Infosys Founders, Including Murthy and Nilekani, Skip Participation in ₹18,000-Crore Share Buyback

Infosys promoters, including co-founders N R Narayana Murthy and chairman Nandan Nilekani, have decided not to participate in the company’s Rs 18,000-crore share buyback programme announced in September, according to a regulatory filing with the BSE on Wednesday.

In its filing to BSE, Infosys stated, “Since the promoters and the promoter group have declared their intention not to participate in the buyback, the equity shares held by them have not been considered for computing the entitlement ratio.”

The promoter and promoter group—comprising co-founders and their family members—collectively hold 13.05% or about 542 million outstanding shares as of September 30, 2025. Individual holdings include Narayana Murthy (0.36%), Nandan Nilekani (0.98%), and Sudha Gopalakrishnan, wife of co-founder Kris Gopalakrishnan, who remains the largest promoter shareholder with 2.3%.

The company clarified that letters of non-participation were submitted between September 14 and 19, 2025. Following the buyback, depending on the response from public shareholders, the promoters’ voting rights could change from the current 13.05%.

Also Read: Infosys Q2 Results: INFY Profit Up 13%; Tech Giant Declares Rs 23 Dividend | Republic World

Infosys’ board had approved the buyback on September 11, 2025 — its largest ever — involving the repurchase of up to 10 crore fully paid-up equity shares of Rs5 each at ₹1,800 per share. This represents about 2.41% of the company’s total paid-up equity capital.

The buyback aims to return surplus funds to shareholders efficiently while maintaining liquidity for strategic and operational needs. It also aligns with Infosys’ capital allocation policy, under which the company expects to return approximately 85% of cumulative free cash flow over five years through a mix of dividends, buybacks, and special dividends.

This marks the fifth buyback by Infosys in the last decade. The previous one, completed in 2022, was worth ₹9,300 crore at an average price of ₹1,850 per share, involving the repurchase of 6 crore shares.

Infosys noted that it intends to continue increasing its annual dividend per share while using buybacks to enhance long-term shareholder value by reducing its equity base.