DOCSLIB.ORG

Infosys Annual Report 2015-16

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Infosys Annual Report 2015-16 BEING INFOSYS. BEING MORE. ANNUAL REPORT 2015-16 BEING INFOSYS. BEING MORE. We inhabit a universe where time and space bend and stretch continuously. For us, the year in which we celebrated the 100th anniversary of the Theory of General Relativity itself appeared to warp, and passed by much too quickly. It was a year during which we focused on our strategy execution, and we saw four quarters of healthy growth. Beyond the financial results, we saw unprecedented achievements by our teams in every aspect of the business. It was a year in which everyone brought home the vision of Renew and New built on a solid foundation of innovation, learning and purpose. In this environment, it is easy to focus on the big picture, and miss seeing the multi-dimensional manner in which true transformation takes hold. In order to return to market leadership in a sustained manner, we need to re-imagine our business in every facet and every detail. From delivery, to sales, consulting, operations, and each and every business enabling function – from people, to processes, infrastructure and systems – we have to bring about change that addresses the new reality of a pervasively digital and inter-connected world. This issue of our annual report celebrates the multiple facets of our transformation. The theme is about transcendence from the ordinary. It is about how innovation and continuous improvement have permeated every corner of our business, and about how we are honing excellence to a fine art form. At Infosys, it is no longer adequate to simply meet expectations – we have to exceed it every time, and in every way. Today, being Infosys means being more. MORE THAN SEEING AND HEARING. LISTENING, MAKING AND IMPROVING. 80,000+ employees and several clients have been trained in Design Thinking, which inculcates a culture of empathy and problem finding. It fosters rapid learning by making and by iterative solution development. MORE THAN CODING. HACKING AS A WAY OF LEARNING. The second edition of the Infosys Global Hackathon, Bangalore campus. Engineers across 18 global locations participated, resulting in 600+ ideas and 400+ prototypes. These included ideas and solutions across technologies such as mobile, analytics, machine learning, image recognition, IoT sensors and blockchain. MORE THAN JUST IDEAS. REAL, PERVASIVE INNOVATION. One of 7,000+ Zero Distance projects, which focuses on a capability that is crucial for the retail industry. Grassroots innovation to gain consumer insights for new product launches and continuous product improvement. Sentiment analysis of consumers using social media enabled the mining of reactions, preferences and intent, which in turn helped the retailer design an effective product launch strategy. MORE THAN GAME STATISTICS. INSIGHTS WHICH CAN CHANGE THE GAME. Three decades of match data and 12 million data points analyzed by the Infosys Information Platform (IIP) for the ATP World Tour, which hosts 62 tournaments in 31 countries. Transforming the experience of the game for players and followers by re‑imagining player performance, ratings and insights like never before. MORE THAN SAVING LIVES. LAYING A FOUNDATION FOR GLOBAL HEALTH AND WELL‑BEING. We developed a comprehensive 3‑D human heart model using CT‑scan imaging. The model captures biomechanics of the heart in the most realistic manner. Combined with modern industrial technologies such as Computer Aided Design (CAD), Finite Element Analysis (FEA), and Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD), this model enables surgeons to develop complex and customized treatments. It also helps medical equipment manufacturers and regulatory agencies to optimize design, enhance quality, and shorten time‑to‑market for their products, leading to improved and affordable healthcare for all. MORE THAN DIGITAL MODELING. CAPTURING THE ENTIRE DIGITAL FOOTPRINT. Infosys partnered with GE Digital to deliver Industrial IoT solutions with advanced implementations in manufacturing, aviation, transportation and healthcare industries. These IoT solutions, based on GE’s Predix platform and Infosys’ Aikidō services, will help enterprises simplify, automate and transform their business. Re‑creating the entire lifecycle of products digitally, from conceptualization to development and maintenance, helps to visualize the underlying design, structural and functional issues. MORE THAN GOOD RESEARCH. RESEARCH THAT RESULTS IN COMMON GOOD. Across continents, in partnership with the world’s top universities, global consortia, and most influential researchers, Infosys nurtures a robust research and innovation ecosystem to address emerging challenges on the frontiers of data science, artificial intelligence, robotics, software engineering, and ICT, for socio‑economic development. MORE THAN JUST US. LEVERAGING THE POWER OF A THRIVING ECOSYSTEM. We are funding early‑stage start‑ups to amplify their reach, bring