00:23:44
    decade as we became older and wiser
  • 00:23:47
    different songs
  • 00:23:50
    but those days know first of all before
  • 00:23:54
    founding
  • 00:23:55
    infas I was a Carefree
  • 00:23:58
    person I used to laugh a
  • 00:24:01
    lot I used to goof up a lot I used
  • 00:24:08
    to uh be be totally
  • 00:24:11
    Carefree but I think as I took on the
  • 00:24:15
    task of
  • 00:24:16
    emphasis I remember that I had already
  • 00:24:19
    failed once in
  • 00:24:21
    softronics and I was I had reached the
  • 00:24:26
    age of 35 and I said this is when I have
  • 00:24:30
    to work very hard this is when I have to
  • 00:24:32
    become very serious and I discussed this
  • 00:24:35
    issue with her she agreed that I have to
  • 00:24:39
    work very hard she would cooperate fully
  • 00:24:41
    she would make all the required
  • 00:24:44
    sacrifices so I think as our outlook on
  • 00:24:49
    life changed our objectives changed our
  • 00:24:52
    targets
  • 00:24:53
    change uh we we had different songs to
  • 00:24:58
    cheer
  • 00:24:59
    ourselves different movies to see
  • 00:25:03
    different friends to have Etc it's
  • 00:25:06
    normal she was a terrific movie buff by
  • 00:25:09
    the way in the book we learned that
  • 00:25:11
    sudaji once took a bet that she would
  • 00:25:13
    watch a movie a day for 365 days in Pune
  • 00:25:17
    in the 1970s and almost won the bet
  • 00:25:20
    probably won the BET by watching films
  • 00:25:22
    uh across various languages but chitra
  • 00:25:25
    there's a line in the book uh a
  • 00:25:27
    statement made by sudha G uh which he
  • 00:25:30
    says to morti in those years I want you
  • 00:25:33
    to be like the trapes artist in a circus
  • 00:25:36
    and take a spectacular leap of faith I'm
  • 00:25:39
    willing to be your safety net is this
  • 00:25:42
    something that struck you about this
  • 00:25:45
    relationship this partnership as they
  • 00:25:47
    are calling it today it is truly
  • 00:25:50
    uncommon yes and I loved that statement
  • 00:25:54
    and that's why you know when sudaji told
  • 00:25:56
    me that I'm like that is certainly going
  • 00:25:58
    in the book because I think what makes
  • 00:26:01
    their relationship particularly
  • 00:26:03
    wonderful is that there was equality but
  • 00:26:08
    not sameness each partner was different
  • 00:26:12
    they decided which part of this
  • 00:26:15
    relationship would they take on so one
  • 00:26:18
    is going to be the chapiz artist and the
  • 00:26:21
    other is going to be the safety net and
  • 00:26:23
    maybe at a a different time in their
  • 00:26:26
    life it it will change
  • 00:26:28
    and you know you were talking about how
  • 00:26:32
    uh Muti G and sudha G miti G decided
  • 00:26:35
    that um sudaji could not be in infosis
  • 00:26:39
    everybody knows that story and sudaji
  • 00:26:41
    was she shared with me she was very
  • 00:26:43
    upset for several days but what I put in
  • 00:26:47
    the book and this shows the partnership
  • 00:26:49
    is that Muti G came back to SAI when he
  • 00:26:52
    realized how upset she was and he said
  • 00:26:55
    you are the smart one if you want you
  • 00:26:58
    can take over infosis and Muti G I
  • 00:27:01
    learned this from talking to him many
  • 00:27:03
    times he doesn't say things if he
  • 00:27:05
    doesn't mean them if he says it he means
  • 00:27:08
    it he said you take infosis I'll take
  • 00:27:11
    care of the children and sudha G thought
  • 00:27:13
    about it for quite a while and she said
  • 00:27:16
    to herself she's told this to me I can
  • 00:27:19
    handle infosis just fine but can he take
  • 00:27:22
    care of the children as well as I can
  • 00:27:25
    and that answer didn't come out I said
  • 00:27:28
    yes and so the path let's push that you
  • 00:27:32
    know it's an interesting story the fact
  • 00:27:35
    was that you tell your wife that if you
  • 00:27:40
    want first you say you cannot join
