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{{Short description|Indian billionaire}}
{{Short description|Indian billionaire}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2018}}
{{resume-like|date=May 2024}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2021}}
{{Use Indian English|date=September 2018}}
{{Use Indian English|date=September 2018}}
{{Infobox person
{{Infobox person
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| image              = Kris Gopalakrishnan - World Economic Forum on India 2012.jpg
| image              = Kris Gopalakrishnan - World Economic Forum on India 2012.jpg
| caption            = Gopalakrishnan at the [[World Economic Forum]] on India in 2012
| caption            = Gopalakrishnan at the [[World Economic Forum]] on India in 2012
| birth_date        = {{Birth date and age|1955|4|5|df=yes}}
| birth_name        = Senapathy Gopalakrishnan
| birth_place        = [[Thiruvanathapuram]], [[Kerala]], India
| birth_date        = {{Birth date and age|1955|04|05|df=yes}}
| birth_place        = [[Thiruvananthapuram]], [[Kerala]], India
| death_date        =  
| death_date        =  
| death_place        =  
| death_place        =
| education          =
| alma_mater        = {{Unbulleted_list|[[Government Arts College, Thiruvananthapuram]]|[[University College Thiruvananthapuram]]|[[IIT Madras|Indian Institute of Technology Madras]]}}
| alma_mater        = [[Indian Institute of Technology Madras]] ([[MSc.]] &  [[M.Tech]])
| education          = {{Unbulleted_list|[[Master of Science]]|[[Master of Technology]]}}
| occupation        = [[Chairman#Vice Chairman and Deputy Chairman|Executive vice chairman]], [[Infosys]]
| occupation        = [[Chairman#Vice Chairman and Deputy Chairman|Executive vice chairman]], [[Infosys]]
| years_active      = 1981 – 2014
| years_active      = 1981–2014
| networth          = {{up}} [[US]] $3.3 billion (May 2021)<ref>{{cite web |title=Senapathy Gopalakrishnan
| spouse            = Sudha Gopalakrishnan
|url=https://www.forbes.com/profile/senapathy-gopalakrishnan/?list=india-billionaires&sh=3ef29c3326c5 |work=Forbes.com}}</ref>
| children          = 1
}}
}}


'''Senapathy “Kris” Gopalakrishnan''' is widely recognized as a global business and technology thought leader for his role in growing the IT services industry worldwide.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Infosys - S. Gopalakrishnan: Co-founder {{!}} Management Profiles|url=https://www.infosys.com/about/management-profiles/gopalakrishnan.html|access-date=2021-06-13|website=www.infosys.com}}</ref> He co-founded [[Infosys]], where he served as the chief executive officer and managing director from 2007 to 2011, and as vice chairman from 2011 to 2014. Following his retirement from Infosys, Kris has been very active in promoting the Indian startup ecosystem, and philanthropically supporting research on brain sciences, aging related disorders, and healthcare in India. He has also been on the board of trustees for the [[Infosys Prize|Infosys Science Foundation]] from 2009, and currently serves as the President of the Board.
'''Senapathy “Kris” Gopalakrishnan''' is an Indian businessman and the chairman of Axilor Ventures, a [[startup accelerator]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Investors – Axilor Ventures:: Axilor Ventures is an Active Seed Fund|url=https://www.axilor.com/investors/|access-date=2021-06-13|language=en-US}}</ref> He is one of the co-founders of [[Infosys]], having served as its CEO and managing director from 2007 to 2011 and vice chairman from 2011 to 2014.<ref>{{cite web|title=Infosys - S. Gopalakrishnan: Co-founder {{!}} Management Profiles|url=https://www.infosys.com/about/management-profiles/gopalakrishnan.html|access-date=2021-06-13|website=infosys.com}}</ref>


In January 2011, the Government of India awarded Kris Gopalakrishnan the Padma Bhushan, the country's third-highest civilian honour. He was voted the top CEO (IT Services category) in Institutional Investor's inaugural ranking of Asia's Top Executives and selected as one of the winners of the second Asian Corporate Director Recognition Awards by Corporate Governance Asia in 2011. He also was selected to Thinkers 50, an elite list of global business thinkers, in 2009. He is an active contributor to industry - having served as the President of India's apex industry chamber [[Confederation of Indian Industry]] (CII) in 2013–14, and as one of the co-chairs of the [[World Economic Forum]] in Davos in January 2014.
Recognized as a global business and technology thought leader, he was voted the top CEO (IT Services category) in Institutional Investor's inaugural ranking of Asia's Top Executives and selected as one of the winners of the second Asian Corporate Director Recognition Awards by Corporate Governance Asia in 2011. He was elected president of India's apex industry chamber [[Confederation of Indian Industry]] (CII) for 2013–14 and served as one of the co-chairs of the [[World Economic Forum]] in Davos in January 2014.