them to market, and help them scale. This year, we have invested in six start‑ups, working in areas such as air quality monitoring, wearable technology, data wrangling, and 3‑D imaging. The Infosys Innovation Fund has a corpus of US $500 million to boost the global innovation ecosystem. MORE THAN DOING THE RIGHT THING. MAXIMIZING THE BUSINESS VALUE. #Sitwithme campaign, launched on International Women’s Day, March 8, 2016, to foster a more balanced, diverse leadership at Infosys. From Bangalore to Palo Alto, London to Lodz, Melbourne to Belo Horizonte, Infosys leaders, including independent board members, have taken the pledge across 15 locations worldwide to work towards a balanced leadership. MORE THAN CONSERVATION OF RESOURCES. RESPECTING THE MIRACLE OF LIFE ON EARTH. With a total capacity of 6.6 MW, generating 12 million kWh of electricity every year, and avoiding 9,800 tons of CO2 emissions, the new solar plant at our Hyderabad campus helps us meet 100% of our electricity needs with renewable energy. This takes us a step closer to our goal of becoming carbon‑neutral. MORE THAN PASSIVE CONSUMERS. CREATING A WORLD FULL OF CREATORS. New York‑based OHorizons was one of the winners of the Infy Maker Awards (sponsored by Infosys Foundation USA). 5,000 people in underdeveloped villages in Bangladesh will get clean water in 2016, and 1,000,000 by 2021, thanks to the innovative, low‑budget wood mold bio‑sand filters designed by OHorizons. The group is currently running pilot projects in Mali, Ecuador and Bangladesh. Infosys Annual Report 2015-16 CONTENTS Letter to the stakeholder ..................................................02 So we may be more ..........................................................06 Being more. Making it real. ..............................................07 A tribute to K. V. Kamath ..................................................09 The Infosys Board of Directors .........................................10 Key trends ..........................................................................14 The year at a glance .........................................................15 Board's report ...................................................................17 Annexures to the Board's report .................................29 Management’s discussion and analysis ...........................61 Corporate governance report ..........................................74 Risk management report ..................................................90 CEO and CFO certification ..............................................93 Standalone financial statements ......................................94 Consolidated financial statements ................................125 Shareholder information ................................................153 Business responsibility report ........................................159 Global presence ..............................................................184 Infosys Annual Report 2015-16 Dr. Vishal Sikka Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director LETTER TO THE STAKEHOLDER Dear Stakeholder, We live in extraordinary times. Technology is It is with this new reality in mind that we embraced reshaping our world in a fundamental way : new three simple ideas in our strategy : renew ourselves CPUs from Intel built on 14 nanometer processor and help our clients renew their businesses; drive technology deliver unprecedented performance innovation and new opportunities in our business and analysts recently reported that hardware unit and with our clients; and do all of this based on a sales for cloud are approaching those for enterprise. culture of education and collaboration. Indeed, Technology companies are making cars and watches, when we think about it, this blueprint applies to all and creating new kinds of transportation, hospitality, businesses. retail, insurance, and other services, disrupting entire Renew is about being better. Better than we have industries. And recently, a fleet of driverless trucks been. Automation is a key part of this. It is how made by various vendors, drove thousands of miles we improve solutions to the known, well-defined across Europe, demonstrating vividly that the end of problems and improve the businesses we are already a key job category is upon us. The world of our future in. It is about driving grassroots innovation in every looks vastly different from what we see today – an project and in every service. The repetitive tasks increasingly digital world, a deeply connected world, can be automated by bringing Artificial Intelligence a collaborative world. to our existing services and existing customer It was clear nearly two years ago,
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Infosys Prize 2018
