The radical change at Infosys is in keeping with the ethos of change that swept through the country on May 16. It was a do-or-die imperative.
For Infosys, it is the end of a 31-year-old era dominated by the founders whose impeccable personal and professional records made it the dazzling star of the IT sector. However with the entry of Tata Consultancy Services, a sleeping giant before it went public, Infosys found it difficult to compete with its effervescent rival.
Also, Infosys, under the old guard, could not keep pace with the huge demands and scorching pace of today’s digitised world. It lost much of its sheen. Its spartan icon and founding chairman, N. Narayana Murthy, had to be brought back temporarily to put the company on even keel.
On Thursday, Infosys really managed a coup of sorts by being able to get as its CEO the California-based IT wizard Vishal Sikka, the erstwhile global product head of SAP. That his selection reflects a clean break with the past since he is a rank outsider to the company and its culture is trivial compared to the astounding capabilities he brings.
His earlier designation as SAP’s “global product head” says it all. He can raise Infosys to the next orbit as he knows the ins and outs of building new integrated software programmes, or “breakthrough innovation” as he tweeted.
Exciting times lie ahead for Infosys if it can recapture its once-upon-a-time leadership status in India and become a global brand.
