'Lady candidates need not apply': How Sudha Murty’s stand made JRD Tata respond

Sudha Murty was still a computer science student at IISc Bangalore in the 1970s when she encountered a job advertisement from Telco (now Tata Motors) that ended with a blunt disclaimer: “Lady candidates need not apply.”

Instead of stepping away, she picked up her pen and wrote directly to J.R.D. Tata — a move that would quietly challenge institutional bias and shape the future of Indian industry.

In her letter, Murty questioned how a company built on ideals of progress and equality could openly bar women from applying. The response was swift and decisive. Within days, she received a telegram inviting her to an interview at Telco’s Pune plant — all expenses paid.

At the time, a woman engineer on the factory floor was not just unusual; it was unheard of. Yet her skill and clarity of thought broke through the skepticism. Murty was hired, becoming the first female engineer at Telco — a milestone that would open doors for generations of women to enter technical fields once deemed off-limits.

Her time at Telco would prove life-changing in more ways than one. In Pune, she met N.R. Narayana Murthy, a reserved software engineer who would go on to co-found Infosys. Their marriage, built on shared values and mutual respect, became one of India’s most influential partnerships in business and philanthropy.

Years later, during a company event, J.R.D. Tata publicly introduced her as “the first woman engineer on the shop floor,” a moment that validated her quiet defiance of a biased system. When she eventually resigned to support her husband’s fledgling venture, Tata’s farewell was gracious and encouraging — a final gesture of respect from a leader who had been willing to listen and act.

The story, recently resurfaced in a LinkedIn post by Mumbai-based CSO Chirag Warty, has struck a chord across corporate India. In a time when workplace equity remains a critical issue,