He actively shapes the technology and startup ecosystem through a myriad of roles. Kris is the Chairman of [[Axilor Ventures]], an early stage startup accelerator and venture fund. He is also the Chairman of [https://itihaasa.com itihaasa Research and Digital], a not-for-profit think-tank focused on the evolution of technology domains in India. He serves on the Board of Governors of Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (OIST) and is the chairman, Board of Governors of IIIT, Bangalore. He is the Chairman of the Vision Group on Information Technology of Karnataka Government and the Chairman of CII Centre of Excellence for Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Start-ups.
In January 2011, the [[Government of India]] awarded Gopalakrishnan the [[Padma Bhushan]], the country's third-highest civilian honour.
----


== Early days ==
Kris serves on the board of governors of [[Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology]], is the chairman of the Council of [[Indian Institute of Science]], and is the chairman of the board of governors of [[International Institute of Information Technology, Bangalore]]. He is the chairman of the Vision Group on Information Technology of [[Karnataka Government]], the chairman of RBIH ([[Reserve Bank of India]] Innovation Hub), and the chairman of CII Centre of Excellence in Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Startups (CIES). He is also President of [[Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology, Trivandrum]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=SCTIMST Governing Body |url=https://www.sctimst.ac.in/About%20SCTIMST/Governing%20Body}}</ref>
Kris Gopalakrishnan was born in [[Thiruvanathapuram]], Kerala on 5 April 1955. He studied at the [[Government Model Boys Higher Secondary School]].


Kris Gopalakrishnan obtained an M.Sc. (physics) in 1977 and M.Tech. (computer science) in 1979, both from [[Indian Institutes of Technology|IIT]], [[Madras]]. He started his career as a software engineer with [[Patni Computer Systems]], [[Mumbai]], in 1979.
Kris is the chairman of Itihaasa Research and Digital which publishes the history of the Indian IT industry as <ref>{{cite web|url=https://itihaasa.com/|title=itihaasa.com}}</ref> microsite as well as reports on industrial and academic research in India.<ref>{{cite web|title=Home {{!}} Itihaasa|url=https://itihaasa.com/|access-date=2021-06-13|website=itihaasa.com}}</ref> He is the Co-author of ''Against All Odds – The IT Story of India''.


== Net Worth ==
Kris invests in promoting research on Brain sciences, ageing ageing-related disorders as well as investing in start-ups and start-up ecosystems. His family philanthropy is Pratiksha Trust and his investment arm is Pratithi.
He has a Net worth of nearly US$3.3 Billion.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Senapathy Gopalakrishnan|url=https://www.forbes.com/profile/senapathy-gopalakrishnan/|access-date=2021-06-13|website=Forbes|language=en}}</ref> (As of May 2021)
----


== Career ==
Kris holds master’s degrees in physics and computer science from the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras. [https://www.inae.in/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Award-Booklet-2021.pdf Kris is a Fellow of Indian National Academy of Engineers (INAE)] and an Honorary Fellow of Institution of Electronics and Telecommunication Engineers (IETE) of India.


===Infosys===
As per Forbes list of India’s 100 richest tycoons, dated OCTOBER 09, 2024, Senapathy Gopalakrishnan is ranked 73rd with a net worth of $4.35 Billion.<ref>{{Cite web |title=India's 100 Richest |website=[[Forbes]] |url=https://www.forbes.com/lists/india-billionaires/}}</ref>
In 1981, Gopalakrishnan co-founded Infosys with six other entrepreneurs. His initial years at Infosys included management of design, development, implementation and support of information systems for clients in the U.S. consumer products industry. From 1987 to 1994, Gopalakrishnan headed the technical operations of KSA/Infosys (a joint venture between Infosys and KSA in Atlanta, Georgia).


In 2007, Gopalakrishnan took over as CEO and managing director of Infosys Technologies Limited. During his 4-year tenure, Infosys' top-line doubled to $6 billion. Gopalakrishnan previously served as chief operating officer (since April 2002), and as the president and joint managing director (since August 2006). His responsibilities included customer services, technology, investments and acquisitions. He was later appointed executive vice-chairman of Infosys's board. He served as non-executive vice chairman of Infosys's board from 14 June till 10 October 2014.
==Early life==
{{BLP unreferenced section|date=April 2024}}
Gopalakrishnan was born in [[Thiruvananthapuram]], Kerala on 5 April 1955. He studied at the [[Government Model Boys Higher Secondary School]].


=== Other work ===
He obtained an [[Master of Science|M.Sc.]] in Physics in 1977 and [[Master of Technology|M.Tech.]] in Computer Science in 1979, both from [[IIT Madras]]. He started his career as a software engineer with [[Patni Computer Systems|Patni Computer Systems, Mumbai]], in 1979.
In 2014 Gopalakrishnan co-founded '''Axilor Ventures''', an early stage startup accelerator and venture fund. Axilor has the No 1 rated program for early stage startups and the largest partner network of VCs in India.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Investors – Axilor Ventures :: Axilor Ventures is an Active Seed Fund|url=https://www.axilor.com/investors/|access-date=2021-06-13|language=en-US}}</ref>


In 2016, Kris Gopalakrishnan founded '''itihaasa Research and Digital''', a think-tank focused on the evolution of technology domains in India such as AI, brain sciences and digital transformation. itihaasa's flagship project is chronicling the six decades of the evolution of the history of Indian IT.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Home {{!}} Itihaasa|url=https://itihaasa.com/|access-date=2021-06-13|website=itihaasa.com}}</ref>
==Positions held==
----
Kris Gopalakrishnan has served in leadership roles in several research/educational and industry/startup institutions and forums.


