Infosys founder NR Narayana Murthy was conferred the Hoover Medal on Monday, becoming the second Indian to get the prestigious award after former Indian President A.P. J. Abdul Kalam.
The chairman emeritus of India's second largest software exporter was awarded the coveted medal at the Global Humanitarian Technology Conference held in Seattle for his philanthropic activities in India. Murthy developed a foundation that focuses on healthcare, social rehabilitation, education and rural upliftment in India.
The Hoover Medal bestowed on him is in recognition of his contribution to humanity in the category of non-technical services by engineers.
Apart from being the second Indian recipient of the award, Murthy is also the 70th personality to win the medal. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam was conferred the medal in 2008.
The Hoover Medal is administered by a board representing five engineering organizations that include the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, the American Society of Civil Engineers, the American Institute of Chemical Engineers, the American Institute of Mining, Metallurgical and Petroleum Engineers and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers.
The award was established in 1930 and some of its prominent recipients include former US Presidents Herbert Hoover, Dwight Eisenhower and James Carter.
Murthy along with six engineers founded Infosys Limited in 1981. His Global Delivery Model which became the cornerstone of the IT industry's huge success in outsourcing. The company's IT and business consulting services are present in over 30 nations across the globe.
