"IBM is a legacy, Infosys is the future"

MYSORE: Union Finance Minister P

Chidambaram, who was the chief guest at the Infosys

25 years celebrations here, said that the success of Infosys as a great

enterprise had made all Indians proud and has placed India among the frontline

nations of the of the world in software and technology.






Addressing over 7000 people, who were part of the company's silver jubilee
celebrations held at the firms's 330 acre campus at Mysore, he said, “I want

you to believe that there is nothing in this world which cannot be achieved by

unlocking the potential of young men and women, unleashing the spirit of

enterprise and saluting excellence, aspiration and achievement.”






“We missed the industrial revolution, because, we were a colony. We started
late, but we have caught up with the best in software industry, I am told, Nandan

tells rest of the world IBM

is a legacy, Infosys is a future”






He added that in the next five years, the software industry in India would
employ more people than any other company or group of companies of the world.






"In 10 years from now, we will be the largest employers in this industry.
What we have done here can be done in steel, can be done in petroleum, can be

done in mining, can be done in agriculture and food products, can be done in

education, can be done in aerospace industry. After all, each one of these

industries are build on knowledge; he who possess knowledge is the wealthiest

person."






Referring to the impact of globalization, Chidambaram said, “Bring a German
foreman, a South African engineer, a French chef, bring the whole world to

India, just as Indians can find a place anywhere in the world, let the whole

world look upon India as a destination to which they should travel.”






Taking a dig at government establishments, he narrated some incidents where he
was denied foreign exchange though the Harvard Business School had granted him

admission.






“Finally, thanks to the kindness of a gentlemen, who carried with him the
title, Chief Controller of Foreign Exchange -- I know it is difficult for you to

believe that there could have been someone called Chief Controller of Foreign

Exchange -- he gave me a grand allowance of $7 a day to pay for my board, my

food, my personal expenses 10 months a year in the two years that I will spend

at Harvard, irrespective of the fact whether I had a place to stay or food to

eat for the remaining two months of the year.






That opened my eyes. Because there was something fundamentally wrong about the
way we organized our affairs in this country."






Further, the finance minister said that the people of India know better than
their governments.






“I want you to have a healthy respect for law at the same time a healthy
suspicion of anyone who wields authority, I want you to believe that what is

best for India can be decided by the people of India and not by politicians,

political parties, trade unions or imposters.”






Congratulating Infosys on completing 25 years, Chidambaram said, “I am
confident that if you buy a share today, you will be eight times richer not in

seven years but perhaps in three years. What I will always remember about

Infosys is it raises ones aspiration, it creates wealth, it creates knowledge,

and today the greatest gift is what Murthy

and others have given you, the gift of sharing that knowledge, sharing that

wealth and sharing that aspiration.”






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