N.R. Narayana Murthy has just bid farewell to Infosys, the company he founded and steered to its pre-eminent position among Indian IT services companies, with a “last article” in the company’s annual report that is a virtual tour de force of the triumph, the lessons learnt and the emotional journey of Karnataka’s greatest entrepreneur and the man who single-handedly put Bengaluru on the global technological map.

Murthy's letter is titled “Goodbye, folks. March on with values…” in the firm’s 2010-11 annual report.

“I have been the Number One actor in every major decision taken in the company. I have rejoiced in every significant milestone of the company. I have commiserated in every false step that this company has taken," he wrote.

Leaving Infosys is for Mr N R Narayana Murthy is like sending away his daughter after her marriage, the founder and outgoing chairman has said in his last letter to the company’s shareholders.

“The best analogy that I can think of for this separation between Infosys and me is that of one’s daughter getting married and leaving her parents’ home,” Mr Murthy said in an emotional letter to Infosys’ shareholders.

Having nurtured India’s leading IT firm for the last 30 years, Mr Murthy would be succeeded by eminent banker, Mr K . Kamath, as the Infosys’ chairman with effect from August 21 and would thereafter beco-me ‘chairman emeritus’.

Mr Murthy went on to say that he had to go through tough times explaining to his son and daughter about whom he loved more — Infosys or the family.

He said that his children do not believe him, even today, that he loved them more than anything else.

“It was on one of those rare nights at home during the late eighties. I was huddling with my young children, Rohan and Akshata, when Rohan…asked innocently whether I loved Infosys more than him and his sister… When I was spending16-hour days in the office and was away from home for as many as 330 days in a year, it was hard for my children to believe in my commitment to the family.”

Terming the Infosys’ journey as an integral part of his life, Mr Murthy said that most of his colleagues tell him that “Infosys is an inseparable part of me and I am an inseparable part of Infosys.”

“I have been the Number One actor in every major decision taken in the company. I have rejoiced in every significant milestone of the company. I have commiserated in every false step that this company has taken,” he asserted.

He added that the company has given away Rs 50,000 crore (at current prices) of stock options to its employees since inception.

He also penned down, “I do not know of any Indian company that has given away as much as Rs 50,000 crore (at current prices) of stock options to employees.”

At times, he said Infosys turned bureaucratic, its business ethics got jeopardised and some of its leaders failed to take bold decisions. Listing out “the moments of great dilemmas and sadness” during his 30-year tenure, he said: “Accepting the resignation of a senior colleague and dealing with the instance where our code of ethics was jeopardised were tests of adherence to our values.”

“Deliberating all alone on the resignation offer of a co-founder is not something I would wish even upon my enemy,” he added. Perhaps hinting at the recent incidents when two directors, Mr K. Dinesh and Mr T.V. Mohandas Pai, resigned from the company, he said: “Being accused of violating our own high standards of business ethics made me lose several nights of sleep”.