In last week’s Budget, Hunt pledged £3.4 billion of funding to support digital transformation in the NHS.
Is this where this story is coming from? A rounding up, a lost decimal point and an unsubstantiated assumption that Infosys will get the business? Where does the notion that Infosys went under during the pandemic?
By market capitalisation, Infosys is the fourth largest IT service company in the world behind American *Accenture, Indian Tata Consultancy and American IBM. Japanese Fujitsu, architect of the Post Office Horizon scandal is 8th.
www.globaldata.com/companies/top-companies-by-sector/technology-media-and-telecom/global-it-services-companies-by-market-cap/
Infosys market capitalisation is only $80 billion and it’s latest turnover less than $19 billion. It does most of its business in the USA but has a major presence in India, of course, as well as China, Australia, Japan, Middle East and Europe
According to Infosys filings, the Murthy family reportedly owns 4.15% (Narayana Murthy holds 0.46 per cent stake, his wife Sudha 0.95 per cent, son Rohan 1.67 per cent and daughter Akshata 1.07 percent) in Infosys. (Source: India Times 5 Jun 2023). 4.51% of $80 billion is $3.3 billion, a small percentage maybe but a substantial financial stake returning high dividends.
Akshata Murthy’s share value now said to be 0.91% (Source: Guardian 4 February 2024)
www.theguardian.com/politics/2024/feb/04/sunak-fresh-infosys-scrutiny-minister-accused-vip-access
The biggest shareholders in Infosys are big Indian investment and pension companies operating in India e.g Life Insurance Corporation of India, SBI Mutual, ICICI Prudential, NPS (National Pension System) and many others.
We know that members of the government are pushing for Infosys to do more business in the UK - Dominic Johnson and Jacob Rees Mogg for obvious reasons through Somerset Capital’s investment in Infosys which is a clear conflict of interests as well as the Sunak Murthy family but I see no foundation whatsover in the press for this story.
Somerset Capital is said to be winding down after losing its major client but its value will affected by any lucrative contracts awarded to companies in its portfolio. Johnson is said to no longer be involved in the management of the fund but unclear what personal investment he may still have.
www.theguardian.com/business/2023/dec/07/somerset-capital-hedge-fund-co-founded-by-jacob-rees-mogg-to-close-after-losing-top-client
Infosys is one of 62 suppliers on a £562.5m contract for IT services published by the Financial Conduct Authority in October, according to the government’s Contracts Finder website.
The firm is also one of 25 suppliers on a £250m contract published by NHS Shared Business Services last month for “intelligent automation”.
democracyforsale.substack.com/p/sunak-family-firm-infosys-public-contracts
The entire NHS resource budget for 2023/24 is only £168.8 billion. £146 billion of that is for Integrated Care Boards and Direct Commissioning e.g. dental, pharmacy and optometry services, public health screening and immunisation, child services etc.
Worth mentioning that, in last week’s Budget, Hunt announced a new ISA for investments in British companies. In April 2024, Government-owned NS&I will offer a new three year bond to invest in British companies.
Considering that Alan Turing is widely considered to be the father of theoretical computer science and artificial intelligence, isn’t it rather sad that the UK doesn’t have a top tech company that the public can invest in?
*Accenture has its HQ in the Irish Republic but it is essentially as American company which grew out of the business and technology consulting division of American accounting firm Arthur Andersen.