A Top Tech Executive’s Fight To Save The Tigers In India

In addition to a thriving career in the tech industry, Murthy is interested in conservation efforts. He has recently donated a thermal drone and 900 tracking cameras to the Nagarhole Tiger Reserve in India, to bolster the reserve’s conservation and anti-poaching efforts.?

Who is Phaneesh Murthy?

Murthy has been working in the tech industry for over 30 years. Throughout his illustrious career, he has built a reputation for pioneering industry-disrupting strategies. His career is full of examples of successfully transforming midlevel companies into leading global giants.?

Murthy was the Global Head of Sales at Infosys Ltd, and under his leadership, the company’s revenues reached $700 million. Later, as iGate’s CEO, Murthy restructured the company and acquired Patni Systems, making iGate a Tier 1 tech company in India. By the time Murthy left, the company was valued at $4.8 billion.?

Murthy has been able to generate great value for the companies that he has worked for by adopting a holistic view of any company’s operations. Using a process called tech/ops convergence, Murthy has been able to utilize technology and operations in tandem to achieve drastic results. Now he applies knowledge from his successful career to coaching tech executives.?

Murthy is also known for his philanthropic efforts. He has been working with tiger reserves in India for nearly a decade. To facilitate conservation efforts, he set up Kabini Foundation. This foundation has been working to prevent people from encroaching on conservation areas. To prevent encroachment of tiger reserves, the foundation imparts vocational training to local villagers, making them less likely to encroach on tiger conservation areas for economic benefit. ?

The Thermal Drone Donation

Drones are becoming increasingly popular for their varied applications. One such application is thermal imaging. Drones equipped with thermal cameras can be used for search and recuse missions, conservation efforts, and preventing forest fires. By collecting heat signatures, authorities can detect the illegal movement of poachers or fires before they erupt. These drones are highly efficient because they can cover a large area.?

Phaneesh Murthy recently donated Q4i thermal drone to Nagarhole Tiger Reserve, worth a whopping INR 2.1 million (USD 25,500). This drone, along with 900 tracking cameras donated by Murthy, would enable the tiger reserve to combat tiger poaching and help conserve the tiger population in India.

The Nagarahole Tiger Reserve is a tiger reserve located in Karnataka, a south Indian state. The park is also known as the Rajiv Gandhi National Park, named after the former Prime Minister of India. It is managed by the Nagarhole Tiger Conservation Foundation, an organization set up by the Indian government, working towards conserving India’s tiger population.

Donations by well-meaning individuals such as Murthy have played a key role in tiger conservation efforts. It was recently announced by the Indian government that 14 Tiger reserves have received the Conservation Assured Tiger Standards (CA | TS) approval, amid rising tiger numbers.?

Despite this, much work still needs to be done, as it was recently reported by the Project Tiger Steering Committee that less than a quarter of the reserve’s staff were conducting anti-poaching vigilance work. The drone will help close this gap.

Impact of the Donation

“Tigers were going through an existential crisis,” said Murthy. “And for those of us who have seen these magnificent animals in the wild, we wanted to make sure that our children would be able to see them too.”

Efforts to conserve tigers in India have doubled up in recent years, with renewed support from philanthropic individuals. Now that the Nagarhole Tiger Reserve is equipped with the thermal drone and tracking cameras, it will be much more effective in its anti-poaching activities.?

Images obtained from drones will not only stop poachers but can also be used for law enforcement action against them. This will act as a deterrent to poachers that are laying snares for tigers and other animals.?

The tech industry has continued its stellar growth, even while many industries struggled in the upsets in recent years. With access to cutting-edge technology and large fortunes, the tech industry is now uniquely situated to play a key role in societal development through philanthropic efforts. The pandemic has also brought about a shift in attitudes in the tech industry. While it was first focused on “disruptive” technologies, the tech industries have adopted a stabilizing approach since then – a welcome change.?

Final Words

Maintaining an ecological balance through conserving natural habitats is a noble effort because of the crucial role natural habitats play in preventing climate change. This is not an easy task, however, because the costs involved in conservation efforts are often sky-high. This is why, philanthropic contributions are highly appreciated because they can quickly address the funding gap.?

Murthy’s contributions over the years have played an important role in India’s fight to save its tiger population. With the tiger population now on the rise, Murthy’s contributions will be celebrated for times to come, both in the IT sector and in the natural world.?

Disclaimer : The above is a sponsored post, the views expressed are those of the sponsor/author and do not represent the stand and views of Outlook Editorial.
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