Senapathy Gopalakrishnan is an Indian businessman and co-founder of Infosys, one of the leading IT services companies in India. Born in 1954 in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, Gopalakrishnan completed his schooling at the Government Model Boys Higher Secondary School before pursuing a master’s degree in physics and computer science from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras.
Gopalakrishnan was a key figure in the founding of Infosys in 1981, along with Narayana Murthy and other co-founders. He played an instrumental role in the company’s growth and success. From 2007 to 2011, he served as the CEO and Managing Director of Infosys, and later as Vice Chairman until 2014.
In addition to his contributions to Infosys, Gopalakrishnan is deeply involved in the startup ecosystem as the Chairman of Axilor Ventures, a venture capital firm that supports early-stage companies. His firm has invested in several startups like GoodHome, Kaagaz, and EnKash.
Gopalakrishnan is also a philanthropist and serves on the board of trustees of various educational institutions, including the Chennai Mathematical Institute and IIT Madras. Along with his wife, he manages Pratiksha Trust, an organisation dedicated to brain research.
His contributions to the IT industry and his philanthropic work earned him the Padma Bhushan, India’s third-highest civilian honour, in 2011. With a net worth of Rs 38,500 crore (as per Hurun India Rich List 2024), Gopalakrishnan is one of the wealthiest individuals in India.
