Founder and Chairman Emeritus of Infosys and an alumnus of IIT Kanpur, Mr. N. R. Narayan Murthy had a candid conversation with us during his visit at the 56th Convocation, 2023.

Q. Describe your time as a student at IIT Kanpur.

A. I was here from 1967 to 1969 doing my graduate studies. Those days, there was no Computer Science specialization, it was primarily a degree in Electrical Engineering. We had excellent teachers and great hostel facilities. We were the first occupants of Hall V, the food was very good, the campus was of top quality because it was just built and there was a sense of camaraderie among the students. The beauty of Hall V was that undergraduates occupied the double rooms and the graduate students occupied the single rooms. Therefore, the undergraduates and the graduates mixed very well. It was a wonderful time that I spent here.

Q. How has IIT Kanpur progressed in the last five decades?

A. IIT Kanpur has gone from strength to strength. Today, I went through several labs such as the Cybersecurity Lab and the Artificial Heart Lab. The kind of work they are doing is very promising and useful for the country. The professors that I met in the artificial heart lab are very bold, audacious and are full of enthusiasm and energy. Therefore, it was nice to come back to give the convocation address after 56 years at IIT Kanpur.

Q. As a pioneer in India's IT industry how do you see India growing in the Emerging Technology sector?

A. India has received respect from the developed world for the first time in the last 300 years. There are a lot of good things happening, the economy is growing well. There are a lot of globally respected companies in the country. Therefore, I would say that the journey has been great. There are a lot of wonderful things that are happening in science, technology, atomic energy and space research, sending rockets to the Moon and Mars. I think it is a wonderful thing to be amidst all of it. IITs have played an important role in the building up of this country.

Q. What advise would you like to give to students and young professionals out there?

A. It is the responsibility of all the wonderful youngsters to consolidate on whatever has been achieved make it permanent and enhance it. That requires a lot of hard work, lot of discipline, lot of aspiration. Therefore, I would request every youngster to realize this important fact and ensure that the country becomes stronger.