  • 00:27:42
    infosis I don't want it to be a husband
  • 00:27:45
    wife partnership and you go on to say I
  • 00:27:48
    am happy to take care of the children
  • 00:27:50
    you can take over infosis but both of us
  • 00:27:52
    will not be in empasis together I mean
  • 00:27:54
    this is very unusual because this is a
  • 00:27:56
    partnership surely you wanted her also
  • 00:27:58
    to be part of the infosis
  • 00:28:01
    story well you know
  • 00:28:03
    Raj as I just know pointed
  • 00:28:07
    out your were views
  • 00:28:11
    change from time to time you
  • 00:28:16
    evolve at that point of time based on my
  • 00:28:20
    own mind set based
  • 00:28:24
    on uh what I had seen in in corporate
  • 00:28:28
    India around me my view was that husband
  • 00:28:33
    and wife coming
  • 00:28:35
    together may not be the best way to
  • 00:28:40
    create a a a highly professional team
  • 00:28:45
    you didn't want it to be a family firm
  • 00:28:47
    that's above all else exactly put it you
  • 00:28:49
    put it better but as you grow older as
  • 00:28:53
    you see a lot of lot of new as you get
  • 00:28:57
    lot of of new
  • 00:28:58
    experiences as you become
  • 00:29:01
    wiser you
  • 00:29:03
    realize which I realized today that the
  • 00:29:06
    most important thing is not family
  • 00:29:09
    relationships most important thing is
  • 00:29:13
    whether you will actually follow every
  • 00:29:17
    rule of good
  • 00:29:19
    governance and that is not
  • 00:29:22
    restricted following every rule of
  • 00:29:24
    governance is not restricted to
  • 00:29:26
    professional
  • 00:29:27
    it is it is uh prevalent amongst family
  • 00:29:31
    firms it is prevalent amongst brothers
  • 00:29:33
    and sisters as long as they have been
  • 00:29:36
    brought up with a value proper value
  • 00:29:38
    system by their parents by their early
  • 00:29:41
    teachers and all of that so I have now
  • 00:29:46
    you know it's a different set of view it
  • 00:29:48
    is all based on my own experiences my
  • 00:29:51
    what I have observed in the world around
  • 00:29:53
    me all of that so there is nothing that
  • 00:29:56
    we should pay too much importance to it
  • 00:30:00
    as long as my Basic Value which is
  • 00:30:04
    honesty decency courtesy you know
  • 00:30:07
    transparency accountability and fairness
  • 00:30:10
    etc etc they are not compromised so if
  • 00:30:13
    we were to turn the clock back and sudha
  • 00:30:15
    G was to come back to you when you were
  • 00:30:17
    setting up infosis and say I want to be
  • 00:30:19
    part of this Venture we are a
  • 00:30:20
    partnership we are going to work
  • 00:30:21
    together we've always done it together
  • 00:30:23
    you would say welcome to the club you
  • 00:30:25
    might all these years later today today
  • 00:30:28
    based on my having
  • 00:30:32
    observed the so-called
  • 00:30:34
    professionals and the family
  • 00:30:38
    firms I personally believe
  • 00:30:42
    that other
  • 00:30:44
    than
  • 00:30:46
    multinationals there is not that much to
  • 00:30:49
    distinguish between the two he's almost
  • 00:30:51
    making an offer that he didn't make to
  • 00:30:53
    you all those years ago you were very
  • 00:30:56
    angry you were a upset that suddenly
  • 00:30:58
    this partnership was being broken when
  • 00:31:00
    he decided you you don't have space in
  • 00:31:03
    infosis even though as I reiterate you
  • 00:31:05
    were an engineering topper and therefore
  • 00:31:08
    were eminently qualified in a way to be
  • 00:31:11
    part of his dream uh do you in some ways
  • 00:31:16
    regret not being part of that part of
  • 00:31:18
    his life Inside by actually being part
  • 00:31:22
    of the infosis founding
  • 00:31:25
    team initially maybe initially I felt it
  • 00:31:30
    like I'm not part of the technical team
  • 00:31:33
    because I'm a technical
  • 00:31:35
    person but over a period of time I
