Infosys IT icon joins the board of TiE, a global organization with offices in Dubai

TiE, one of the largest groups of its kind in the world, has 44 chapters in nine countries, including the UAE, and a membership base of over 12,000.

"We're delighted to have an icon and role model like Narayana Murthy join our board as a trustee, and are looking forward to his wisdom and vision to help us take TiE to the next level of helping entrepreneurs and industries meet the changing needs of the business world," said Apurv Bagri, Chairman of TiE Global.

"Narayana Murthy's appointment is another milestone in the ongoing growth and development of TiE," added Gautam Sen Gupta, TiE Dubai's President Elect. "As someone who built an incredibly influential Fortune 500 firm, he will be able to offer a range of key insights to TiE members worldwide and here in the UAE."

Murthy has been a strong supporter of TiE since its inception in 1992 and has a long association with the organization by way of his presence at various functions as a keynote speaker and panelist. He hosted Microsoft chief Bill Gates at the TiE Forum in New Delhi and, more recently, along with K.V. Kamath, Managing Director and CEO of ICICI Bank Ltd., led a meeting of the TiE India Advisory Board in Bangalore.

Accepting his appointment as a member of the TiE BOT, Murthy said he had seen the evolution of TiE from very close quarters over the past few years and was now looking forward to working with what he described as "an exceptional group of individuals." Murthy added: "With a network of chapters across a number of countries, TiE is well positioned to continue its growth trajectory and well poised to make an impact on economic development."

"I first met Murthy when Infosys had revenues of $3 million. Between then and now Infosys has grown to a $2 billion-plus company, but the one constant has been

Murthy's vision, commitment to values and focus on execution. We at TiE are honored to have his guidance as we build to the next level and beyond," said Sridar Iyengar, President of TiE Global.

Murthy is the Chairman and Chief Mentor of Infosys Technologies Ltd. He served as the Chief Executive Officer of Infosys between 1981-2002. Under his leadership, Infosys was listed on NASDAQ (INFY) in 1999. In March 2002, Murthy handed over the reins of the company to co-founder Nandan M. Nilekani.

Murthy is the chairman of the governing body of the Indian Institute of Information Technology, Bangalore, and the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad. He is a member of the Board of Overseers of the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School, Cornell University's Board of Trustees, Singapore Management University's Board of Trustees, INSEAD's Board of Directors and the Asian Institute of Management's Board of Governors. Murthy is also a member of the Advisory Boards and Councils of the William F. Achtmeyer Center for Global Leadership at the Tuck School of Business, the Corporate Governance Initiative at the Harvard Business School, and the Yale University President's Council on International Activities.

Murthy has led key corporate governance initiatives in India. He was the Chairman of the Committee on Corporate Governance appointed by the Securities and Exchange Board of India in 2003. He is also the recipient of numerous awards and honors. The Economist ranked him eighth on its list of the 15 most admired global corporate leaders for 2005, and he was ranked 28th among the world's most-respected business leaders by the Financial Times for the same year. Finally, he topped the Economic Times Corporate Dossier list of India's most powerful CEOs for two consecutive years, 2004 and 2005.