UK FinMin Rishi Sunak questioned on Infosys’ Russia operations

Rishi Sunak, United Kingdom’s Chancellor of the Exchequer has denied any connection with Infosys, the multinational software company part-owned by his wife that continues its operation in Russia during the war in Ukraine. 

As most allies imposed stringent economic sanctions on Russia due to its invasion of Ukraine, Rishi Sunak, the son-in-law of Infosys co-founder Narayana Murthy, was asked by a Sky News reporter whether his advice to businesses was not being followed in his own home. 

The chancellor said he had "nothing to do" with Infosys, in which his wife Akshata Murthy holds shares. 

Sunak's spokesperson said that his wife had no role in Infosys's operational decisions. Infosys’s most recent annual report lists Akshata Murthy as holding 0.9 per cent of the company's shares worth hundreds of millions of pounds. 

Sunak told Sky News: "I'm an elected politician, and I'm here to talk to you about what I'm responsible for. My wife is not." He added that companies' operations were "up to them". "We've put in place significant sanctions and all the companies we're responsible for are following those, as they rightly should," said the chancellor. 

Infosys was co-founded by Akshata Murthy's father N.R. Narayana Murthy who retired from the company in 2014. Founded in 1981, the firm has since expanded into a number of countries and operates an office in Moscow. 

Sunak had urged UK firms to pull out of Russia to inflict "economic pain" on President Vladimir Putin. "I am urging asset owners and managers to think very carefully about any investments that would in any sense support Putin and his regime." 

Moreover, India has not restricted trade with Russia via sanctions and most Indian companies continue their operations in the country.  

A statement by Infosys said they "support and advocate for peace" between Russia and Ukraine. It said that Infosys has a small team of employees in Russia that services some global clients locally. They added that they do not have any active business relationships with local Russian enterprises. "A key priority for Infosys in times of adversity, is to continue extending support to the community. The company has committed USD 1 million towards relief efforts for the victims of war in Ukraine," said the statement.