USC unveils its 1st-ever Ratan Tata Award in Mumbai:Honors Narayana Murthy, Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, and Sandeep Tandon for their transformational leadership

The University of Southern California has awarded its first-ever USC-Ratan Tata Award to Infosys founder N.R. Narayana Murthy for his contributions to technology, engineering, business, and transformational leadership. The recognition marked a milestone moment for the University of Southern California (USC) as it unveiled the new award in honor of the late industrialist and Life Trustee Ratan Tata. Murthy received the USC-Ratan Tata Award at the inaugural USC India Awards ceremony held at the Taj Mahal Palace in Mumbai. USC Interim President Beong-Soo Kim described Infosys founder as a “transformative figure whose leadership and values reflect the very spirit of Ratan Tata,” noting his role in establishing India as a global software and outsourcing powerhouse. Much like former USC Trustee Ratan Tata, these three global leaders have driven innovation, elevated communities, and inspired other generations of leaders Kim said. Murthy, who has been associated with USC for more than 25 years, called the honor ‘a great privilege,’ recalling his long friendship with Tata and his close ties to the university. This award is a great honor for me. I remain grateful to USC for this kindness, this generosity, and this affection, Murthy said. Two other distinguished industry leaders were honored at the ceremony: Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, founder and chairperson of Biocon, who received the USC Business Management Award, and Sandeep Tandon, chairman of Syrma SGS Technology and founder of Infinx, who was presented the USC Distinguished Alumni Award. This recognition is a reaffirmation of Biocon’s purpose-driven journey to make high-quality biopharmaceuticals accessible and affordable for patients around the world, Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw said. “I accept this honor on behalf of the thousands of passionate minds at Biocon who work relentlessly to ‘heal the world, ’” she added. Infosys CEO and Managing Director Salil Parekh congratulated the honorees, saying Murthy ‘embodies the vision, integrity, and humility’ associated with Ratan Tata and praising Mazumdar-Shaw and Tandon for their contributions to biotechnology and technology entrepreneurship. The event highlighted USC’s deep and expanding engagement with India. The awards committee included Tata Group Chairman Natarajan Chandrasekaran and Bollywood icon Madhuri Dixit, along with her husband and health-tech innovator Dr. Shriram Nene, who are parents of USC Viterbi students. ​