==Positions==
===Positions in research / educational institutions and bodies===
Kris Gopalakrishnan has served in leadership roles in several research/educational and industry / startup institutions and forums.
*Chairing the governing board of India's {{currency|3660|INR}} [[crore]] National Mission on Cyber-Physical System Technologies<ref>{{cite web|title=National Mission on Interdisciplinary Cyber-Physical Systems (NM-ICPS)|url=https://nmicps.gov.in/Home/ICPSNMHOME/MGB|access-date=2021-06-13|website=nmicps.gov.in}}</ref>
*Board of Governors of [[Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology]]<ref>{{cite web|date=2011-06-14|title=Board of Governors|url=https://www.oist.jp/board-governors|access-date=2021-06-13|website=Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University OIST|language=en}}</ref>
* [https://iisc.ac.in/about/administration/council/ Chairman, The Council, IISc Bangalore]
*Chairman, Board of Governors of [[International Institute of Information Technology, Bangalore|IIIT, Bangalore]]<ref>{{cite web|title=Mr. S Gopalakrishnan Chairman|url=https://www.iiitb.ac.in/governing-body/mr-s-gopalakrishnan-chairman|access-date=2021-06-13|website=iiitb.ac.in}}</ref>
*Member of DBT/Wellcome Trust India Alliance's Strategic Advisory Council
*Nanyang Professor of the Practice at [[Nanyang Technological University|Nanyang Technological University, Singapore]] from 1 June 2018<ref>{{cite web|title=GAIN Distinguished Speaker Series|url=https://www.ntu.edu.sg/research/research-hub/events/detail/2021/05/04/default-calendar/gain-distinguished-speaker-series|access-date=2021-06-13|website=Research|language=en}}</ref>
*Trustee of the Infosys Science Foundation<ref>{{cite web|title=Infosys Prize - About Us|url=https://www.infosys-science-foundation.com/about.asp|access-date=2021-06-13|website=infosys-science-foundation.com}}</ref>


'''Positions in Research / Educational institutions and bodies'''
===Positions in industry / government institutions and bodies===


1)    Chairing the governing board of India's INR 3,660 crore National Mission on Cyber-Physical System Technologies<ref>{{Cite web|title=National Mission on Interdisciplinary Cyber-Physical Systems (NM-ICPS)|url=https://nmicps.gov.in/Home/ICPSNMHOME/MGB|access-date=2021-06-13|website=nmicps.gov.in}}</ref>
*Chairman of Vision Group on IT for [[Government of Karnataka]]
*President of the [[Confederation of Indian Industries]] (2013–14)
*Co-chair of the [[World Economic Forum]] in [[Davos]] (2014)
*Member of the [[United Nations Global Compact]] Board (2012–15)<ref>{{cite web|title=Infosys - Kris Gopalakrishnan in the UN Global Compact Board|url=https://www.infosys.com/newsroom/features/2012/kris-un-global-compact-board.html|access-date=2021-06-13|website=infosys.com}}</ref>
*Chairperson of India's committee on Non-Personal Data Governance<ref>MeitY Office Memorandum No. 24(4)/2019-CLES dated 13.09.2019</ref>
*First Chairperson of the Reserve Bank Innovation Hub<ref>{{cite web|last=ETBFSI.com|title=Kris Gopalakrishnan appointed first chairperson of Reserve Bank Innovation Hub - ET BFSI|url=https://bfsi.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/fintech/kris-gopalakrishnan-appointed-first-chairperson-of-reserve-bank-innovation-hub/79261673|access-date=2021-06-13|website=ETBFSI.com|language=en}}</ref>
*Chairman of CII Centre of Excellence for Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Start-ups<ref>{{cite web|title=CII Start up Centre|url=https://www.cii.in/startup-centre.aspx|access-date=2021-06-13|website=cii.in}}</ref> and former chairman of CII Start-up Council<ref>{{cite web|title=CII|url=https://www.cii.in/PressreleasesDetail.aspx?enc=/q61PNgZtRqYhfP4GujvP9sU0QCQ9aWOpiIGTGX+Jg0=|access-date=2021-06-13|website=cii.in}}</ref>


2)    Board of Governors of Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology<ref>{{Cite web|date=2011-06-14|title=Board of Governors|url=https://www.oist.jp/board-governors|access-date=2021-06-13|website=Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University OIST|language=en}}</ref>
==Awards and honours==
*In 2011, [[Government of India]] awarded him with [[Padma Bhushan]] which is India's third highest civilian honour<ref>{{cite web|title=Press Information Bureau|url=https://pib.gov.in/newsite/erelease.aspx?relid=69364|access-date=2021-06-13|website=pib.gov.in}}</ref>
*Conferred with an honorary doctorate by the [[University of Kerala]] in 2019<ref>{{Cite news|date=2019-08-21|title=KU to confer honorary doctorates on Narlikar, Kris Gopalakrishnan|language=en-IN|work=The Hindu|url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Thiruvananthapuram/ku-to-confer-honorary-doctorates-on-narlikar-kris-gopalakrishnan/article29185917.ece|access-date=2021-06-13|issn=0971-751X}}</ref>
*Thinkers 50 (2009)<ref>{{cite web|title=Infosys - Kris Gopalakrishnan recognized as a Global Business Thinker|url=https://www.infosys.com/newsroom/features/2009/kris-gopalakrishnan-thinkers50.html|access-date=2021-06-13|website=infosys.com}}</ref>


3)    Chairman, Board of Governors of IIIT, Bangalore<ref>{{Cite web|title=Mr. S Gopalakrishnan Chairman|url=https://www.iiitb.ac.in/governing-body/mr-s-gopalakrishnan-chairman|access-date=2021-06-13|website=www.iiitb.ac.in}}</ref>
==Philanthropy==
===Support for research and entrepreneurship in India===
Through Axilor Ventures, Kris has invested in innumerable startups and venture funds. He has used some of his wealth - as of May 30, 2023, according to Forbes, estimated at $2.9 billion, towards causes such as health research, specifically brain science as well as technology-driven innovation that has a direct impact on society.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.forbesindia.com/article/take-one-big-story-of-the-day/why-kris-gopalakrishnan-is-spending-hundreds-of-crores-to-study-the-human-brain/85249/1 | title=Why Kris Gopalakrishnan is Spending Hundreds of Crores to Study the Human Brain }}</ref>


