Startup Founder Impressed By Narayana Murthy's Humility At Indore Airport

Fintech co-founder Aditya Joshi recently shared his experience of meeting Infosys co-founder Narayana Murthy at the Indore airport, describing him as a humble person despite his wealth. In a LinkedIn post, Joshi recounted boarding the same flight as Murthy and spending roughly 10 minutes with him at the airport and on the plane. He noted that Murthy had no entourage, did not cut queues, and received no special treatment.

"I spent barely 10 minutes around him, but I know I'll remember those moments for the rest of my life. No cutting queues. No special treatment. No entourage. No special seats. At 79, he put his bag himself in the overhead bin, sat in the second row, politely asked a fellow passenger to make a little space, and exchanged warm greetings with everyone around him," he wrote in the post. 

Joshi reflected that Murthy's simple, disciplined actions align with his well-known advocacy for a 70-hour workweek. "When he says 70 hours work week he has walked the talk. With a net worth of nearly $5 billion, he was the most humble person on the flight. What Infosys and Mr. Murthy have done for India and for generations of Indians is nothing short of revolutionary. True greatness doesn't demand attention. It just exists," he added. 

See the post here:

Murthy was reportedly in the region to inaugurate an Express City in Ratlam before returning home to Bengaluru.

Several LinkedIn users responded to Joshi's post, showering praise on Murthy for his humility and consistency. Many expressed their admiration for his down-to-earth nature despite being a successful entrepreneur. Some users also shared their own experiences with Murthy, further emphasising his approachable persona. 

One user wrote, "True leadership is reflected in humility and simplicity. Stories like these remind us that greatness isn't about privilege—it's about values lived every day. Mr. Narayana Murthy is truly an inspiration for generations."

Another commented, "I had a similar experience on a flight to Mangalore few years ago. Mr Murthy was sitting just behind us on the plane in economy class. As we landed, security staff boarded and asked everyone to be seated and offered to escort him. He politely refused and sent them packing! My kids were really small then , so I patiently waited for all the passengers to deplane . As Mr. Murthy got up to leave he stopped and politely asked me to take my kids and insisted that I leave first, nobody else even bothered to ask .... At the carousel, he waited patiently with us, picked up his suitcases and left the airport in a normal cab ! A true lesson in humility which many leaders lack."

"Narayan uncle and Sudha aunty are epitome of humanity and humility! Have met them so many times back at Bishop Cottons where Rohan was a batchmate. Beautiful people. To people who crib about them- build something like Infosys first and u will know what it takes to get there. This is true wealth," a third user said.