    Infosys Science Foundation INFOSYS PRIZE 2018 LEPIDOPTERA – WINGS WITH SCALES Those brilliant pigments that create magical colors on the wings of a butterfly is chemistry in play. That the pattern and tint are governed by its genes is what we learn from the field of genetics. And how can we separate nanoscience from this mystical being? The ‘nano’ chitin or tiny scales on the wings reflect light to create a mosaic of iridescent hues. When you see blue, purple, or white on a butterfly, that’s a structural color, while orange, yellow, and black are pigments. How overwhelming is this complexity! And how mystical the butterfly looks as it soars into the sky, its tiny scales aiding the flow of air – a marvel of aerodynamics! We divide this universe into parts – physics, biology, geology, astronomy, psychology and so on, but nature does not categorize. And so every small and big discovery by scientists and researchers from diverse fields come together to create a deeper understanding of our vast and interconnected universe. Oh yes, the powder that brushes off on your fingers when you touch a butterfly’s wings are the tiny scales breaking off, and that ‘slipperiness’ helps the butterfly escape the trap. But that touch may perhaps sadly contribute towards its demise. A caution therefore that we must tread carefully lest we hurt our world, for when we disturb one part of the universe, we may unknowingly create a butterfly effect. ENGINEERING AND COMPUTER SCIENCE NAVAKANTA BHAT Professor, Indian Institute of Science, and Chairperson, Centre for Nano Science and Engineering, IISc, Bengaluru, India Navakanta Bhat is Professor of Electrical and Communications Engineering at Among his many awards are the Dr.
    [Show full text]
  • Awarded to Prof
    Our entangled world All life on earth is so beautifully meshed together that to consider humans apart from the rest would be quite impertinent. In fact, humans as a species can hardly survive without their fellow living beings. There are a zillion reasons to believe this, and science has regularly unearthed more — microorganisms in our gut aid digestion; pollinators help seed the food we eat; green plants and phytoplankton produce oxygen that we breathe. And then there are the forward and backward chains of dependencies that make all this possible. And we have not yet explored even a fraction of the intricate relationships we have with all the inhabitants of earth. Some researchers question the assumption that all life is equally valuable. The idea being that we can do without many life forms that are just taking up space. So the coral ecosystem is of great value to human beings but what does a parrot fish do for us? Oh and those sordid roaches and dispensable rodents! A delightful ditty sums up this reservation, God in his wisdom Made the fly And then forgot To tell us, why? - Ogden Nash Is biodiversity indeed an indulgence? Is bringing visible advantage to us human beings the sole purpose of existence? Or are there finer equations we are missing? Michael Soule, the remarkable biologist held that ‘nature has intrinsic value beyond what it can afford humans.’ Researchers have discovered so many unique and fragile ecosystems of the world that hinge on a cautious chemistry between species. If one goes extinct, ripples will be felt across the environment.
    [Show full text]
  • Infosys Science Foundation Announces Winners of the Infosys Prize 2013
    PRESS RELEASE Infosys Science Foundation Announces Winners of the Infosys Prize 2013 Increases the Prize Money to Rs. 55 Lakhs for Each Award Category Bangalore - November 12, 2013: The Infosys Science Foundation today announced the winners of the Infosys Prize 2013 across six categories: Engineering & Computer Science, Humanities, Life Sciences, Mathematical Sciences, Physical Sciences and Social Sciences. The winners were recognized for their outstanding achievements and contributions to scientific research. The Infosys Science Foundation also announced an increase in the prize purse by Rs. 5 Lakhs to Rs. 55 Lakhs for each category for 2013. The prize for the Humanities category will be split equally between the two winners. The seven winners were chosen based on significant progress showcased in their chosen spheres, as well as for the impact their research will have on the specific field. In addition to the prize purse, each category award includes a gold medallion and a citation certificate. The winners of the Infosys Prize 2013 were evaluated by a panel of jurors comprising eminent scientists and professors from around the world. The jury chairs of the six categories are: Prof. Pradeep K. Khosla, Engineering & Computer Science; Prof. Amartya Sen, Humanities; Dr. Inder Verma, Life Sciences; Prof. Srinivasa S. R. Varadhan, Mathematical Sciences; Prof. Shrinivas Kulkarni, Physical Sciences; and Dr. Kaushik Basu, Social Sciences. The distinguished winners of the Infosys Prize 2013 are: Engineering and Computer Science Prof. Ramgopal Rao, Institute Chair Professor - Department of Electrical Engineering and Chief Investigator, Centre of Excellence in Nanoelectronics, Indian Institute of Technology, Mumbai Humanities Archaeology Prof. Nayanjot Lahiri, Professor - Department of History, University of Delhi, New Delhi Linguistics Prof.
