Narayana Murthy, Veena Sahajwalla win top global honour for Leadership, Research Innovation

Bengaluru: Infosys co-founder N.R Narayana Murthy and Mumbai-born scientist Veena Sahajwalla were among the recipients of the PLuS Alliance Prize ¬– a prestigious honour that recognises Research Innovation, Education Innovation, Global Leadership and Global Innovation.
The Prize of USD$50,000 was awarded in two categories; Education Innovation and Research Innovation. Both winners were recognised for the development and implementation of innovative solutions to significant global issues
Mr Murthy was presented the PLuS Alliance Prize for Global Leadership while Professor Sahajwalla was awarded the PLuS Alliance Prize for Research Innovation for her project ‘The new science of green manufacturing.’
The awards were presented to Mr Murthy, Professor Sahajwalla and the other winners by Professor Sir Malcolm Grant, Chairman of NHS England and Chair of the PLuS Alliance Advisory Board, at a ceremony at the T-H-E World Academic Summit in London.
The PLuS Alliance is a unique international collaboration between Arizona State University, King’s College London, and UNSW Sydney. Launched in February 2016, it enables research-led solutions to global challenges while expanding access to world-class learning.
The winners who hail from India, the US, the UK and Australia were chosen by a jury consisting of eminent global industry leaders and experts. These included former LinkedIn Vice President Ellen Levy who is now the Managing Director of Silicon Valley Connect, NSW Chief Scientist and Engineer Mary O’Kane, former VP of GE Medical, Europe, Timothy Irish and the three Presidents of the PLuS Alliance universities.
Expressing happiness over winning the award, Mr Narayana Murthy said, “To be recognised as a global leader by three great universities today, collaborating under the PLuS Alliance, is an honour. Leadership plays such a vital role in fostering innovation so it’s humbling to be recognised among so many innovators who are bringing about positive change in the world.”

Professor Sahajwalla said, “The work we’ve been doing to help global industries use green materials over virgin raw materials is vital to sustainability. This recognition by the PLuS Alliance for the work we’ve been doing to drive change and impact communities across the world is a real honour.”
Mr Murthy is known for his clear vision of leadership that has not only resulted in extraordinary growth for his companies but has been integral in bringing a powerful IT wave to India. The jury recognised him especially for his generosity as a philanthropist and thought-leader, with particular acknowledgment of Infosys Science Foundation that is focused on aiding young people in their pursuits of science and research.
Professor Sahajwalla’s project ‘The new science of green manufacturing’ is revolutionising recycling to enable global industries to safely utilise toxic and complex wastes as low-cost alternatives to virgin raw materials and fossil fuels. This process re-imagines the supply chain by ‘mining’ over-burdened landfills for resources.
Lauding the achievements of all the winners, Paul Ramadge, Managing Director of the PLuS Alliance, said: “We were impressed with the quality of entries nominated. All the submissions we received are noteworthy and illustrate real innovation from social enterprise to tech and environmental break-through. I send my heartfelt congratulations to the winners and look forward to seeing their innovation develop over the coming years.”