  • 00:31:40
    realized that not
  • 00:31:42
    necessary
  • 00:31:44
    uh if I would have been at infosis I
  • 00:31:46
    would have retired as a director of
  • 00:31:48
    technical some head of that and
  • 00:31:52
    all I feel God closed one window but
  • 00:31:56
    open many doors to be I developed many
  • 00:32:00
    things not like I took up writing at a
  • 00:32:03
    serious
  • 00:32:05
    profession more than that you know I
  • 00:32:07
    joined infosis foundation and I could
  • 00:32:10
    make the changes to so many people lives
  • 00:32:14
    and particularly I told you that I was
  • 00:32:16
    working with the sex workers it was so
  • 00:32:19
    difficult job I did I realize that life
  • 00:32:23
    what you think is the best may not be
  • 00:32:25
    the best what you get the best and do
  • 00:32:28
    the best in that because you know you
  • 00:32:31
    probably children know more about sudha
  • 00:32:33
    morti than they know about Naran morti
  • 00:32:35
    because you're this bestselling author
  • 00:32:36
    of books for children and uh the tables
  • 00:32:41
    have turned morti she she's today uh
  • 00:32:45
    just as big an iconic figure as you are
  • 00:32:48
    no in some way bigger I tell you is no
  • 00:32:51
    in some way bigger I'll tell you why I
  • 00:32:54
    see a glass half
  • 00:32:57
    empty but she sees a glass half full
  • 00:33:00
    she's always very
  • 00:33:02
    positive whatever she takes up whatever
  • 00:33:06
    she takes up she has risen to the
  • 00:33:09
    top that is no I mean that's the reality
  • 00:33:12
    that's data that's it I'm not inventing
  • 00:33:15
    anything gratitude gratitude he's
  • 00:33:16
    finally learning to praise His Wife more
  • 00:33:19
    and more in public part of his but but
  • 00:33:21
    it's you know you've discovered a new
  • 00:33:23
    life for yourself so you know you've
  • 00:33:26
    gone in your own diretion with your book
  • 00:33:28
    writing and your philanthropy your
  • 00:33:30
    foundation doing remarkable work among D
  • 00:33:32
    dasi communities uh and and many others
  • 00:33:36
    so so you must feel a s sense of
  • 00:33:38
    fulfillment today behind every
  • 00:33:40
    successful woman there's an
  • 00:33:42
    understanding man ah be that's a lovely
  • 00:33:44
    one line say it again behind every
  • 00:33:47
    successful
  • 00:33:48
    woman there's an understanding man see
  • 00:33:52
    she's throwing back the compliments at
  • 00:33:54
    you but very kind yeah but you know what
  • 00:33:57
    also stands out in this book for for me
  • 00:33:59
    there are two themes and I'll come to
  • 00:34:01
    both one by one one is middle class
  • 00:34:03
    Origins and values you spent so little
  • 00:34:06
    on yourselves in those early years you
  • 00:34:08
    live in a one-bedroom flat in Santa Cruz
  • 00:34:11
    which doesn't have a lift the first flat
  • 00:34:13
    you have in Mumbai doesn't even have a
  • 00:34:15
    proper attached bathroom no home phone
  • 00:34:18
    it takes you a lot of difficulty today's
  • 00:34:21
    India doesn't know how difficult it was
  • 00:34:22
    to get a phone connection sudaji takes a
  • 00:34:25
    local train to church gate with a tiffen
  • 00:34:28
    so that you don't uh you're not hungry
  • 00:34:30
    at night that's right honeymoon is in
  • 00:34:33
    Maan presumably surrounded by
  • 00:34:35
    monkeys uh this almost seems straight
  • 00:34:38
    out of an amol movie of the
  • 00:34:41
    1970s her favorite actor am b b
  • 00:34:46
    and other films Raj gandha starting with
  • 00:34:49
    rajin gandha what is this middle class
  • 00:34:51
    values that that shape your lives in a
  • 00:34:53
    way well you know according to me middle
  • 00:34:56
    class values
  • 00:34:59
    are
  • 00:35:01
    honesty hard work High
  • 00:35:04
    aspiration
  • 00:35:07
    discipline uh and putting the interests
  • 00:35:12
    of other members of the family beyond
  • 00:35:14