    [Show full text]
  • HACKATHONS CONDUCTED by INFOSYS 01 Being a Live Enterprise Where Project Managers, Domain Experts and Others Collaborate Intensively to Solve Problems
    Sustainability Report Infosys believes 2019-20 communicating with transparency and encouraging views from stakeholders is an important element of being a sustainability leader. With this thought, the Company presents its annual Sustainability Report, to disclose its approach, commitments and impact. Resilient and Responsible. That’s Live Enterprise. Sustainability Report 2019-20 Infosys Sustainability Infosys is a global leader in next-generation digital Report 2019-20 services and consulting. We enable clients, the This is our 13th Sustainability Report. world over, to navigate About the report Our reporting suite It is organized around our most their digital transformation This report has been prepared in Our Sustainability Report is part material topics, depicting the role journey. accordance with the GRI Standards of a comprehensive suite of we play in society. It provides detailed (Comprehensive) option. publications across economic, information on the practices we follow social and environmental parameters as a responsible business, a partner The reporting scope and boundary for our disclosures, unless otherwise stated, covers the operations of that provide transparency and to our clients, a people company, Infosys Limited and its subsidiaries. Since we are an information to all our stakeholders. an environmental steward, a information technology and consulting company, our solutions and services rely more on intellectual The sustainability disclosures contained in this report are to corporate citizen and an ethically assets than on physical assets. Our supply chain be read in conjunction with our Annual Report 2019-20, strong organization. interactions are primarily with our suppliers for the available on our website. The Infosys Annual Report procurement of goods and services to support provides information on our business strategy and financial our operations.
    [Show full text]
  • Board's Report
    Board’s report Dear members, The Board of Directors hereby submits the report of the business and operations of your Company (‘the Company’ or ‘Infosys’), along with the audited financial statements, for the financial year ended March 31, 2018. The consolidated performance of the Company and its subsidiaries has been referred to wherever required. 1. Results of our operations and state of affairs in ` crore, except per equity share data Particulars Standalone Consolidated For the year ended For the year ended March 31, March 31, 2018 2017 2018 2017 Revenue from operations 61,941 59,289 70,522 68,484 Cost of sales 39,138 37,057 45,130 43,253 Gross profit 22,803 22,232 25,392 25,231 Operating expenses Selling and marketing expenses 2,763 2,728 3,560 3,591 General and administration expenses 3,562 3,628 4,684 4,739 Total operating expenses 6,325 6,356 8,244 8,330 Operating profit 16,478 15,876 17,148 16,901 Impairment loss on assets held for sale(2) 589 – – – Other income, net(2)(3)(4) 4,019 3,062 3,193 3,080 Profit before non-controlling interests / share in net loss of associate 19,908 18,938 20,341 19,981 Share in net loss of associate, including impairment of associate(4) – – (71) (30) Profit before tax 19,908 18,938 20,270 19,951 Tax expense(1) 3,753 5,120 4,241 5,598 Profit after tax(1) 16,155 13,818 16,029 14,353 Non-controlling interests – – – – Profit for the year(1)(2) 16,155 13,818 16,029 14,353 Other comprehensive income Items that will not be reclassified subsequently to profit or loss 59 (47) 62 (50) Items that will be reclassified subsequently to profit or loss (38) 29 281 (228) Total other comprehensive income, net of tax 21 (18) 343 (278) Total comprehensive income for the year 16,176 13,800 16,372 14,075 Earnings per share (EPS)(5) Basic(1) 71.28 60.16 71.07 62.80 Diluted 71.25 60.15 71.00 62.77 Notes : The above figures are extracted from the audited standalone and consolidated financial statements as per Indian Accounting Standards (Ind AS).
