Infosys CEO Vishal Sikka resigns highlights: Company stocks fall steepest in over four years

Infosys management speaks about Vishal Sikka’s resignation 

UB Pravin Rao spoke about the to CNBC TV18 about the controversies around Sikka’s resignation as the CEO of Infosys. He said. “In my personal view…is there is a huge transformation that’s going on in the industry. Infosys is an iconic company with strong culture.”  He added that anyone coming in should be aligned to the culture, and that only then would they be able to transform this culture. “We need to be more patient about the outcome. Some of the bets will succeed, and some of them will not, it is a strategy,” he added, saying that anyone coming in the company should be mindful of this balance. 

MD Ranganathan said that it is a collective effort of over hendreds of leaders to get the positive result for the blue-chip company in the past eight quarters. He added that there were concerns about governance and certain “unsubstantiated” allegations by their whistleblower which has “refused to die down.” He added that Sikka grew tired of the “relentless personal attacks.” 

The management said they remain committed to their investments and they remain optimistic about the future and their execution capabilities. He also said that Vishal will be on the team for the next 6 to 9 months and at that time, Infosys will focus on having healthy cash generation and accelerating investment.

Vishal Sikka resigns: Infosys CEO’s exit revives promoter vs outsider debate for top job

The promoter-versus-outsider debate has returned to the fore on running a blue-chip enterprise in India with experts blaming differences between the top management and some founders for Vishal Sikka quitting as Infosys CEO.

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This is the second high profile exit of an ‘outsider’ from the top post of a big enterprise in India, after Cyrus Mistry was removed as the head of the over $100 billion Tata group.

Experts recommend Nandan Nilekani’s comeback to Infosys 

​With Infosys’ first non-founder CEO Vishal Sikka calling it quits, an investor advisory firm favoured Nandan Nilekani — one of the most high-profile founders of the IT firm — being brought back on its board as its non-executive chairman.

The Institutional Investor Advisory Services (IiAS) said the Infosys board has been “unable to protect its CEO” and to select a successor it must begin by “reinventing itself”.

“It must convince Nandan Nilekani to join the board once again, as its Non-Executive Chairperson,” it said in a report, while adding that Nilekani should not see this as any other corporate job as Infosys is at the heart of Indian IT and its success will foretell how the sector will position itself for the future.

Nilekani was one of the seven founders that set up Infosys more than three decades ago and served as its CEO between March 2002 to April 2007.

Commenting on the development, V K Sharma, Head — PCG, HDFC securities said while Infosys did better than the industry during Sikka’s tenure, it was no where near achieving Sikka’s own $20 billion target by 2020.

“Sikka’s allegation that he was continuously being distracted does not wash as he had long enough a honeymoon period to make his mark,” Sharma said.

Market experts however believe that though this will be a near term dampener but going forward the stock will overcome the setback.

“While in near term it’s a setback for the company; but given the strength of the board of the company, we believe that the company will overcome the setback,” Angel Broking VP Research- IT Sarabjit Kour Nangra said.

Mahesh Singhi, Founder & MD, Singhi Advisors also said, “the move is a succession plan to the company where Sikka comes on the board as vice chairman”.

Bloomberg write Andy Mukherjee also believes that Nilekani could help alleviate the situation at Infosys. “One way for Infosys to restore credibility quickly is to bring Nandan Nilekani — the cofounder who ran Infosys after Murthy, and has stayed away from the fight — back at the top of an entirely new board,” he said.

With inputs from PTI

Promoters have no say after leaving, Mohan Reddy’s says about Vishal Sikka’s exit

Former Nasscom chairman BVR Moha Reddy said on Friday that it was very “sad” to see a “good CEO” like Vishal Sikka stepping down as the CEO of Infosys, and added that promoters have no say after leaving a company.

The founder and executive chairman of Cyient said, “It is very sad to see a good CEO leaving a great company for avoidable reasons. The promoters have a locus standi (right to interfere or have say in the matter once they leave the company.”

“If something similar had happened in a western country shareholders would file class action suits against the company,” Reddy added.

