Sudha Murty reveals why she travels economy class, even against Narayana Murthy’s wishes

On an entertaining episode of The Great Indian Kapil Show, Infosys founder Narayana Murthy and his author-philanthropist wife, Sudha Murty, captivated the audience with their humorous insights and anecdotes about their marriage and lifestyle. Joining them were Zomato co-founder Deepinder Goyal and his wife Grecia Munoz. Narayana described Sudha as extremely prudent with money, stating, "while my wife is a philanthropist, she is very careful about money."

Necessity over Luxury

Sudha Murty candidly discussed her philosophy on spending, emphasizing necessity over luxury. “What do we need in life? Good food, but not chana bhatura—good, healthy food,” she expressed. She prefers investing in philanthropy over personal luxuries like business class travel, adding, "He’ll tell me to buy business class tickets, but I say, Why? I will reach the same destination, at the same time with an economy ticket too.”

The couple, despite their differing views, find harmony through compromises. Sudha noted, "We are opposites, but opposites attract, so we find a compromise zone."


Reflecting on societal judgments, Sudha shared an experience when she faced bias for wearing a salwar kameez in a business class queue, recounting, "They thought I am poor and told, ‘Oh they are cattle-class people."

Additionally, Sudha humorously advised men to share in household chores. When host Kapil Sharma claimed he washed dishes that morning, she wittily remarked that his hands showed no signs of dishwashing, leaving everyone in stitches.