‘My son asked me how am I going to pay his college fees’-Mohandas Pai

Bangalore Mirror

Bangalore, 16 April 2011:  When T V Mohandas Pai announced his resignation as director, human resources, of Infosys on Friday, his most difficult task was handling the shocked reaction of his family members. 

 

Pai, 52, had served the IT bellwether for 17 years and was reportedly drawing an annual pay packet of Rs 3.13 crore. 

 

But it was the timing of his decision to quit that took everyone — including his family — by surprise as it came on the eve of the declaration of Infosys’ fourth-quarter results.

 

When he broke the news to his family members, his son asked, “Dad, how are we going to pay my college fees if you resign?” and his wife commented, “What are you going to do after giving up your job, sit and boss around at home?” 

 

 

“I assured them that I would take care and that I wasn’t planning on being jobless,” Pai said. 

 

Pai’s resignation also comes in the backdrop of restructuring plans currently on at the IT major. 

 

Pai, however, denied suggestions that his decision to quit was because of an internal power struggle and asserted that he had been planning it for some time.

 

“On Thursday night, I sent out a formal mail announcing my resignation. In fact, I was planning to quit for over a year now. I have even had discussions on this issue with Infosys founders including (Infosys chief mentor) Narayana Murthy.”

 

Grapevine had it that Pai was aspiring to become the chief executive officer (CEO) of Infosys. But he flatly denied those suggestions. 

 

 

“That is not true,” he said. “It’s just that I wanted time off for myself and time with the family. I think I was so glued to my job, that I have not had the time to visit a restaurant in Bangalore for a meal in the last 17 years. Moreover, Infosys is a team-led company and we want to pass the leadership baton on to the younger generation.”

 

Pai, who has been the most visible face of Infosys after Narayana Murthy and Nandan Nilekani, revealed that it was a difficult decision. 

 

“It has been an unbelievable experience,” Pai said. “In 17 years, I have seen the rise of Infosys from a 500-person $10 million company to a $6 billion 1.3 lakh-person company, with a global presence and over $40 billion value. I have seen respect for the Indian passport globally because of this industry. To me, that is the greatest satisfaction because I have personally 

participated in making sure that the Indian passport, in any part of the world you go... they look at you with respect.” 

 

Pai’s entry into Infosys was as dramatic as his exit. 

 

A former student of St Joseph’s College of Commerce, Bangalore, Pai first worked in the finance department of Bangalore-based Prakash Roadlines, a transport company. 

 

Things changed for him in 1994 when he was requested by a friend to accompany the latter to the annual general meeting of the relatively lesser-known Infosys Technologies Limited which had gone public the previous year at Rs 95 per share.

 

Unlike many who silently watch the proceedings, Pai began shooting questions to the management on behalf of his friend. 

Initially, the company founders found him a pesky customer, but they later realised that the questions he was asking were indeed sensible ones. 

 

At that point, Narayana Murthy asked co-founder Nilekani (who is currently heading the UIDAI) to talk to Pai and convince him to join the company. Pai obliged and soon climbed the ladder as the company grew. 

 

In 2006, he relinquished the chief financial officer’s post and went on to head the human resource operations. Subsequently, he became the most visible face of the company; his frank comments on corruption and functioning of governments made him quite popular in corporate and bureaucratic circles.

 

Pai plans to spend his future doing ‘public service’.