4)    Member of DBT/Wellcome Trust India Alliance's Strategic Advisory Council
Kris is supporting and guiding several India-focused initiatives, through his leadership roles in various Government committees/bodies and philanthropic initiatives, in the following areas:


5)    Nanyang Professor of the Practice at NTU, Singapore from 1 June 2018<ref>{{Cite web|title=GAIN Distinguished Speaker Series|url=https://www.ntu.edu.sg/research/research-hub/events/detail/2021/05/04/default-calendar/gain-distinguished-speaker-series|access-date=2021-06-13|website=Research|language=en}}</ref>
===Brain science and computer science===
Kris has contributed {{currency|225|INR}} [[crore]]s to develop a Centre for Brain Research at the [[Indian Institute of Science]] in [[Bangalore]]. He is the donor of the largest philanthropic gift ever received by the 105-year-old institute from an individual.<ref>{{cite web|agency=TNN|date=Jan 31, 2014|title=Infosys co-founder gives IISc Rs 225 crore {{!}} India News - Times of India|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Infosys-co-founder-gives-IISc-Rs-225-crore/articleshow/29621344.cms|access-date=2021-06-13|website=The Times of India|language=en}}</ref> He has contributed an additional {{INR|60}} crores to set up distinguished visiting chairs in Neurocomputing and Data Science at the IISc Bengaluru and [[IIT Madras|Indian Institute of Technology Madras]] of [[Chennai]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Infosys Co-founder Sets Up 3 Chairs at IISc With Rs 10 Crore Corpus|url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/states/karnataka/2015/jun/23/infosys-co-founder-sets-up-3-chairs-at-iisc-with-rs-10-crore-corpus-773232.html|access-date=2021-06-13|website=The New Indian Express|date=23 June 2015 }}</ref><ref>https://joyofgiving.alumni.iitm.ac.in/data/utilreports/Shri-Kris-Report.pdf IIT Madras website, Joy Of Giving section, Impact of Giving by Kris Gopalakrishnan, access-date=2022-09-30</ref>


6)    Trustee of the Infosys Science Foundation<ref>{{Cite web|title=Infosys Prize - About Us|url=https://www.infosys-science-foundation.com/about.asp|access-date=2021-06-13|website=www.infosys-science-foundation.com}}</ref>
Another project Gopalakrishnan has funded at IIT Madras is the "Sudha Gopalakrishnan Brain Centre", which he says is the first of its kind in the world. The centre is undertaking the cellular-level image mapping of the brain.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.forbesindia.com/article/take-one-big-story-of-the-day/why-kris-gopalakrishnan-is-spending-hundreds-of-crores-to-study-the-human-brain/85249/1 | title=Why Kris Gopalakrishnan is Spending Hundreds of Crores to Study the Human Brain }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://acr.iitm.ac.in/iitm_in_news/iit-madras-launches-sudha-gopalakrishnan-brain-centre-to-map-human-brains-at-cellular-level/ | title=Office of Alumni & Corporate Relations }}</ref><ref>https://iitm.humanbrain.in/ {{Bare URL inline|date=September 2025}}</ref>


'''Positions in Industry / Government institutions and bodies'''
Kris is chairing the governing board of India's {{INR|3660}} crore National Mission on Cyber-Physical System Technologies which is overseeing the establishment of 25 hubs related to CPS and allied technologies.


7)    Chairman of Vision Group on IT for Government of Karnataka
===Healthcare===
Kris has furthered ageing research in India through the Srinivasapura Aging Neuro Senescence and Cognition Study,<ref>{{cite web|last=India|first=The Hans|date=2020-02-11|title=Gene-mapping project can transform country's healthcare|url=https://www.thehansindia.com/editors-desk/gene-mapping-project-can-transform-countrys-healthcare-604235|access-date=2021-06-13|website=thehansindia.com|language=en}}</ref> and GenomeIndia, a pan-India initiative focused on Whole Genome Sequencing of 10,000 individuals from representative populations across India.<ref>{{cite web|title=Indian Institute of Science|url=https://www.iisc.ac.in/events/genomeindia-initiative-launched-to-unlock-indias-dna/|access-date=2021-06-13|language=en}}</ref> He is also supporting the Accelerator Program for Discovery in Brain Disorders using Stem Cells at the National Centre for Biological Sciences in Bangalore, Karnataka.