“Even assuming that the 12.5 percent create trouble, who suffers is the other 87.5 percent,” he said. As of June 2017, the founders of Infosys are holding 12.75 percent shares in the company. —PTI

More about Vishal Sikka’s $1 salary for hanging around at Infosys as executive vice chairman until March 2018

The board not only acknowledges Sikka’s performance but also appreciates his decision to stay around as executive vice chairman effective today, until the new permanent Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director takes charge, which should be no later than 31 March, 2018.

For this Sikka will get $1 salary. As per the company’s statement, “Any company equity awards held by Sikka that remain outstanding and unvested shall, during his term as Executive Vice Chairman, remain outstanding and shall continue to vest (and, in the case of stock options, become exercisable) in accordance with their terms.”

The Nifty top gainers & losers of the week. Unsurprisingly, Infosys tops the losers chart amid chaos around Sikka’s resignation 

More details about Infosys buyback plans 

“There is no change in buyback plans. We have made a commitment on how much and when to return cash to shareholders,” Infosys board Chairman R Seshasayee said at a conference.

The share buyback — which will be the first in the company’s 36-year history — has been a long-standing demand by some of the founders and high-profile former executives, who have been pushing Infosys to return surplus capital to its shareholders.

“None of the things that have been set in motion… will be stopped,” Seshasayee said responding to a specific question on the fate of the buyback amid the high-profile departure of the CEO.

There are concerns that the investors’ sentiments could take a beating following the ugly and public spat between the founders and the management of India’s second largest software exporter.

The Bengaluru-based company in April had announced that it will pay up to Rs 13,000 crore to shareholders during the current financial year through dividend and/or share buyback. The company has not yet outlined the details of the proposed share buyback.

Share buybacks typically improve earnings per share and return surplus cash to shareholders, while also supporting share price during period of sluggish market condition.

Infosys had cash and cash equivalents worth over $3.5 billion on its books as of 30 June, 2017.

A number of tech companies have announced share buyback programmes this year to offer rich returns to shareholders.

While Infosys’ larger rival TCS offered Rs 16,000-crore mega buyback offer to shareholders, rivals like Cognizant, Wipro, HCL Technologies and Mindtree have also made similar announcements. —PTI

Infosys stocks, negative global cues drag equities lower 

Key Indian equity indices tumbled on Friday as a sell off in the stocks of index heavyweight Infosys dragged the IT index lower.

Heavy selling in IT, healthcare and banking stocks, coupled with negative global cues, hampered investors’ risk-taking appetite.

What is interesting is that Sensex touched a high of 31,729.88 points and a low of 31,349.13 points during the intra-day trade itself.

The BSE market breadth was in favour of the bears with 1,529 declines and 1,006 advances.

As mentioned earlier, Infosys’s scrip on the BSE dipped by 9.60 percent in the wake of the resignation of Vishal Sikka. The overall S&P BSE IT index declined by 369.19 points or 3.53 percent as a result.

On Thursday, the benchmark indices closed on a flat note though continuing their streak of gains for the third consecutive session on the back of healthy buying in IT, Teck (technology, media and entertainment) and metal stocks.

— With inputs from IANS

The Infosys Board will consider a share buyback on 19 August. Here are the numbers behind this buyback.

IDBI Capital downgrades Infosys to ‘hold’ 

Vishal Sikka resigns: Why Infosys needs to codify a corporate philosophy as Murthy’s shadow looms large

As Infosys stands at the cusp of changes at the very top, perhaps now is as good a time as ever to codify a clear corporate philosophy. A set of values for Infoscions. Will the company, founded by a socialist era leader and his friends steeped in austerity, continue to run with the ‘frugality’ mantra they espoused? Even when they no longer run the show? Or will it display the quintessential image of a multi-billion dollar global business, where the top honchos show off their riches unabashedly, set off across the globe on private jets? Because, believe it or not, the current state of affairs is almost all about perceptions, it has little to do with the actual performance of the company.

