BENGALURU, 8 MARCH 

The announcement of her nomination to Rajya Sabha was a double surprise as it came on Women's Day, philanthropist and author Sudha Murty said on Friday.

The former Chairperson of Infosys Foundation, the philanthropy and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) arm of Infosys, said she has never sought the position and had "absolutely no idea" why the government chose to nominate her. "I am grateful to our Prime Minister," Murty, who is currently on a visit to Thailand, told PTI over the phone.

On her role as a member of the Upper House, the wife of Infosys co-founder NR Narayana Murthy said, "I have to see what are the things...what I can do. This is a new area for me. So, I have to first sit and study and then I will be able to do it."

Sudha holds a 0.83 per cent stake in Infosys which at current prices is worth close to Rs 5,600 crore. She is the chairperson of the Murty Trust and has authored several books. According to the latest shareholding filed by Infosys with the BSE, she holds 3.45 crore shares of the company. At the last closing price of Rs 1,616.95 on the BSE, Sudha's holding in Infosys is currently worth Rs 5,586.66 crore. Her husband Narayana Murthy owns 1.66 crore equity shares that are worth Rs 2,691 crore.

Sudha, who was awarded the Padma Shri in 2006 and Padma Bhushan in January this year, is also the mother-in-law of UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.

While Padma Shri is the country's fourth-highest civilian award, Padma Bhushan is the second-highest civilian honour.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday morning took to the X to announce her nomination. "I am delighted that the President of India has nominated @SmtSudhaMurty Ji to the Rajya Sabha. Sudha Ji's contributions to diverse fields including social work, philanthropy and education have been immense and inspiring. Her presence in the Rajya Sabha is a powerful testament to our 'Nari Shakti', exemplifying the strength and potential of women in shaping our nation's destiny. Wishing her a fruitful Parliamentary tenure."