    [Show full text]
  • Infosys Science Foundation 5Th Anniversary
    Encouraging the spirit of research Infosys Science Foundation “There is evidence to suggest that young Indian scientists from Cambridge, Harvard, MIT, Caltech and similar reputed institutions are returning to India. One is sensing a movement from brain drain to brain gain, to brain circulation, helped again by the attractive National Fellowships that have been set up to bring back our brightest scientists. But, I must say, one of the best news for Indian science has been the Infosys Prize.” Science is an endless frontier. It is a human activity without limits. pedagogy of science teaching methods, creating exciting science Advancing this frontier requires intensive and extensive fundamental curricula, attracting the best talent for teaching science with special research. India's contribution to this endeavor in recent times has been incentives for the most inspiring science teachers. a matter of much concern. With around 16% of the global population, Second, the best minds that study science should stay in science. At the India's share in the world output of scientific research publications is school‑learning level, there is a great enthusiasm for science. Indian only 2%. Of course, some might say, that this 2% share is achieved with students out‑perform those from advanced nations in international only 0.5% of global spend on R&D. But that is not of much comfort, science olympiads, winning several gold medals. Unfortunately, these since other countries have moved ahead much faster. R. A. Mashelkar gold medalists do not stay in science. We have to do everything National Research Professor; Chancellor, Let us consider, for instance, India and China.
    [Show full text]
  • Infosys - Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia Infosys from Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia
    12/10/13 Infosys - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Infosys From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Infosys Limited Infosys (formerly Infosys Technologies) is an Indian multinational provider of business consulting, information technology, software engineering and outsourcing services. It is headquartered in Bengaluru, Karnataka.[3] Infosys is the third-largest India-based IT services company by 2012 revenues,[4] and the second largest employer of H-1B [5] visa professionals in the United States, as of 2012. On 28 March Type Public 2013, its market capitalisation was $30.8 billion, making it India's sixth Traded as BSE: 500209 largest publicly traded company.[6][7] (http://www.bseindia.com/bseplus/StockReach/AdvanceStockReach.aspx? scripcode=500209) NSE: INFY Contents (http://www.nseindia.com/marketinfo/companyinfo/companysearch.jsp? cons=INFY&section=7) 1 History NYSE: INFY (http://www.nyse.com/about/listed/lcddata.html?ticker=infy) 1.1 Listings BSE SENSEX Constituent 2 Operations CNX Nifty Constituent 2.1 Locations 2.2 Products and Services Industry IT services, 3 Acquisitions Founded 1981 4 Current shareholding Founder(s) N. R. Narayana Murthy 5 Initiatives Nandan Nilekani 6 Employees N. S. Raghavan 6.1 List of CEOs S Gopalakrishnan 7 Awards and recognitions S D Shibulal 8 Controversies K Dinesh 8.1 Allegations of Visa Fraud Ashok Arora 9 See also 10 References Headquarters Electronics City, Bangalore, Karnataka, India 11 External links Area served Worldwide en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Infosys 1/10 12/10/13 Infosys - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Key people N. R. Narayana Murthy History (Executive Chairman) S. D. Shibulal INFOSYS was co-founded in 1981 by N.