8)    President of CII (2013–14)
He is on the Board of Swasth Digital Health Foundation, a not-for-profit consortium charting an innovative healthcare model in India.<ref>{{cite web|title=Swasth.app|url=https://www.swasth.app/team|access-date=2021-06-13|website=Swasth.app|language=en}}</ref>


9)    Co-chair of the World Economic Forum in Davos (2014)
==Other activities==
Kris instituted the Gopalakrishnan – NTU Presidential Postdoctoral Fellowships, focused on Industry 4.0, Smart Cities.<ref>{{cite web|agency=PTI|date=Jun 1, 2018|title=PM Modi Singapore visit: PM Narendra Modi visits NTU in Singapore, interacts with students {{!}} India News - Times of India|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/pm-narendra-modi-visits-ntu-in-singapore-interacts-with-students/articleshow/64414091.cms|access-date=2021-06-13|website=The Times of India|language=en}}</ref>


10)  Member of the United Nations Global Compact Board (2012–15)<ref>{{Cite web|title=Infosys - Kris Gopalakrishnan in the UN Global Compact Board|url=https://www.infosys.com/newsroom/features/2012/kris-un-global-compact-board.html|access-date=2021-06-13|website=www.infosys.com}}</ref>
He supports young researchers in India through the Pratiksha Trust Young Investigators Award at IISc, Pratiksha Trust Scholarship and travel grants for Winter Schools on Quantitative Systems Biology at ICTS, and the Young Faculty Recognition Award and Travel Grants at IIT Madras.<ref>{{cite web|title=Indian Institute of Science|url=https://www.iisc.ac.in/events/lectures-by-pratiksha-trust-young-investigators/|access-date=2021-06-13|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.icts.res.in/program/qsb2019 |title=ICTP - ICTS Winter School on Quantitative Systems Biology |publisher=ICTS |date= |accessdate=2022-09-30}}</ref>


11)  Chairperson of India's committee on Non-Personal Data Governance<ref>MeitY Office Memorandum No. 24(4)/2019-CLES dated 13.09.2019</ref>
Kris established the Gopalakrishnan – Deshpande Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship at IIT Madras in August 2017, to be able to solve India's society's problems by applying the full capabilities of the scientific and technological knowledge of Indian academic institutions through world class innovation and entrepreneurship.<ref>{{cite web|title=GDC - Gopalakrishnan-Deshpande Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship|url=http://gdc-iitm.org/pages/our-vision|access-date=2021-06-13|website=gdc-iitm.org}}</ref>


12)  The first Chairperson of the Reserve Bank Innovation Hub<ref>{{Cite web|last=www.ETBFSI.com|title=Kris Gopalakrishnan appointed first chairperson of Reserve Bank Innovation Hub - ET BFSI|url=https://bfsi.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/fintech/kris-gopalakrishnan-appointed-first-chairperson-of-reserve-bank-innovation-hub/79261673|access-date=2021-06-13|website=ETBFSI.com|language=en}}</ref>
Kris supports the nurturing of livelihoods of farmers through programs like the Naandi Foundation<ref>{{cite web|title=Naandi|url=https://www.naandi.org/board-of-directors/|access-date=2021-06-13|website=naandi.org}}</ref> and Centre for Collective Development.


13)  Chairman of CII Centre of Excellence for Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Start-ups<ref>{{Cite web|title=CII Start up Centre|url=https://www.cii.in/startup-centre.aspx|access-date=2021-06-13|website=www.cii.in}}</ref> and former Chairman of CII Start-up Council<ref>{{Cite web|title=CII|url=https://www.cii.in/PressreleasesDetail.aspx?enc=/q61PNgZtRqYhfP4GujvP9sU0QCQ9aWOpiIGTGX+Jg0=|access-date=2021-06-13|website=www.cii.in}}</ref>
He has supported several interesting history projects – such as the ''History of Indian IT'' through itihaasa.com and a research project on ''History of Mathematics in India'' at [[IIT Gandhinagar]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Home|url=https://sites.iitgn.ac.in/homi/|access-date=2021-06-13|website=sites.iitgn.ac.in}}</ref>
 
14)  Chairs the Advisory Committee for IIT Gandhi Nagar Research Park and Incubation Cell, Gujarat<ref>https://iitgn.ac.in/assets/pdfs/connections/Vol10-Issue3.pdf</ref>
 
15)  Chairs the Advisory Council for Entrepreneurship Development Institute, Gandhi Nagar, Gujarat
 
16)  Chief mentor of Startup Village<ref>{{Cite web|date=2013-11-10|title=Start-ups need to become household names: Kris Gopalakrishnan - Economic Times|url=http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2012-12-28/news/36036561_1_startup-village-first-telecom-incubator-kinfra-park|access-date=2021-06-13|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131110163013/http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2012-12-28/news/36036561_1_startup-village-first-telecom-incubator-kinfra-park|archive-date=10 November 2013}}</ref>
----
 
==Awards and Honours==
1)    In 2011, Government of India awarded him with Padma Bhushan which is India's third highest civilian honour<ref>{{Cite web|title=Press Information Bureau|url=https://pib.gov.in/newsite/erelease.aspx?relid=69364|access-date=2021-06-13|website=pib.gov.in}}</ref>
 
2)    Fellow of Indian National Academy of Engineers
 
3)    Honorary Fellow of Institution of Electronics and Telecommunication Engineers of India
 
4)    Conferred with an honorary doctorate by University of Kerala in 2019 <ref>{{Cite news|author=Staff Reporter|date=2019-08-21|title=KU to confer honorary doctorates on Narlikar, Kris Gopalakrishnan|language=en-IN|work=The Hindu|url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Thiruvananthapuram/ku-to-confer-honorary-doctorates-on-narlikar-kris-gopalakrishnan/article29185917.ece|access-date=2021-06-13|issn=0971-751X}}</ref>
 
5)    Top CEO by Institutional Investor (2011)
 
6)    Thinkers 50 (2009) <ref>{{Cite web|title=Infosys - Kris Gopalakrishnan recognized as a Global Business Thinker|url=https://www.infosys.com/newsroom/features/2009/kris-gopalakrishnan-thinkers50.html|access-date=2021-06-13|website=www.infosys.com}}</ref>
 
