Dr V Krishnamurthy (1925-2022) was known as the ‘Father of Public Sector Undertakings’ for his successful contributions and engagements with firms such as Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL, 1972-77), Maruti Udyog Limited (MUL, 1981-90) and Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL, 1985-90). An engineer, he held a doctorate in Economics from the Soviet Academy of Sciences and was committed to academic causes, serving as the Chairman of IIM Bangalore, IIT Delhi, and numerous other institutes, apart from IIMA. He was awarded the Padma Shri in 1973, Padma Bhushan in 1986, and Padma Vibhushan in 2007 for his remarkable contributions in service to the Nation and he was also the recipient of Japan’s highest award – the Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Japan in 2009. His autobiography, titled At The Helm, was published in 2014 and is available in the Vikram Sarabhai Library at IIMA.
