Narayana Murthy agrees to be Bengal's IT chief mentor

Infosys founder NR Narayana Murthy has given his nod to become the chief mentor of the IT panel being formed by the West Bengal government to prepare a roadmap for the industry and attract more investment in the sector.

"The state government had written to Narayana Murthy earlier this month requesting him to be the chief mentor of the state IT panel and he has sent his consent letter accepting the proposal," State Industries and IT Minister Partha Chatterjee said here today.

Chatterjee said, "We expect that under his mentorship best practices of the industry available in the country and abroad will be followed in the state."

He said Narayana Murthy was all praise for chief minister Mamata Banerjee for the initiative being taken to develop IT industry in the state.

Narayana Murthy said he would take part in meetings through video and teleconference in case he was unable to attend in person due to his busy schedule, the minister said.

Chatterjee hoped his advice would help the IT industry in the state to achieve its goals and attract more investment in the field.

Sam Pitroda, the head of the National Innovation Council, is the chairman of the state IT panel.