7)    Distinguished Alumnus Award, IIT Madras (1998)<ref>{{Citation|title=List of IIT Madras people|date=2021-05-31|url=https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=List_of_IIT_Madras_people&oldid=1026082455|work=Wikipedia|language=en|access-date=2021-06-13}}</ref>
 
8)    Member of ACM, IEEE and IEEE Computer Society
----
 
== Philanthropy - Support for Research and Entrepreneurship in India ==
Kris is supporting and guiding several world-class India focused initiatives, through his leadership roles in various Government committees / bodies and philanthropic initiatives, in the following areas:
 
'''1.         Brain Science and Computer Science'''
 
Kris has contributed Rs. 225 crores (approximately US$40 million) to develop a Centre for Brain Research at the Indian Institute of Science in Bangalore. He is the donor of the largest philanthropic gift ever received by the 105-year-old institute from an individual.<ref>{{Cite web|last1=Jan 31|first1=TNN / Updated|last2=2014|last3=Ist|first3=07:24|title=Infosys co-founder gives IISc Rs 225 crore {{!}} India News - Times of India|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Infosys-co-founder-gives-IISc-Rs-225-crore/articleshow/29621344.cms|access-date=2021-06-13|website=The Times of India|language=en}}</ref> He has contributed an additional Rs. 60 crores (approximately US$10 million) to set up distinguished visiting chairs in Neurocomputing and Data Science at the Indian Institute of Science of Bengaluru and Indian Institute of Technology Madras of Chennai.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Infosys Co-founder Sets Up 3 Chairs at IISc With Rs 10 Crore Corpus|url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/states/karnataka/2015/jun/23/Infosys-Co-founder-Sets-Up-3-Chairs-at-IISc-With-Rs-10-Crore-Corpus-773232.html|access-date=2021-06-13|website=The New Indian Express}}</ref><ref>https://joyofgiving.alumni.iitm.ac.in/data/utilreports/Shri-Kris-Report.pdf</ref>
 
Kris is chairing the governing board of India's INR 3,660 crore National Mission on Cyber-Physical System Technologies which is overseeing the establishment of 25 hubs related to CPS and allied technologies.
 
'''2.         Healthcare'''
 
Kris has furthered Ageing research in India through the Srinivasapura Aging Neuro Senescence and Cognition Study,<ref>{{Cite web|last=India|first=The Hans|date=2020-02-11|title=Gene-mapping project can transform country's healthcare|url=https://www.thehansindia.com/editors-desk/gene-mapping-project-can-transform-countrys-healthcare-604235|access-date=2021-06-13|website=www.thehansindia.com|language=en}}</ref> and GenomeIndia, a pan-India initiative focused on Whole Genome Sequencing of 10,000 individuals from representative populations across India.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Indian Institute of Science|url=https://www.iisc.ac.in/events/genomeindia-initiative-launched-to-unlock-indias-dna/|access-date=2021-06-13|language=en}}</ref> He is also supporting the Accelerator Program for Discovery in Brain Disorders using Stem Cells at the National Centre for Biological Sciences in Bangalore, Karnataka.
 
He is on the Board of Swasth Digital Health Foundation, a not-for-profit consortium charting an innovative healthcare model in India.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Swasth.app|url=https://www.swasth.app/team|access-date=2021-06-13|website=Swasth.app|language=en}}</ref>
 
'''3.         Nurturing the Indian research and innovation ecosystem'''
 
Kris instituted the Gopalakrishnan – NTU Presidential Postdoctoral Fellowships, focused on Industry 4.0, Smart Cities.<ref>{{Cite web|last1=Jun 1|first1=PTI /|last2=2018|last3=Ist|first3=14:28|title=PM Modi Singapore visit: PM Narendra Modi visits NTU in Singapore, interacts with students {{!}} India News - Times of India|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/pm-narendra-modi-visits-ntu-in-singapore-interacts-with-students/articleshow/64414091.cms|access-date=2021-06-13|website=The Times of India|language=en}}</ref>
 
He supports young researchers in India through the Pratiksha Trust Young Investigators Award at IISc, Pratiksha Trust Scholarship and travel grants for Winter Schools on Quantitative Systems Biology at ICTS, and the Young Faculty Recognition Award and Travel Grants at IIT Madras.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Indian Institute of Science|url=https://www.iisc.ac.in/events/lectures-by-pratiksha-trust-young-investigators/|access-date=2021-06-13|language=en}}</ref><ref>https://www.icts.res.in/program/qsb2019</ref>
 
Kris established the Gopalakrishnan – Deshpande Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship at IIT Madras in August 2017, to be able to solve India's society's problems by applying the full capabilities of the scientific and technological knowledge of Indian academic institutions through world class innovation and entrepreneurship.<ref>{{Cite web|title=GDC - Gopalakrishnan-Deshpande Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship|url=http://gdc-iitm.org/pages/our-vision|access-date=2021-06-13|website=gdc-iitm.org}}</ref>
 
'''4.         Creating social impact and rediscovering Indian science / technology'''
 
Kris supports the nurturing of livelihoods of farmers through programs like the Naandi Foundation<ref>{{Cite web|title=Naandi|url=https://www.naandi.org/board-of-directors/|access-date=2021-06-13|website=www.naandi.org}}</ref> and Centre for Collective Development.
 
