Sudha Murty nominated to Rajya Sabha, PM Modi says 'powerful testament to Nari Shakti'

Philanthropist and Murty Trust Chairperson Sudha Murty has been nominated to the Rajya Sabha by Indian President Droupadi Murmu.

"I am delighted that the President of India has nominated Sudha Murty to the Rajya Sabha. Sudha Ji's contributions to diverse fields including social work, philanthropy and education have been immense and inspiring," Prime Minister Narendra Modi posted on social media platform X.

"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," he added.


Murty, 73, was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 2023 by the Indian government for her contributions in the field of social work during the 74th Republic Day celebrations. In 2006, she was conferred the Padma Shri, an award recognising distinguised service in any field.

Speaking to ET from Thailand, she said: "I had never expected this. This came as a big surprise to me. The Prime Minister called me last night and broke the news. This is a huge responsibility. I am grateful to the PM for this opportunity to serve my country, and the people. I will do my level best to live up to their expectations.”

Murty is in Thailand at the invitation of Kannada Sangha at the Asian Institute of Technology to deliver a talk.

Murty, a renowned author, has written multiple books including Dollar Bahu, Grandma Bag of Stories, The Mother I Never Knew, and many others in both English and Kannada.

Murty began her engineering career, emerging as one of the first female engineers recruited by Tata Electronic and Locomotive Company (TELCO), the largest automobile manufacturer in India. She has a Bachelor of Engineering degree from BVB College of Engineering and Technology, now known as KLE Technological University.