    [Show full text]
  • Infosys Science Foundation Announces Winners of the Infosys Prize 2010
    PRESS RELEASE Infosys Science Foundation Announces Winners of the Infosys Prize 2010 Winners to be awarded 50 lakh in Recognition of their Outstanding Contributions to Scientific Research Bangalore, India – October 25, 2010: The Infosys Science Foundation today announced the winners of the Infosys Prize 2010 recognizing outstanding contributions to scientific research that have impacted India. The winners across five categories – Mathematical Sciences, Physical Sciences, Engineering and Computer Science, Life Sciences and Social Sciences, were announced by the Trustees of the Infosys Science Foundation, Mr. N R Narayana Murthy, Mr. K Dinesh and Mr. S Gopalakrishnan at a press conference hosted at the Infosys Technologies campus in Bangalore. The winners of the Infosys Prize 2010 were chosen by jury panels comprising of eminent scientists and professors from across the globe. In recognition of their outstanding contributions to scientific research, the winners will receive a cash prize of 50 lakh, a citation certificate and a gold medallion. The award ceremony for the Infosys Prize 2010 will be held on January 6, 2011 in Mumbai, where Dr. Manmohan Singh, Prime Minister of India will present the awards to the winners. The winners of the Infosys Prize 2010 are: Mathematical Sciences Professor Chandrashekhar Khare, Mathematics Department, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Los Angeles Physical Sciences Professor Sandip Trivedi, Theoretical Physics Department, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR), Mumbai Engineering and Computer Science Professor Ashutosh Sharma, Chemical Engineering Department, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Kanpur Life Sciences Dr. Chetan E. Chitnis, Principal Leader, Malaria Group, International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB), Delhi Social Sciences Sociology Professor Amita Baviskar, Sociology Unit, Institute of Economic Growth (IEG), Delhi Social Anthropology Professor Nandini Sundar, Sociology Department, Delhi School of Economics (DSE), Delhi Speaking at the event, Mr.
    [Show full text]
  • Infosys Annual Report 2015-16
    BEING INFOSYS. BEING MORE. ANNUAL REPORT 2015-16 BEING INFOSYS. BEING MORE. We inhabit a universe where time and space bend and stretch continuously. For us, the year in which we celebrated the 100th anniversary of the Theory of General Relativity itself appeared to warp, and passed by much too quickly. It was a year during which we focused on our strategy execution, and we saw four quarters of healthy growth. Beyond the financial results, we saw unprecedented achievements by our teams in every aspect of the business. It was a year in which everyone brought home the vision of Renew and New built on a solid foundation of innovation, learning and purpose. In this environment, it is easy to focus on the big picture, and miss seeing the multi-dimensional manner in which true transformation takes hold. In order to return to market leadership in a sustained manner, we need to re-imagine our business in every facet and every detail. From delivery, to sales, consulting, operations, and each and every business enabling function – from people, to processes, infrastructure and systems – we have to bring about change that addresses the new reality of a pervasively digital and inter-connected world. This issue of our annual report celebrates the multiple facets of our transformation. The theme is about transcendence from the ordinary. It is about how innovation and continuous improvement have permeated every corner of our business, and about how we are honing excellence to a fine art form. At Infosys, it is no longer adequate to simply meet expectations – we have to exceed it every time, and in every way.
    [Show full text]
  • Infosys Prize 2012 Honors the Finest Minds in Science and Humanities
    PRESS RELEASE Infosys Prize 2012 Honors The Finest Minds In Science And Humanities Dr. Gro Harlem Brundtland, Former Prime Minister of Norway Felicitates Winners New Delhi, January 3, 2013: The Infosys Science Foundation today honored winners of the Infosys Prize 2012 for their outstanding achievements and contributions to science and humanities. Former Prime Minister of Norway, Dr. Gro Harlem Brundtland, felicitated the seven laureates across the six categories: Engineering and Computer Science, Humanities, Life Sciences, Mathematics, Physical Sciences and Social Sciences, at a ceremony in New Delhi. The seven winners of this year were drawn from a total of 220 nominees. The prize in each category comprises a gold medallion, a citation expounding the laureate’s work and INR 50 lakh as prize money (over US$ 90,000). The prize for the inaugural Humanities category was split equally between the two winners. The ceremony was presided over by Mr. S. Gopalakrishnan, Executive Co-Chairman, Infosys and President of the Board of Trustees, Infosys Science Foundation. The event was graced by luminaries like Montek Singh Ahluwalia, Deputy Chairman, Planning Commission, Nandan Nilekani, Chairman - Unique Identification Authority of India, Tarun Das, Former Chief Mentor - CII, Som Mittal, President of NASSCOM and Arun Maira, Member of Planning Commission. The jury chairs of the six categories elucidated the importance of the winners’ work to the audience. The jury chairs include – Prof. Amartya Sen, Humanities; Dr. Kaushik Basu, Social Sciences; Prof. Shrinivas Kulkarni, Physical Sciences; Prof. Pradeep K. Khosla, Engineering & Computer Science; Prof. Srinivasa S. R. Varadhan, Mathematics; and Prof. Inder Verma, Life Sciences. The pioneering work undertaken by the seven laureates is changing the game in their respective spheres.