He has supported several interesting history projects – such as the ‘History of Indian IT’ through itihaasa.com and a research project on ‘History of Mathematics in India’ at IIT Gandhinagar.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Home|url=https://sites.iitgn.ac.in/homi/|access-date=2021-06-13|website=sites.iitgn.ac.in}}</ref>
----


==References==
==References==
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{{Reflist}}{{Infosys}}{{PadmaBhushanAwardRecipients 2010–19}}
{{Reflist}}{{Infosys}}{{PadmaBhushanAwardRecipients 2010–19}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Gopalakrishnan, Kris}}
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[[Category:Tamil billionaires]]
[[Category:Tamil billionaires]]
[[Category:Indian billionaires]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:1956 births]]
[[Category:1956 births]]

Latest revision as of 22:17, 31 January 2026


Template:Resume-like

Senapathy "Kris" Gopalakrishnan
Gopalakrishnan at the World Economic Forum on India in 2012
Born
Senapathy Gopalakrishnan

(1955-04-05) 5 April 1955 (age 71)
Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India
Education
Alma mater
OccupationExecutive vice chairman, Infosys
Years active1981–2014
Spouse(s)Sudha Gopalakrishnan
Children1

Senapathy “Kris” Gopalakrishnan is an Indian businessman and the chairman of Axilor Ventures, a startup accelerator.[1] He is one of the co-founders of Infosys, having served as its CEO and managing director from 2007 to 2011 and vice chairman from 2011 to 2014.[2]

Recognized as a global business and technology thought leader, he was voted the top CEO (IT Services category) in Institutional Investor's inaugural ranking of Asia's Top Executives and selected as one of the winners of the second Asian Corporate Director Recognition Awards by Corporate Governance Asia in 2011. He was elected president of India's apex industry chamber Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) for 2013–14 and served as one of the co-chairs of the World Economic Forum in Davos in January 2014.

In January 2011, the Government of India awarded Gopalakrishnan the Padma Bhushan, the country's third-highest civilian honour.

Kris serves on the board of governors of Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology, is the chairman of the Council of Indian Institute of Science, and is the chairman of the board of governors of International Institute of Information Technology, Bangalore. He is the chairman of the Vision Group on Information Technology of Karnataka Government, the chairman of RBIH (Reserve Bank of India Innovation Hub), and the chairman of CII Centre of Excellence in Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Startups (CIES). He is also President of Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology, Trivandrum.[3]

Kris is the chairman of Itihaasa Research and Digital which publishes the history of the Indian IT industry as [4] microsite as well as reports on industrial and academic research in India.[5] He is the Co-author of Against All Odds – The IT Story of India.

Kris invests in promoting research on Brain sciences, ageing ageing-related disorders as well as investing in start-ups and start-up ecosystems. His family philanthropy is Pratiksha Trust and his investment arm is Pratithi.

Kris holds master’s degrees in physics and computer science from the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras. Kris is a Fellow of Indian National Academy of Engineers (INAE) and an Honorary Fellow of Institution of Electronics and Telecommunication Engineers (IETE) of India.

As per Forbes list of India’s 100 richest tycoons, dated OCTOBER 09, 2024, Senapathy Gopalakrishnan is ranked 73rd with a net worth of $4.35 Billion.[6]

Early life[edit | edit source]

Template:BLP unreferenced section Gopalakrishnan was born in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala on 5 April 1955. He studied at the Government Model Boys Higher Secondary School.

He obtained an M.Sc. in Physics in 1977 and M.Tech. in Computer Science in 1979, both from IIT Madras. He started his career as a software engineer with Patni Computer Systems, Mumbai, in 1979.

Positions held[edit | edit source]

Kris Gopalakrishnan has served in leadership roles in several research/educational and industry/startup institutions and forums.

Positions in research / educational institutions and bodies[edit | edit source]

Positions in industry / government institutions and bodies[edit | edit source]

Awards and honours[edit | edit source]

Philanthropy[edit | edit source]

Support for research and entrepreneurship in India[edit | edit source]

Through Axilor Ventures, Kris has invested in innumerable startups and venture funds. He has used some of his wealth - as of May 30, 2023, according to Forbes, estimated at $2.9 billion, towards causes such as health research, specifically brain science as well as technology-driven innovation that has a direct impact on society.[20]

Kris is supporting and guiding several India-focused initiatives, through his leadership roles in various Government committees/bodies and philanthropic initiatives, in the following areas:

Brain science and computer science[edit | edit source]

Kris has contributed ₹225 crores to develop a Centre for Brain Research at the Indian Institute of Science in Bangalore. He is the donor of the largest philanthropic gift ever received by the 105-year-old institute from an individual.[21] He has contributed an additional ₹60 crores to set up distinguished visiting chairs in Neurocomputing and Data Science at the IISc Bengaluru and Indian Institute of Technology Madras of Chennai.[22][23]

Another project Gopalakrishnan has funded at IIT Madras is the "Sudha Gopalakrishnan Brain Centre", which he says is the first of its kind in the world. The centre is undertaking the cellular-level image mapping of the brain.[24][25][26]

Kris is chairing the governing board of India's ₹3,660 crore National Mission on Cyber-Physical System Technologies which is overseeing the establishment of 25 hubs related to CPS and allied technologies.

Healthcare[edit | edit source]

Kris has furthered ageing research in India through the Srinivasapura Aging Neuro Senescence and Cognition Study,[27] and GenomeIndia, a pan-India initiative focused on Whole Genome Sequencing of 10,000 individuals from representative populations across India.[28] He is also supporting the Accelerator Program for Discovery in Brain Disorders using Stem Cells at the National Centre for Biological Sciences in Bangalore, Karnataka.

