Infosys elevates Ravi Venkatesan as co-chairman of the board. Here’s why he matters

He has served Microsoft India as Chairman between 2004 and 2011. During his stint, Venkatesan championed computer literacy project called ‘Project Shiksha’ and trained 40 million schoolchildren in India.

He was also the Chairman of Cummins India where he helped setting up of the Cummins College of Engineering, India’s first engineering college for women. Under his leadership, Cummins India saw transformation as India’s leading provider of engines and power solutions.

Venkatesan has invested his personal wealth in non-profits and started Social Venture Partners India (SVP), which is a network of donor-partners that he founded four years ago. In 2013, Venkatesan also invested his own money in Unitus Seed Fund, where he is a partner, supporting some of India’s best-known impact investments.

As Infosys co-chair, he is expected to bridge the gap between founders and board members