Early Life and Education
Sarojini Damodaran Shibulal, popularly known as S.D. Shibulal, was born on March 1, 1955, in Alappuzha, Kerala, India. He completed his schooling in Alappuzha and later graduated from S.D. College, Alappuzha. He earned a Master of Science in Physics from Maharaja's College, Ernakulam. His academic journey further led him to Boston University, where he obtained a Master of Science in Computer Science in 1987.
Rise to Success
Shibulal's professional journey began in 1979 as a software engineer at Patni Computer Systems. In 1981, he co-founded Infosys Consultants Pvt Ltd. alongside six others, including N. R. Narayana Murthy. Over his career, Shibulal held several senior leadership positions within Infosys, including Head of Worldwide Sales and Customer Delivery, Head of Infosys Manufacturing and Distribution, and Chief Operating Officer (COO). From 2011 to 2014, he served as the CEO and Managing Director of Infosys. During his tenure as CEO, Shibulal focused on strategic partnerships and business model evolution, steering Infosys through a period of significant growth. Notably, he was instrumental in developing the Global Delivery Model, which revolutionized IT outsourcing.
Key Business Strategies
Shibulal's key contributions to Infosys include his focus on project management and client relationships in North America, along with his crucial role in developing the Global Delivery Model. This model helped Infosys establish a new standard in IT services delivery. Furthermore, Shibulal was involved in establishing and heading the Internet Consultancy practice within Infosys. After retiring as CEO in 2014, he co-founded Axilor Ventures, an incubator firm, with Senapathy Gopalakrishnan.
Philanthropy
S.D. Shibulal, along with his wife Kumari Shibulal, founded the Shibulal Family Philanthropic Initiatives (SFPI). SFPI focuses on education, rural development, and healthcare, funding scholarships for underprivileged students and vocational training programs. The couple also established Sangamam India in 2022 to promote India's artistic heritage.