He is on the Board of Swasth Digital Health Foundation, a not-for-profit consortium charting an innovative healthcare model in India.[29]

Other activities[edit | edit source]

Kris instituted the Gopalakrishnan – NTU Presidential Postdoctoral Fellowships, focused on Industry 4.0, Smart Cities.[30]

He supports young researchers in India through the Pratiksha Trust Young Investigators Award at IISc, Pratiksha Trust Scholarship and travel grants for Winter Schools on Quantitative Systems Biology at ICTS, and the Young Faculty Recognition Award and Travel Grants at IIT Madras.[31][32]

Kris established the Gopalakrishnan – Deshpande Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship at IIT Madras in August 2017, to be able to solve India's society's problems by applying the full capabilities of the scientific and technological knowledge of Indian academic institutions through world class innovation and entrepreneurship.[33]

Kris supports the nurturing of livelihoods of farmers through programs like the Naandi Foundation[34] and Centre for Collective Development.

He has supported several interesting history projects – such as the History of Indian IT through itihaasa.com and a research project on History of Mathematics in India at IIT Gandhinagar.[35]

References[edit | edit source]

  1. ↑ "Investors – Axilor Ventures:: Axilor Ventures is an Active Seed Fund". Retrieved 13 June 2021.
  2. ↑ "Infosys - S. Gopalakrishnan: Co-founder | Management Profiles". infosys.com. Retrieved 13 June 2021.
  3. ↑ "SCTIMST Governing Body".
  4. ↑ "itihaasa.com".
  5. ↑ "Home | Itihaasa". itihaasa.com. Retrieved 13 June 2021.
  6. ↑ "India's 100 Richest". Forbes.
  7. ↑ "National Mission on Interdisciplinary Cyber-Physical Systems (NM-ICPS)". nmicps.gov.in. Retrieved 13 June 2021.
  8. ↑ "Board of Governors". Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University OIST. 14 June 2011. Retrieved 13 June 2021.
  9. ↑ "Mr. S Gopalakrishnan Chairman". iiitb.ac.in. Retrieved 13 June 2021.
  10. ↑ "GAIN Distinguished Speaker Series". Research. Retrieved 13 June 2021.
  11. ↑ "Infosys Prize - About Us". infosys-science-foundation.com. Retrieved 13 June 2021.
  12. ↑ "Infosys - Kris Gopalakrishnan in the UN Global Compact Board". infosys.com. Retrieved 13 June 2021.
  13. ↑ MeitY Office Memorandum No. 24(4)/2019-CLES dated 13.09.2019
  14. ↑ ETBFSI.com. "Kris Gopalakrishnan appointed first chairperson of Reserve Bank Innovation Hub - ET BFSI". ETBFSI.com. Retrieved 13 June 2021.
  15. ↑ "CII Start up Centre". cii.in. Retrieved 13 June 2021.
  16. ↑ "CII". cii.in. Retrieved 13 June 2021.
  17. ↑ "Press Information Bureau". pib.gov.in. Retrieved 13 June 2021.
  18. ↑ "KU to confer honorary doctorates on Narlikar, Kris Gopalakrishnan". The Hindu. 21 August 2019. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 13 June 2021.
  19. ↑ "Infosys - Kris Gopalakrishnan recognized as a Global Business Thinker". infosys.com. Retrieved 13 June 2021.
  20. ↑ "Why Kris Gopalakrishnan is Spending Hundreds of Crores to Study the Human Brain".
  21. ↑ "Infosys co-founder gives IISc Rs 225 crore | India News - Times of India". The Times of India. TNN. 31 January 2014. Retrieved 13 June 2021.
  22. ↑ "Infosys Co-founder Sets Up 3 Chairs at IISc With Rs 10 Crore Corpus". The New Indian Express. 23 June 2015. Retrieved 13 June 2021.
  23. ↑ https://joyofgiving.alumni.iitm.ac.in/data/utilreports/Shri-Kris-Report.pdf IIT Madras website, Joy Of Giving section, Impact of Giving by Kris Gopalakrishnan, access-date=2022-09-30
  24. ↑ "Why Kris Gopalakrishnan is Spending Hundreds of Crores to Study the Human Brain".
  25. ↑ "Office of Alumni & Corporate Relations".
  26. ↑ https://iitm.humanbrain.in/ [bare URL]
  27. ↑ India, The Hans (11 February 2020). "Gene-mapping project can transform country's healthcare". thehansindia.com. Retrieved 13 June 2021.
  28. ↑ "Indian Institute of Science". Retrieved 13 June 2021.
  29. ↑ "Swasth.app". Swasth.app. Retrieved 13 June 2021.
  30. ↑ "PM Modi Singapore visit: PM Narendra Modi visits NTU in Singapore, interacts with students | India News - Times of India". The Times of India. PTI. 1 June 2018. Retrieved 13 June 2021.
  31. ↑ "Indian Institute of Science". Retrieved 13 June 2021.
  32. ↑ "ICTP - ICTS Winter School on Quantitative Systems Biology". ICTS. Retrieved 30 September 2022.
  33. ↑ "GDC - Gopalakrishnan-Deshpande Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship". gdc-iitm.org. Retrieved 13 June 2021.
  34. ↑ "Naandi". naandi.org. Retrieved 13 June 2021.
  35. ↑ "Home". sites.iitgn.ac.in. Retrieved 13 June 2021.
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