Make India rival of China, N R Narayana Murthy tells entrepreneurs

AHMEDABAD: Infosys co-founder and former chairperson of the IIM Ahmedabad (IIM-A) board, N R Narayana Murthy, on Friday asked a gathering of entrepreneurs and business students to make India a worthy competitor of China. He was speaking at a TiE event at IIM-A as part of the 'How to Start a Startup' lecture series. He also launched a book by two IIM-A alumni, chronicling the best business practices of top startups from India.
"When I was on the board of HSBC for some years, I would be part of the meetings.China would be discussed about 30 times, India only once and that too only occasionally," said Murthy. "Times have changed, and we have gained the respect of the world... So, I think it is your (young generation) responsibility to make people mention India's name whenever they mention any other country's name, particularly China. I think you people can do that."
Murthy also reminisced fondly about his time at IIM-A, where he was chief systems programmer from 1969 to 1971. He said the institute taught him how to deal with human beings and handle tough situations. He added that while he was not a formal student, interaction with faculty members and students taught him more than his alma mater, IIT Kanpur.
The event was attended by students from various premier institutes of Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar and entrepreneurs.
Expounding on the theme of the authors Ujwal Kalra and Shobhit Shubhankar, Murthy said the recipe for success of entrepreneurs was competence and enduring values. "Competence is necessary, but it is not a sufficient condition for success. To achieve your grand vision, you need people with competence and values," he advised the gathering. "Leadership is all about enthusing people - giving them hope, confidence and making them achieve the possibly impossible."
He advised entrepreneurs to keep their doors open to all employees for the best ideas to flourish and to encourage new talent. He termed them agents of change and advised the gathering to treat the competition as the best teachers they could hope for. He also asked the youth to make India's mark globally with China grabbing the limelight in terms of development.