The story of S D Shibulal is a captivating tale in the world of technology. His journey from a small-town boy to a tech mogul, with a net worth reaching ₹17,587 crores, is truly remarkable. Born on March 1, 1955, in Kerala, Shibulal’s early life was deeply influenced by his father, Damodaran, an ayurvedic doctor, and his mother, Sarojini, a government employee. After completing his schooling at T.D. High School, Alappuzha, Shibulal pursued higher education, earning an M.Sc. in Physics from the University of Kerala. His thirst for knowledge led him to the United States, where he obtained an M.S. in Computer Science from Boston University.
Shibulal’s extraordinary career began in 1981 when he co-founded Infosys Consultants Pvt Ltd alongside N. R. Narayana Murthy, Nandan Nilekani, N. S. Raghavan, S. Gopalakrishnan, K. Dinesh, and Ashok Arora. This venture would later evolve into Infosys, a global IT giant. Shibulal played a pivotal role in the company’s growth, serving as the Chief Operating Officer in 2007 and later as CEO and Managing Director from 2011 to 2014. After a five-year stint at Sun Microsystems in the 1990s, Shibulal returned to Infosys in 1997 to lead its Internet Consultancy practice. His leadership was instrumental in guiding Infosys towards unprecedented success.
In 2014, Shibulal stepped down from his CEO and MD roles, passing the reins to Dr. Vishal Sikka. However, his entrepreneurial spirit continued to thrive. In 2014, he co-founded Axilor Ventures with Senapathy Gopalakrishnan, with the aim of nurturing and supporting young entrepreneurs. Even after stepping away from Infosys, Shibulal’s impact on the tech industry remains significant. His legacy and innovative spirit continue to inspire and influence the tech landscape.