10 Fun Facts About Infosys

Infosys is one of the leading IT service providers in the world, with a revenue of over $14 billion and a workforce of more than 250,000 employees. The company was founded in 1981 by seven engineers who had a vision to create a global software company. Infosys has grown from humble beginnings to a huge corporation that serves clients across 50 countries and various industries. But behind its success, there are many interesting facts that you may not know about Infosys. In this blog, we will share 10 fun facts about Infosys that highlight its journey so far.

Fact 1: Infosys started with a loan from Mrs. Sudha Murthy

The founder and chairman emeritus of Infosys, Mr. Narayana Murthy, borrowed Rs. 10,000 from his wife, Mrs. Sudha Murthy, who was an engineer at Tata Steel, to start Infosys with six of his colleagues from his previous employer, Patni Computer Systems. The first office of Infosys was the front room of Mr. Murthy’s house in Pune. Mrs. Murthy also helped Infosys in its initial days by writing software code, managing accounts, and taking care of the administrative work.

Fact 2: Infosys did not have a computer for two years

Until 1983, Infosys did not have a computer of its own. Mr. Murthy wanted to import a Data General 32-bit MV8000 computer, but he could not afford it. It took him almost two years to get the necessary permissions and funds to import the computer. In the meantime, Infosys used to rent computers from other companies or work on the computers of its clients.

Fact 3: Infosys was the first Indian company to be listed on NASDAQ

In 1999, Infosys became the first Indian company to be listed on the NASDAQ stock exchange, the premier global marketplace for technology companies. Infosys was also the first Indian company to offer stock options to its employees, creating many millionaires among its staff. Infosys has also been listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) since 2012.

Fact 4: Infosys has the world’s largest corporate training center at Mysore

Infosys is known for its rigorous and comprehensive training program for its employees, especially the freshers. Infosys has a massive training center at Mysore, which covers an area of 370 acres and can accommodate 15,000 trainees at a time. The training center has 200 classrooms, 400 gyms, swimming pools, multiplexes, bowling alleys, cricket grounds, and other facilities. The training center is also known for its iconic building, the Global Education Center, which has a unique design and a glass dome.

Fact 5: Infosys was almost shut down in 1989

In 1989, Infosys faced a major crisis when its joint venture with a US-based company, Kurt Salmon Associates, collapsed. The company also lost one of its co-founders, Ashok Arora, who decided to quit and move to the US. Infosys was on the verge of shutting down, but Mr. Murthy stepped in and took charge of the company. He convinced the remaining co-founders to stay with him and work hard to revive Infosys. He also introduced the concept of “compassionate capitalism”, which means sharing the wealth and success of the company with its employees and society.

Fact 6: Infosys has a subsidiary that caters to over a billion people with one product

Infosys has a subsidiary called Finacle, which provides banking software solutions to over 100 banks in 94 countries. Finacle’s products and services are used by over 1.3 billion people around the world, making it one of the most widely used banking platforms. Finacle has also won several awards and recognitions for its innovation and excellence in the banking sector.

Fact 7: Infosys has a huge empire of real estate and infrastructure

Infosys has a total of 82 offices and 123 development centers across the world, with a total built-up area of over 46 million square feet. Infosys also owns over 1,400 acres of land in India, which is equivalent to the size of 1,000 football fields. Infosys has invested heavily in creating world-class infrastructure and facilities for its employees and clients, such as green buildings, solar power plants, water recycling plants, biogas plants, and smart campuses.

Fact 8: Infosys has a foundation that does incredible philanthropy

Infosys has a corporate social responsibility arm called the Infosys Foundation, which was established in 1996. The Infosys Foundation works in the areas of education, health, rural development, arts and culture, and disaster relief. The Infosys Foundation has supported over 60,000 schools, 4,000 libraries, 200 hospitals, and 50 orphanages in India. The Infosys Foundation also runs the Infosys Science Foundation, which awards the Infosys Prize to outstanding researchers and scientists in various fields.

Fact 9: Infosys has produced many successful entrepreneurs and leaders

Infosys has been a breeding ground for many entrepreneurs and leaders who have gone on to start their own ventures or join other prominent organizations. Some of the notable alumni of Infosys are Nandan Nilekani, who co-founded Aadhaar, India’s unique identification system, and EkStep, an education platform; Phaneesh Murthy, who founded iGate and PM Health; Subhash Dhar, who founded Enterprise Nube; Ashok Vemuri, who became the CEO of Conduent; and Vishal Sikka, who became the CEO of SAP and then Infosys.

Fact 10: Infosys has won many awards and accolades for its excellence and innovation

Infosys has been recognized and honored by many prestigious institutions and publications for its achievements and contributions in the IT industry and beyond. Some of the awards and accolades that Infosys has received are:

• Infosys ranked in the top 3 IT Services brands in the world by Brand Finance, the world’s leading brand valuation firm, in its Global 500 2023 report.
• Infosys has been recognized by the Great Place to Work Institute as India’s Best Workplaces for Women 2022

• Ranked among the World’s Best Employers by Forbes in 2020
• Ranked among the World’s Most Innovative Companies by Fast Company in 2020
• Ranked among the World’s Most Respected Companies by Barron’s in 2019
• Ranked among the World’s Most Admired Companies by Fortune in 2019
• Ranked among the Top 100 Global Brands by Brand Finance in 2019
• Awarded the United Nations Global Climate Action Award in 2019
• Awarded the Golden Peacock Award for Corporate Social Responsibility in 2019
• Awarded the CII-ITC Sustainability Award for Excellence in Environment Management in 2019
• Awarded the NASSCOM Corporate Award for Excellence in Diversity and Inclusion in 2019
• Awarded the Economic Times Award for Corporate Excellence in 2018