Kris Gopalakrishnan

Cofounder of Infosys, Technology Visionary & Philanthropist

Building the Future of Tech, Talent & Science

S. “Kris” Gopalakrishnan is best known as a co-founder of Infosys and a long-time champion of India’s innovation ecosystem. As former CEO & MD (2007–2011) and Vice Chairman (2011–2014) of Infosys, he helped scale one of India’s most respected technology companies, later turning his focus to Axilor Ventures (as Chairman), public policy, and philanthropy in brain research through the Pratiksha Trust. He is a recipient of the Padma Bhushan (2011), one of India’s highest civilian honors.

Who is Kris Gopalakrishnan?

Kris Gopalakrishnan is an Indian technology entrepreneur, Infosys co-founder, and former CEO. Today he chairs Axilor Ventures, supports cutting-edge brain research via the Pratiksha Trust, and serves on national innovation bodies. An IIT Madras alumnus, he received the Padma Bhushan in 2011.

Fast Facts

In this section, you can address common questions efficiently.

Full name:

Senapathy “Kris” Gopalakrishnan

Known for:

Infosys co-founder; CEO & MD (2007–2011); Vice Chairman (2011–2014)

Current roles:

Chairman, Axilor Ventures; Chair, RBI Innovation Hub; leadership roles with IISc Council, IIIT-B, and Karnataka’s Vision Group on IT; trustee/director on multiple research and industry bodies

Education:

M.Sc. (Physics) and M.Tech (Computer Science), IIT Madras

Honors:

Padma Bhushan (2011); CII President (2013–14).

Philanthropy:

Pratiksha Trust; major donor to Centre for Brain Research (IISc) and supporter of the Sudha Gopalakrishnan Brain Centre (IIT Madras).

From Infosys to India’s Innovation Flywheel

In 1981, a small group of engineers co-founded Infosys, laying the groundwork for a new chapter in global technology services. Over three decades, Kris Gopalakrishnan evolved from technologist to enterprise leader, culminating as CEO & MD (2007–2011) and later Vice Chairman (2011–2014). Under his stewardship, Infosys deepened client trust, sharpened delivery excellence, and accelerated leadership development. Today, he channels his energy into startups, science, and public-good platforms that aim to make India a global hub for deep tech and research.

Biography of Kris Gopalakrishnan

Early Life & Education

Kris completed his M.Sc. in Physics and M.Tech in Computer Science at IIT Madras, a dual academic foundation that shaped his systems thinking and long-term technology outlook. The IIT ecosystem equal parts rigor and curiosity feeds into his later interest in computational neuroscience and brain mapping.

Founding Infosys & Leadership Roles

A founding member of Infosys, Kris held pivotal roles before becoming CEO & MD in 2007, guiding the company through a period of global expansion and post-crisis resilience. In 2011, he transitioned to Vice Chairman, focusing on strategy, governance, and mentoring the next generation of leaders until 2014.

National & Global Engagements

Kris has served as President of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) in 2013–14 and held co-chair roles at the World Economic Forum. He is also Chairman of the Reserve Bank Innovation Hub (RBIH), fostering fintech innovation for public good. He has chaired committees and councils advancing research, entrepreneurship, and digital innovation across academia and government.

What is Kris Gopalakrishnan known for?

He is known for co-founding Infosys, leading it as CEO, and later catalyzing India’s startup ecosystem through Axilor Ventures. He also advances research especially in brain science via Pratiksha Trust and institutions like IISc’s Centre for Brain Research and IIT Madras.

Key Initiatives & Impact

Axilor Ventures: From Founders, For Founders

As Chairman of Axilor Ventures, Kris backs early-stage teams building in SaaS, fintech, healthtech, supply chains, agritech, and more. In 2022, Axilor launched ATF-II, a $100 million technology fund to double down on seed opportunities and support a larger set of founders. Co-founders include SD Shibulal, Srinath Batni, Tarun Khanna, and Ganapathy Venugopal.

What Axilor brings founders:

Day-zero support: strategic clarity, early customer access, and hiring playbooks
Network effects: curated access to operators, domain experts, and co-investors
Follow-on capital readiness: a focus on the “hardest leap”—Seed → Series A
Category depth: repeatable insights in vertical SaaS and B2B markets

Philanthropy in Brain Science: Pratiksha Trust

Kris and his family support brain research, aging, and neurological health through the Pratiksha Trust. A landmark gift helped establish the Centre for Brain Research (CBR) at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) in 2014—₹225 crore endowed to enable long-horizon research programs in brain aging and neurodegenerative disease. In June 2022, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated CBR’s new building at IISc, highlighting the national importance of this work.

Why brain research?

The convergence of neuroscience, imaging, and computation promises breakthroughs in early diagnosis, aging, and AI-driven discovery. CBR collaborates with hospitals and global labs, building longitudinal datasets and tools that are hard to assemble elsewhere.

