Infosys CEO Vishal Sikka’s resignation from the post on August 18 expectedly evoked myriad reactions amid the company employees, trade peers and the country at large. The latest development only added fuel to the fire that was raging on social media over the last few months, ever since the bitter feud started playing out amid the top honchos and founder NR Narayana Murthy in public.
Read more: Vishal Sikka’s Resignation from Infosys and What Lies Ahead
Divided Opinion
Reactions on Twitter and Facebook showed the mixed feelings and divided opinions that people have been harbouring about the issue. While abstract factors such as ‘cultural conflicts’ and ‘clash of values’ were often cited for the differences between Sikka — an Indian American based at Palo Alto, California and Murthy, the Bengaluru-based patriarch of the firm, pure facts and figures about revenue targets and governance issues were discussed equally passionately all this time.
It all came tumbling out at once in a matter of a few hours following Sikka’s announcement of his resignation. The 50-year-old Stanford alumnus, as well as the septuagenarian known for his philanthropic-socialist leanings, had their fans standing firmly behind them, even as industry watchers lamented the burden on the shareholders.
Social Media Reactions
Reactions on social media ranged from pure expressions of ‘sad’ and ‘shocked’ feelings to puns, sarcasms and — what Twitter has come to be most known for — witty one-liners.
Check out some of the posts here:
Overnight soaked Mr Beans = #VishalSikka pic.twitter.com/AXSDKC6smt
— Dr. Gill (@ikpsgill1) August 18, 2017
#VishalSikka don’t know how you held on for so long… but you should have been booted long time back…
— Pavitra Papi ️ (@ZXSJ5PU9) August 18, 2017
If #Infosys wishes to survive.. Then it must cut loose #Murthy. He is becoming cancerous to the company.
— Prateek Garg (@ScepticHermit) August 19, 2017
#vishalsikka steps down. Sad day for corporate India
— ruchi shah (@ruchidesai75) August 18, 2017
Vishal Sikka will now know how hard it is to transfer his PF account #Infosys #VishalSikka
— Prasad (@SensibleViewPt) August 18, 2017
#VishalSikka resignation was much needed in Infosys to reinvent glorious days of Narayan Murthy’s as it’s CEO #Infosys pic.twitter.com/j7ElR78xMy
— Nation First (@pankajsuper30) August 18, 2017
If top executives doesn’t perform, its bcoz personal attack from others, if employees could not deliver its bcoz they r not skilled #Infosys
— Nava.. (@iamnavamohan) August 19, 2017
The Narayan Murthy story – You either die a hero, or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain. #Infosys
— Vinod Thom (@vinodthomas) August 18, 2017