How a dosa grinder sparked Sudha Murthy’s idea for the Infosys Foundation

Sudha Murthy

A simple South Indian kitchen moment became the spark behind one of India’s most influential philanthropic institutions: Infosys Foundation.

Author, philanthropist, and Member of Parliament (MP) Murthy said her early experiences with a household grinding machine often left her wondering why society rarely remembers the people behind everyday innovations. The thought stayed with her and later shaped the birth of the Infosys Foundation and its social innovation programme.

During a conversation with the foundation’s trustee, Sumit Virmani, at the Aarohan Social Innovation Awards 2025, Murthy recalled noticing the grinding machine used to make dosa batter and how the device made household work easier, yet no one knew or acknowledged the innovator behind it.

The Rajya Sabha MP explained that this gap between impact and recognition convinced her that social entrepreneurs needed support and encouragement.

“We thought about it… and told we should have something which enforces foundation too. The result of that was Infosys Foundation,” Murthy said.

The idea grew into what eventually became the Infosys Foundation.

On November 21, Infosys Foundation announced the winners of the Aarohan Social Innovation Awards 2025, recognising eight innovators developing solutions in education, healthcare, and environmental sustainability.

The fourth edition of the awards selected the winners from more than 2,000 entries and granted a total of Rs 2 crore.

The Foundation awarded Rs 50 lakh each to the top innovators across three categories.

Meanwhile, Murthy said the aim was to recognise people who create solutions that improve lives but remain unseen, adding that money and early support often determine how far an innovation travels.

Seven years after the first Arohan awards, she said the platform now operates at a national scale and hopes it could one day become global.