    [Show full text]
  • Infosys Annual Report 2016-17 LEVERAGING AUTOMATION to TRANSCEND the MUNDANE
    AUTOMATE INNOVATE EDUCATE ANNUAL REPORT 2016-17 AUTOMATE. INNOVATE. EDUCATE. A timeless beacon towards our future At the National Archaeological Museum in Athens, Greece, sit three seemingly unremarkable bronze parts, covered in a greenish patina. Together with missing pieces, they represent one of the most complex and sophisticated examples of ancient engineering known to man. This 2,000-year-old marvel is believed to have had 30 interlocking gearwheels, with epicyclical gearing, a crankshaft, and rotating hands. Named for the Greek island near which it was discovered inside the wreckage of a ship, the Antikythera mechanism is considered the world’s first ‘computer’. Built to calculate and display information about astronomical phenomena, the technologies used in it were unique for its time, the likes of which were not seen again for a millennium. From the invention of the arrowhead, to the bicycle, the printing press, and the digital computer, the primary goal for technology has always been to simplify and automate complicated or onerous tasks for humans, so that the resulting efficiencies could be applied elsewhere — towards innovation, and the achievement of loftier goals. Today, when we develop breakthrough technologies like artificial intelligence and machine learning to automate mundane cognitive tasks, we accelerate progress by enabling the application of human effort and ingenuity towards finding innovative solutions to even bigger unsolved problems. Meanwhile, these innovative solutions lead to the next phase of automation. Automation and Innovation are intertwined like the facets of a Mobius strip, locked into a continuous virtuous cycle of progress. If Innovation is the engine that powers the vehicle of progress, and Automation the fuel that feeds it, then Education is the context that surrounds them — the routes, the maps, the vistas, the pitfalls, and the destinations.
    [Show full text]
  • Infosys Prize 2011 the Infosys Science Foundation
    Prof. Kalyanmoy Deb Engineering and Computer Science Prof. Kannan Dr. Imran Siddiqi Soundararajan Life Sciences Mathematical Sciences Prof. Sriram Prof. Raghuram Ramaswamy G. Rajan Physical Sciences Social Sciences – Economics Dr. Pratap Bhanu Mehta Social Sciences – Political Science and International Relations INFOSYS SCIENCE FOUNDATION INFOSYS SCIENCE FOUNDATION Infosys Campus, Electronics City, Hosur Road, Bangalore 560 100 Tel: 91 80 2852 0261 Fax: 91 80 2852 0362 Email: [email protected] www.infosys-science-foundation.com Infosys Prize 2011 The Infosys Science Foundation Securing India's scientific future The Infosys Science Foundation, a not-for-profit trust, was set up in February 2009 by Infosys and some members of its Board. The Foundation instituted the Infosys Prize, an annual award, to honor outstanding achievements of researchers and scientists across five categories: Engineering and Computer Science, Life Sciences, Mathematical Sciences, Physical Sciences and Social Sciences, each carrying a prize of R50 Lakh. The award intends to celebrate success and stand as a marker of excellence in scientific research. A jury comprising eminent leaders in each of these fields comes together to evaluate the achievements of the nominees against the standards of international research, placing the winners on par with the finest researchers in the world. In keeping with its mission of spreading the culture of science, the Foundation has instituted the Infosys Science Foundation Lectures – a series of public talks by jurors and laureates of the Infosys Prize on their work that will help inspire young researchers and students. “Science is a way of thinking much more than it is a body of knowledge.” Carl Edward Sagan 1934 – 1996 Astronomer, Astrophysicist, Author, Science Evangelist Prof.
    [Show full text]