Phaneesh Murthy Success Story:  This Infosys Sales Head Once Had ₹45 Crore Salary, Fired After Controversy, He Now Leads Primentor

Phaneesh Murthy, a prominent figure in India's IT industry, is known for his significant contributions to companies like Infosys and iGATE. Born into a middle-class family in Bengaluru, Murthy earned his B.Tech in Mechanical Engineering from IIT Madras and later pursued his PGDM from IIM Ahmedabad. He began his career at Sonata Software in 1987, gaining expertise in sales and marketing before making a major career move to Infosys.

At Infosys, Murthy played a pivotal role as the Global Sales Head, helping the company grow its revenues from $2 million to $700 million over a decade. His success put him in line as a potential successor to Infosys co-founder NR Narayana Murthy. However, in 2002, his career at Infosys ended abruptly when he was dismissed following allegations of sexual harassment.

Despite the controversy, Murthy rebounded by founding Quintant Services. The company’s rapid growth caught the attention of iGATE Global Solutions, which acquired Quintant in 2003. Murthy became CEO and President of iGATE, overseeing the acquisition of Patni Computer Systems for $1.22 billion, making iGATE a major player in India's IT sector.