    your own interest and in a certain
  • 00:35:18
    percentage of cases putting the interest
  • 00:35:20
    of the country ahead of One's Own
  • 00:35:23
    interest uh aspiring to be educated ated
  • 00:35:27
    extremely
  • 00:35:29
    well uh working very hard in the office
  • 00:35:35
    making sure that one uh achieves the or
  • 00:35:39
    one gets the plaits from the bosses so
  • 00:35:43
    these are by and large middle class
  • 00:35:45
    values it's also stitching a white
  • 00:35:47
    sweater as a symbol of love which is
  • 00:35:50
    what you did among your early gifts to
  • 00:35:52
    Mr miti is stitching a white sweater for
  • 00:35:54
    him knitting a white sweater with a red
  • 00:35:55
    Bard yeah so you're playing the as I
  • 00:35:58
    said an am am pikar a great favorite of
  • 00:36:00
    yours miti had become am you were
  • 00:36:03
    like a
  • 00:36:04
    Vidya from so beautiful she was so
  • 00:36:07
    beautiful no I think all his movies
  • 00:36:09
    whether Raj gandha or in fact I told
  • 00:36:14
    Tina when we met her at some
  • 00:36:18
    fun
  • 00:36:21
    CH was
  • 00:36:24
    with of
  • 00:36:30
    movie you know that so
  • 00:36:33
    heartwarming it it gave so much of
  • 00:36:36
    confidence to the middle class people
  • 00:36:39
    and uh so I I you know very happy but
  • 00:36:41
    did you ever feel sitting in that one
  • 00:36:43
    room house in Santa Cruz no lift no
  • 00:36:47
    attached bathroom there one day would
  • 00:36:49
    come when you'd be these
  • 00:36:51
    multi-billionaires and aspirational role
  • 00:36:53
    models for a entire startup culture did
  • 00:36:56
    you ever think think of that was there a
  • 00:36:57
    dream out there no never never I never
  • 00:37:01
    thought about it at no stage no
  • 00:37:04
    stage and when morti started inos I
  • 00:37:08
    never thought you know we'll become so
  • 00:37:09
    big my husband wants to start some
  • 00:37:11
    Adventure by the name in for he had Many
  • 00:37:13
    Adventures in life one of the adventures
  • 00:37:16
    so it may make it may not make it not
  • 00:37:19
    more than that chitra is isn't that
  • 00:37:22
    something that sort of draws you to them
  • 00:37:24
    they are these middle class role models
  • 00:37:27
    uh the Simplicity with which they live
  • 00:37:29
    their lives and continue to live in many
  • 00:37:32
    ways is is hugely
  • 00:37:35
    attractive yes very much so very much so
  • 00:37:39
    and it is hugely attractive because it's
  • 00:37:42
    not like they're saying oh look at us we
  • 00:37:44
    are so wonderful we are choosing to live
  • 00:37:46
    this simple life it was very natural to
  • 00:37:49
    them and that came out of their
  • 00:37:51
    childhoods I think that came out of some
  • 00:37:54
    of the people who influenced their child
  • 00:37:56
    Hood morti G's mother sudha G's
  • 00:37:59
    grandparents they taught them these
  • 00:38:01
    things just by the way in which they Liv
  • 00:38:04
    their lives um the way they gave away
  • 00:38:07
    things um there's a story in the book
  • 00:38:11
    where sudaji goes to visit her
  • 00:38:13
    grandparents and they have two granaries
  • 00:38:16
    one in the front which has bad rice you
  • 00:38:19
    know lower quality rice and one in the
  • 00:38:22
    back which has better quality rice and
  • 00:38:24
    when people come to beg they get the
  • 00:38:26
    better quality rice and when they the
  • 00:38:29
    family eats at night they eat the worst
  • 00:38:32
    quality rice and she just grew up with
  • 00:38:34
    that she questioned it but then they
  • 00:38:37
    explained to her why it is important to
  • 00:38:39
    give and when you learn those values
  • 00:38:41
    when you are young they just become part
  • 00:38:44
    of you you're no longer putting them on
  • 00:38:47
    or you're no longer even thinking of
  • 00:38:49
    them as a sacrifice and that's what I
  • 00:38:51
    loved about writing this book is
  • 00:38:54
