Date:23/12/2004 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2004/12/23/stories/2004122316410300.htm

Karnataka - Bangalore

Narayana Murthy happy with decision on airport

By Our Staff Reporter

The Infosys Chairman and Chief Mentor, N.R. Narayana Murthy, greeting Javed Abidi, founder, National Centre for Promotion of Employment for Disabled People, at a book launch in Bangalore on Wednesday. Carol Grodzins, Vice-President, Ashoka Global Fel lowship, is seen. — Photo: Sampath Kumar G.P.

BANGALORE, DEC. 22. The Chairman and Chief Mentor of Infosys Technologies, N.R. Narayana Murthy, has welcomed the Cabinet's approval to the Devanahalli international airport project and said he was happy that the project would take off shortly.

"I am thankful to the Chief Minister and the Deputy Chief Minister that the project has got the final clearance. I have not seen the finer details of the agreement. The plan has been drawn up in a competitive manner. I hope there are no major changes," he told presspersons on the sidelines of a function to launch the book, "How to Change the World: Social Entrepreneurs and the Power of New Ideas", by David Bornstein here on Wednesday.

Caution

Mr. Narayana Murthy called for concerted efforts to keep intact Bangalore's image as the hub of information technology in the country. "It is a competitive world. Countries and states are competing with one another to attract investment. It is for all of us to lead the way to keep Bangalore ahead in the global information technology sector," he said.

On the need for better infrastructure in the city to attract investment, he said efforts had to be made to provide customers easy accessibility and to make life better for the citizens. "If care is not taken, Bangalore will lose out to other States. That is what happened to Calcutta (now Kolkata) in the 1970s," Mr. Narayana Murthy said. Bangalore had to learn from this. "Otherwise, we may not attract as much investment as we should," he said.

Asked about the meeting of captains of the information technology sector with the Government on Thursday to discuss infrastructure issues, Mr. Narayana Murthy said he had received no information on the meeting. "I am going to meet the Chief Minister and the Deputy Chief Minister on Thursday to invite them for the opening of our Mysore centre on February 12. The Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh, will inaugurate the centre," he said.

Reacting to questions on the MMS controversy, Mr. Narayana Murthy said an effective legal framework was necessary to safeguard the interest of e-commerce.

`Visionary work'

Earlier, releasing the book, Mr. Narayana Murthy said it was a "visionary piece of work."

The book launch was organised by Ashoka, a non-profit organisation which supports entrepreneurs with innovative ideas to solve society's problems.

Mr. Narayana Murthy said David Bornstein in his book had chronicled ordinary people who were extraordinary in what they had done. "They faced daunting challenges and have persisted where others gave up. They were single-mindedly dedicated to their cause," he said about the people featured in the book.

Javed Abidi, founder of the National Centre of Employment for Disabled People and an Ashoka Fellow, who has been featured in the book, spoke of his experiences of taking the disability movement forward.

Carol Grodzins, Vice-President of Ashoka, Global Fellowship, said the book was a vehicle to spread the mission of Ashoka and hoped it would be taught in the curricula of every college and university.