Currently, India provides monthly financial assistance to about 800 million people. Murthy’s comments come amid an ongoing debate about government subsidies and their impact.
Infosys co-founder N.R. Narayana Murthy believes that the best way to eradicate poverty is through job creation by innovative entrepreneurs, not government handouts. Speaking at the TiEcon Mumbai 2025 event, he encouraged entrepreneurs to build businesses that generate employment. “If we can establish innovative enterprises, poverty will disappear just like morning dew under the sun,” Murthy said. He expressed confidence that entrepreneurs in India can create hundreds of thousands of jobs, which is the real solution to poverty. “No country has successfully solved poverty through freebies,” he added.
Currently, India provides monthly financial assistance to about 800 million people. Murthy’s comments come amid an ongoing debate about government subsidies and their impact. He later clarified that he doesn’t claim expertise in politics or governance, but shared his views from a policy perspective.
Murthy suggested that when governments offer free benefits, they should also expect some positive outcomes in return. For example, if a state provides free electricity up to 200 units, authorities could conduct random surveys after six months to see if the children in those households are studying more or if parents are taking a greater interest in their education.
On a different note, Murthy also shared his skepticism about artificial intelligence (AI), stating that many AI solutions being marketed today are simply old software repackaged as cutting-edge technology. He emphasized that true AI involves machine learning and deep learning capabilities, which go beyond basic automation.