Meet the woman whose college assignment was guided by Ratan Tata, her father has a net worth of Rs 36600 crore, she is..

Akshata Narayan Murty is a well-known UK-based businesswoman, fashion designer, and venture capitalist. She is married to Rishi Sunak, a former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, and is the daughter of Indian entrepreneur N. R. Narayana Murthy, the co-founder of Infosys, and Sudha Murty, a renowned author and philanthropist. Akshata holds a significant stake in Infosys, owning 0.93 percent of the company, which places her among the wealthiest women in the UK.

Early Life and Education
Akshata was born in April 1980 in Hubli, Karnataka, India. Growing up in a modest, middle-class environment, she was raised by her maternal grandparents in the Jayanagar area of Bangalore. Akshata has one brother, Rohan Murty, who is also involved in business and technology.

For her early education, Akshata attended Baldwin Girls' High School. She later pursued higher studies at Claremont McKenna College in California, where she studied economics and French. To further her expertise in fashion, she completed a diploma in clothes manufacturing from the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising. Akshata also earned a Master’s in Business Administration (MBA) from Stanford University, which is known for its rigorous academic programs.

At Stanford, Akshata met Rishi Sunak, and the couple tied the knot in 2009. Together, they have two daughters, Anoushka and Krishna.

Memorable Moments with Ratan Tata
Recently, Narayana Murthy shared a heartfelt memory involving the late Ratan Tata, a respected Indian industrialist. He recounted an occasion in 1999 when Ratan Tata spent three hours assisting Akshata with a college assignment on leadership. Initially, Tata had only planned to dedicate one hour, but the meeting extended as he generously shared his thoughts on leadership, compassion, and the difficult decisions leaders often face.

Narayana Murthy expressed how this encounter was not just valuable for Akshata but also for him and his wife, Sudha Murty. They admired Tata’s humility and his approach to leadership, which emphasized compassion for society alongside a pursuit of excellence in business.

Career Highlights
Akshata began her career in 2007 as the marketing director at Tendris, a cleantech company. However, she left this position two years later to start her own fashion label, which operated until 2012. Following that venture, she joined Catamaran Ventures, a venture capital fund, as a director in 2013. In addition, she played a pivotal role in establishing the London branch of Infosys alongside her husband, Rishi Sunak.

When Rishi Sunak was elected as the Conservative MP for Richmond in 2015, he transferred his shares of Infosys to Akshata. As a result, she became one of the company’s significant shareholders, with her 0.93 percent stake valued at approximately £700 million as of April 2022.

In addition to her investments in Infosys, Akshata holds shares in Wendy’s in India and Koro Kids. She is also a director at Digme Fitness and Soroco, a digital transformation company co-founded by her brother, Rohan Murty.

Through her various roles and contributions, Akshata Narayan Murty continues to make her mark in the business world, balancing her entrepreneurial endeavors with her family life and philanthropic interests.

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