IIT Madras & the Sudha Gopalakrishnan Brain Centre

An IIT Madras alumnus, Kris continues to engage with his alma mater’s push into computational neuroscience. The Sudha Gopalakrishnan Brain Centre (SGBC) at IIT Madras—launched in 2022—has already released the world’s most detailed 3D, high-resolution images of the human fetal brain, including 5,132 digitally imaged sections across gestational stages, and introduced DHARANI, a 3D developing human-brain atlas platform.

What SGBC means for India:

First-of-its-kind datasets at cellular scale for global researchers
Open scientific infrastructure (e.g., DHARANI) to accelerate discovery
Talent pipeline: training UG/PG students at the intersection of ML, imaging, & neuro-anatomy

Public Institutions & Policy

Kris helped set direction for fintech and data governance in India. He was appointed the first Chairperson of the Reserve Bank Innovation Hub (RBIH) in 2020, tasked with enabling innovation for financial inclusion and stability. He also chaired the Committee of Experts on Non-Personal Data Governance Framework (MeitY), releasing consultation documents to guide responsible data sharing and economic growth.

Leadership Philosophy

Kris Gopalakrishnan’s leadership combines engineering rigor, customer centricity, and patient capital:

The 5-P Framework

Purpose: Anchor decisions to long-term societal value
People: Coach leaders; distribute ownership; hire for curiosity
Productivity: Systems and processes that compound over time
Prudence: Manage risk; preserve trust; build resilient finance and governance
Public-good mindset: Invest beyond the firm—ecosystems, standards, and science

Founder Tips

Start with the problem, not the pitch. Build conviction around a hard customer pain.
Codify culture early. Write down operating principles before you scale.
Design for ‘day-2’ metrics. What will matter after launch—retention, unit economics, uptime?
Mentors are multipliers. Seek experts who’ve solved your exact bottleneck.
Own your narrative. Crisp ICP, pricing logic, and a defensible roadmap win the room.

Case Studies & Real-World Examples

Infosys: Scaling Trust at Global Level

At Infosys, Kris stewarded a culture of transparency, execution discipline, and leadership development. His tenure as CEO and then Vice Chairman coincided with a phase of client diversification and operational maturity, strengthening the firm’s reputation among global enterprises and analysts.

Axilor: Seed-to-Series A Conversion

Seed investing is as much about velocity as fit. Axilor’s strategy emphasizes vertical SaaS and B2B: getting the first ten design-partners, tightening feedback loops, and supporting follow-on when signals are strong. In 2022, Axilor announced a $100M second fund to expand this model.

“If you are in the right place at the right time — at the beginning of a wave — you will benefit significantly.”

— Kris Gopalakrishnan

Science Philanthropy: Building Public R&D Goods

CBR (IISc) and SGBC (IITM) aim to create open, reusable scientific assets—datasets, tools, and protocols—that accelerate discovery far beyond a single lab. This “platform” view of philanthropy mirrors how great software ecosystems scale.

“In any moment of decision, the best thing you can do is the right thing, the next best thing is the wrong thing, and the worst thing you can do is nothing.”

Kris Gopalakrishnan

Co-founder Infosys

Recognitions & Boards

Padma Bhushan (2011)

Government of India honor for distinguished service.

CII President (2013–14)

Co-chair at World Economic Forum (Davos, 2014).

Governance Roles

Governance roles across leading institutions, including IISc, IIIT-B, and OIST.

Media Resources

The Economic Times

Chairman, Axilor Ventures; first Chairperson, RBI Innovation Hub.

Wikipedia

Awards: Padma Bhushan (2011); CII President (2013–14).

IIT - Madras

Philanthropy: Endowed CBR @ IISc; supports SGBC @ IIT Madras.

Frequently asked questions

Here are some common questions about our company.

What are Kris Gopalakrishnan’s major roles?

Infosys co-founder; CEO & MD (2007–2011); Vice Chairman (2011–2014); Chairman, Axilor Ventures; Chair, RBI Innovation Hub; leadership roles at IISc, IIIT-B, and Karnataka’s Vision Group on IT. Padma Bhushan (2011).

What does Axilor Ventures focus on?

Axilor backs early-stage (seed) startups across SaaS, fintech, healthtech, supply chains, and agritech. In 2022, the firm launched ATF-II, a $100M technology fund to expand support for founders and improve Seed→Series A conversion.

How is Kris involved in brain research?

Through the Pratiksha Trust, he endowed the Centre for Brain Research (IISc) with ₹225 crore; the CBR building was inaugurated in June 2022. He also supports IIT Madras’s Sudha Gopalakrishnan Brain Centre, which released world-first 3D fetal brain images and the DHARANI atlas.

What is his educational background?

M.Sc. (Physics) and M.Tech (Computer Science) from IIT Madras.

Did he lead any government or policy initiatives?

Yes. He is the first Chairperson of RBI Innovation Hub (appointed 2020) and chaired MeitY’s Committee on the Non-Personal Data Governance Framework.