    learning what came naturally to the them
  • 00:38:57
    and also feeling well we can also learn
  • 00:39:00
    they learned it from their grandparents
  • 00:39:02
    we can learn it from this book and
  • 00:39:04
    that's kind of my great hope in writing
  • 00:39:07
    this book and and the other running
  • 00:39:08
    theme which I find even more fascinating
  • 00:39:11
    is uh just how tough it was to do
  • 00:39:15
    business in India in the 1970s and 80s
  • 00:39:17
    the entrepreneurial Journey running
  • 00:39:19
    around bureaucrats for getting basic uh
  • 00:39:22
    permissions to import a computer going
  • 00:39:24
    to The Reserve Bank of India office for
  • 00:39:28
    remittances uh uh uh to be cleared uh
  • 00:39:31
    sudaji with akata on her arm with you
  • 00:39:34
    going to the Reserve Bank of India
  • 00:39:36
    office spending hours there phone
  • 00:39:38
    connections and I'll come to the phone
  • 00:39:40
    story in a moment much easier to do
  • 00:39:42
    business now isn't it all the startup
  • 00:39:45
    culture today so much easier today than
  • 00:39:47
    it was in the
  • 00:39:48
    1980s well I think we must all be very
  • 00:39:51
    grateful to Sri narim late
  • 00:39:54
    narim who was obviously aided by Dr manm
  • 00:39:59
    Singh Shri chamaram and Shri mon sing
  • 00:40:04
    alalia in liberalizing our
  • 00:40:09
    economy but I do believe that without
  • 00:40:12
    the extraordinary support of late
  • 00:40:15
    narim it would not have happened because
  • 00:40:17
    he was the Prime Minister he was the
  • 00:40:19
    leader he had to take the flag from
  • 00:40:22
    whatever others so that combination of
  • 00:40:25
    Nur Dr manm Singh sh chamaram and
  • 00:40:30
    monalia these are the four whatever
  • 00:40:33
    chaturti or whatever you call that India
  • 00:40:37
    must be very very grateful to because
  • 00:40:41
    without that we would not be where we
  • 00:40:44
    are today but those frustrations of the
  • 00:40:46
    ' 80s did they ever get to you I mean
  • 00:40:49
    you're taking months on end to get basic
  • 00:40:51
    permissions for a for a computer to be
  • 00:40:54
    imported uh was it I mean did you ever
  • 00:40:57
    feel forget it I'm not going to do this
  • 00:40:59
    anymore it was it was that is where
  • 00:41:02
    spending time in the family with wife
  • 00:41:06
    and children akata and Rohan who were
  • 00:41:10
    very very young at that time going with
  • 00:41:12
    them to to restaurants seeing them
  • 00:41:17
    enjoying their food you know buying them
  • 00:41:20
    small
  • 00:41:21
    toys and going to her parents house in
  • 00:41:26
    bubly I think all those things added a
  • 00:41:30
    lot to alleviate those stresses they
  • 00:41:34
    were your stress Busters absolutely she
  • 00:41:36
    was your safety B stress Buster and more
  • 00:41:39
    because there's a fascinating story
  • 00:41:40
    about getting a phone uh your son is ill
  • 00:41:45
    and you don't know how to uh contact
  • 00:41:48
    morti you don't have a home phone at the
  • 00:41:51
    time and you have to rush to get a trunk
  • 00:41:54
    call made from a post office
  • 00:41:56
    I mean it must have been crazy times in
  • 00:41:59
    a way and all of us grew up in That 70s
  • 00:42:02
    80s middle class India desperate for a
  • 00:42:05
    phone connection and he was not willing
  • 00:42:07
    to bribe the line man so you wouldn't
  • 00:42:09
    get a phone connection in uh in
  • 00:42:12
    Advan it must have been tough yes it was
  • 00:42:15
    tough but you know it was tough for
  • 00:42:17
    everybody sure not only for me okay
  • 00:42:20
    given situation is tough what we will do
  • 00:42:23
    sit and cry sit and get upset or do
  • 00:42:25
    something I rather do something so take
  • 00:42:28
    the child on your shoulder hold the
  • 00:42:31
    other girl in your hand go to post
  • 00:42:33
    office sit there at 8:00 in the night
  • 00:42:36