Infosys’ stocks fall steepest in over 4 years as Sikka quits

Scrips of global software major Infosys on Friday plummeted almost 10 percent, losing around Rs 29,000 crore in terms of market capital, post the resignation of Vishal Sikka as its Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Managing Director (MD). In the process, it pulled down two key market indices by almost one percent.

According to market observers, the fall in the scrip price of the company is the biggest since January 2013.

Stocks of the IT major plunged 9.52 percent on the BSE and traded at Rs 923.90 per share, down Rs 102.15 from its previous session’s close at Rs 1,021.15 per share.

“Post quitting news of Vishal Sikka, the stocks of the company plummeted. Infosys has lost almost Rs 29,000 crore in market cap, post the news,” Dhruv Desai, Director and Chief Operating Officer of Tradebulls, told IANS.

“This is the highest cut in prices since January 2013, during which the stock prices had fallen by 14.5 per cent,” he added.

The plunge in the stocks of the company led the overall S&P BSE IT index to decline by 360.32 points or 3.45 per cent.

The key Indian equity indices, too, tumbled during the mid-afternoon trade session due to a heavy sell-off in the IT, healthcare and banking stocks.

Around 2.35 pm, the Nifty50 of the National Stock Exchange (NSE) fell by 79.85 points, or 0.81 per cent, to trade at 9,824.30 points.

The 30-scrip Sensitive Index (Sensex) of the BSE, which opened at 31,729.88 points, traded at 31,486.85 points — down 308.61 points, or 0.97 percent, from its previous close at 31,795.46 points. — IANS

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Narayana Murthy becomes the villain in former Infosys CEO’s Mark Antony moment

There are ample pieces of evidence of Sikka’s Mark Antony act in his resignation letter. Sikka talks about “ the distractions ” he has seen throughout his tenure, “the constant drumbeat of the same issues over and over again while ignoring and undermining the good work that has been done,” the false, baseless, malicious and increasingly personal attacks," and allegations that have been repeatedly proven false and baseless by multiple, independent investigations."

Narayana Murthy breaks silence, says he is anguished by allegations

CNBC-TV18 reported that Infosys founder Narayana Murthy said that he was anguished by the allegations, tone and tenor the statements made against him.

“I voluntarily left board in 2014. My concern was the deteriorating standard of corporate governance,” he said.

“It is below my dignity to respond to such baseless insinuations. I will reply to allegations at an appropriate time,” CNBC-TV18 further quoted him as saying.

“I voluntarily left the board in 2014 and am not seeking any money, position for children or power,” Murthy said.

Narayana Murthy’s continuous assault is the primary reason that Vishal Sikka resigned: Infosys Board of Directors

In a press release, the Infosys Board of Directors has made it clear that “Mr. Murthy’s continuous assault…is the primary reason that the CEO, Dr. Vishal Sikka, has resigned despite strong Board support.”

The Board also said that the latest letter authored by Murthy “attacking the integrity of the Board and Management of the Company alleging falling corporate governance standards” had factual inaccuracies, false rumours and statements taken out of context.

The Board also said that it will not be “distracted by this misguided campaign by Mr. Murthy and will continue to adhere to the highest international standards of corporate governance”.

Evident that Vishal blossomed into a high-performing CEO: Infosys co-chairman

“It is evident that Vishal has blossomed into a high-performing CEO. When things don’t go right, we tend to blame the leader. When things go right, the leader should get recognition,” Ravi Venkatesan, Infosys co-chairman, said.

“I have no interest in the job of CEO now,” Venkatesan added. “The main issue is: Will Infosys transform itself ahead of everybody else?”

Continuous noise over the same things was taking a toll on the company and me: Vishal Sikka

“Our cash generation has been extraordinary,” Sikka said. “I signed up for the technological change that needs to be done,” he added.

“I got to the point that was difficult to deal with. There was continuous noise about the same things over and over again,” Sikka said. “At some point, you realise that this was taking a heavy toll on the company and also personally,” he added.

