Bengaluru, India's Silicon Valley, was overjoyed after Rishi Sunak, the son-in-law of tech giant Infosys founder N.R. Narayana Murthy, made it to the post of the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom on Monday.
The first Indian-origin Prime Minister in waiting has a Bengaluru connection in the form of his wife Akshata, the daughter of Narayana Murthy.
Bengaluru and Karnataka which is celebrating the festival of lights with fervour, erupted in joy after Sunak's historical victory.
T.V. Mohandas Pai, former Director of Infosys and current Chairman of Manipal Global Education, said that this is a time that every Indian should be happy as a person of Indian-descent is becoming the Prime Minister of the UK.
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He, however, stressed that Sunak's prime loyalty would be towards the UK, and for him, India is another country. "India should not think that it will be benefitted. Rishi is the citizen of the United Kingdom."
"We should see the development, feel proud and respect it, and we should be silent," Pai stated.
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Niraj Patil, former Mayor of the London Borough of Lambeth, told media that it is a matter of pride for every Indian. It is a great day, historical day for Karnataka as Sunak is the son-in-law of Infosys founder Narayana Murthy.
Sunak's in-laws Narayana Murthy and Sudha Murthy are celebrities in their own right. Narayana Murthy is the founder of Infosys and Sudha Murthy commands huge respect for her philanthropy and literary pursuits.
Celebrations at Infosys as Sunak set to become next UK PM
The staff at the office of Bengaluru-based tech giant Infosys on Monday cheered the news of Indian-origin British Conservative politician Rishi Sunak making it to the post of UK Prime Minister, terming the development "double Diwali dhamaka".
There was a palpable enthusiasm among the Infosys employees as many sat glued to television screens to stay updated about the political events unfolding in London.
A collective cheer rang out among a group of young IT professionals when it became clear that Sunak had the field all to himself after his sole contestant Penny Mordaunt withdrew.
"It is a double Diwali dhamaka for us. We sat before the television just like we were glued to watch the nail-biting cricket match between India and Pakistan. The Diwali celebration started on Sunday itself. The election of Rishi Sunak, on the day of festival, made us extremely happy and proud," Harsha Kumar, a senior software engineer said.
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"It is a matter of honour. It showcases our prowess and it is a proud moment for the whole country," said Chandrashekar Sundar, another software professional.
"It's an emotional connect for me," said Rahul, a software engineer.
Infosys founder Narayana Murthy, however, is yet to react to the developments.
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Sunak had married Murthy's daughter - Akshata, in 2009.
Sources in Infosys stated that the company and as well as the family is closely watching the developments and looking forward to the formal swearing in ceremony.