    then you there's a big line then you get
  • 00:42:38
    a connection he says only 3 minutes you
  • 00:42:40
    have to talk not more than that and I
  • 00:42:42
    called my sister Dr Sanda I said I'm I'm
  • 00:42:45
    worried the child is not well take the
  • 00:42:47
    late night bus and come that is the only
  • 00:42:51
    solution you have to accept given
  • 00:42:54
    situation what you can do the best you
  • 00:42:56
    know there's another story that stands
  • 00:42:58
    out for me uh you slept in a store room
  • 00:43:02
    in the United States between car
  • 00:43:04
    cardboard cartons because that's how
  • 00:43:06
    your us principal treated his Indian
  • 00:43:10
    partner in those early years I mean when
  • 00:43:12
    I read that story I just see how much
  • 00:43:14
    India has changed this is 1980s you're
  • 00:43:17
    sitting between cardboard cartons in a
  • 00:43:19
    sto room not even allowed into the main
  • 00:43:21
    house in a way by your us principal
  • 00:43:24
    who's given you your first Big Break and
  • 00:43:26
    you just accept it well you know I think
  • 00:43:29
    in some way what I have learned from my
  • 00:43:32
    wife and also from my mother is
  • 00:43:36
    that you have to make the best out of
  • 00:43:40
    whatever situation you are in you have
  • 00:43:42
    to look at the positive sides that
  • 00:43:45
    gentleman gave us the first major
  • 00:43:47
    contract I remain very grateful to him I
  • 00:43:51
    invited him for the for the infas 40th
  • 00:43:55
    years
  • 00:43:56
    celebration for other major occasions of
  • 00:44:00
    infes because more important than
  • 00:44:05
    that our
  • 00:44:07
    gratitude has to be there but the reason
  • 00:44:11
    why I mention sleeping in a room on a
  • 00:44:15
    box is simply to convey to the
  • 00:44:18
    entrepreneurs that when you are building
  • 00:44:21
    your company you will have to go through
  • 00:44:24
    lot of uh
  • 00:44:27
    discomfort lot of
  • 00:44:29
    sacrifices lot of
  • 00:44:31
    stresses but they are all transitory
  • 00:44:35
    they will go away don't ever get
  • 00:44:37
    defeated by those events it remain
  • 00:44:43
    grateful to the person who has helped
  • 00:44:45
    you so I even today I remain very
  • 00:44:49
    grateful to that person for giving us
  • 00:44:53
    the break he was the first customer of
  • 00:44:56
    was and I remain very
  • 00:44:58
    grateful and
  • 00:45:00
    uh I always believed that whatever you
  • 00:45:05
    recount for the sake of future
  • 00:45:07
    entrepreneurs you must try to be as
  • 00:45:10
    honest as possible it cannot be only uh
  • 00:45:14
    positive stuff it has to have both The
  • 00:45:17
    Good the Bad and even the ugly so that's
  • 00:45:21
    the only spirit in which I recounted it
  • 00:45:24
    to chitra
  • 00:45:26
    of course uh you know she has uh
  • 00:45:29
    described it uh very well only she can
  • 00:45:35
    but I don't I don't hold any Grudge I
  • 00:45:38
    don't hold any ill will towards anybody
  • 00:45:40
    because you know a lot of as hidden
  • 00:45:42
    aspects of you come through you you
  • 00:45:44
    clean your own toilets
  • 00:45:46
    yes you still do I do you still clean
  • 00:45:50
    your own toilets yes even now at the age
  • 00:45:52
    of 78 I do that because uh
  • 00:45:56
    now his knees are giving problem now
  • 00:45:58
    your knees are but for the longest time
  • 00:45:59
    you did he did he's corporate Gandhi I
  • 00:46:02
    tell him he's a corporate Gandhi but I'm
  • 00:46:04
    not
  • 00:46:06
    Katura that's another one line which I
  • 00:46:09
    will remember he's a corporate Gandhi
  • 00:46:11
    but I'm not but you're not
  • 00:46:13
    [Music]
  • 00:46:15
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Tags
  • Naran Murti
  • Sudha Murti
  • Infosys
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Work-Life Balance
  • Middle Class Values
  • Gratitude
  • Foundation
  • Biographical Book
  • Startup Culture