NEW DELHI: N.R. Narayana Murthy, the founder of Indian IT services firm Infosys, congratulated his son-in-law Rishi Sunak on becoming Britain’s prime minister on Tuesday.
“Congratulations to Rishi. We are proud of him and we wish him success,“ Murthy told Press Trust of India news agency in his reaction to the leadership change in the United Kingdom.
Sunak, 42, a former member of Boris Johnson’s cabinet, is Britain’s third prime minister in seven weeks and the first nonwhite person to hold the top job.
Johnson’s successor Liz Truss stepped down after 45 days, becoming the shortest-serving British leader.
Born in Southampton, England, Sunak was elected leader of the Conservative Party on Monday after rival Penny Mordaunt quit the contest.
His parents of South Asian descent were both born in East Africa.
Sunak enters 10 Downing Street, the office and residence of the prime minister of Britain, with his wife Akshata Murthy and their two daughters.
He has worked for the American investment bank Goldman Sachs.
Sunak and Akshata met in the US and got married in 2009.
The couple has more than US$800 million worth of wealth, according to a report.
Many Indians are celebrating Sunak’s political rise.
“Who would have thought when India celebrates 75 years of Independence from the British, the British will get a Prime Minister of Indian origin, a first ever Hindu PM,“ actor Chiranjeevi Konidela wrote on Twitter.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated Sunak in a tweet.
“Warmest congratulations @RishiSunak! As you become UK PM, I look forward to working closely together on global issues, and implementing Roadmap 2030. Special Diwali wishes to the ‘living bridge’ of UK Indians, as we transform our historic ties into a modern partnership,“ he said. – Bernama