“I have no plans. I have no thought about what I’m going to do next. I’m here till 31 March of next year or sooner till we find the next head,” Sikka further said.

The day has been like a blur: Vishal Sikka

“The day has been like a blur. It is, in many ways, a sad. But I hope this will clarify and improve things,” Vishal Sikka said.

“Infosys is more than a company. It is an iconic institution,” he said. “It was a dream to be the CEO of Infosys,” he added.

“When I started, both Infosys and the IT industry were in a challenging situation. But I’m really proud of the results we have achieved,” Sikka said.

Indian equities tumble

Key Indian equity indices tumbled during the mid-afternoon trade session on Friday as it became known that Vishal Sikka had quit as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Managing Director (MD) of IT major Infosys.

Heavy selling in IT, healthcare and banking stocks, coupled with negative global cues, hampered investors’ risk-taking appetite.

At 1 p.m., the Nifty50 of the National Stock Exchange (NSE) fell by 90 points, or 0.91 percent, to trade at 9,814.15 points.

The 30-scrip Sensitive Index (Sensex) of the BSE, which opened at 31,729.88 points, traded at 31,451.98 points — down 343.48 points, or 1.08 per cent, from its previous close at 31,795.46 points.

The Sensex has so far touched a high of 31,729.88 points and a low of 31,429.46 points.

“The benchmark indices opened lower with Nifty50 trading below the 9,850 mark as index heavyweight Infosys cracked after Vishal Sikka resigned as MD and CEO,” Dhruv Desai, Director and Chief Operating Officer of Tradebulls, told IANS.

History behind Infosys row

Once a poster boy of Indian IT success story, Infosys has been battered by intense acrimony, with founders accusing the board of poor corporate governance on issues like executive pay and acquisitions.

Murthy and others had questioned the high compensation paid to Sikka as also severance package to certain former executives.

Also, an anonymous letter was sent to the Securities and Exchange Board of India and the US Securities and Exchange Commission earlier this year, alleging that the Israel-based Panaya acquisition was overvalued and that some Infosys executives may have benefited from the deal.

While an independent probe absolved the board of any wrong doing, Murthy kept the pressure on making the full contents of the investigation report public. — PTI

CEO-CTO debate has put Narayanamurthy in a poor light

The CEO-CTO debate is as old as hills. A CEO is likened to a general manager who should be a well-rounded professional at ease both with technical and commercial matters an enterprise invariably gets to deal with. To be sure, a CEO should not be a nerd or otherwise obsessed excessively with his core competence lest the company is left behind by externalities including government policies, competition’s strategy as well as by simmering discontent in the rank and file and other internal factors.

But then it is equally true that while a technocrat can easily imbibe commercial, legal and financial knowledge crucial to running a modern day company, it is not possible for a non-technical person say an accomplished chartered accountant to imbibe technical knowledge especially if that happens to be the very foundation of the bread and butter functions of the company.

Read S Murlidharan’s full article here .

Infosys loses Rs 16,000 crore from market cap in just under an hour of trading

News18 reported Sikka’s resignation has “wiped out” Rs 16,000 crore from Infosys’ market capitalisation in just one hour.

The Infosys stock on BSE has dropped around 9.5 percent to Rs 924.40 in afternoon trade.

Here is the Infosys press release from 2014 when Vishal Sikka became CEO

There was much bonhomie and good cheer when Vishal Sikka, former member, Executive Board of SAP AG, was appointed Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Infosys in June 2014. A Ph.D in computer science from Stanford University, USA, Sikka was the first-ever Chief Technology Officer at SAP — a post created for the first time in 2007. Sikka had a longer tenure of 12 years in SAP unlike his short tenure as CEO and MD at Infosys which ended abruptly today with his resignation.

We could have delivered things no one could have: Sikka

“We could have delivered things no one could have,” Sikka said. He also said that attrition had come down significantly.

“We will be important and challenging to find a successor to Vishal Sikka,” said MD Ranganath, CFO Infosys.

One of the key parts of Sikka’s letter

Vishal Sikka gets emotional in Infosys conference call