Unfair to comment on Infosys episode: Sitharaman

Bangalore: Union Minister Nirmala Sitharaman today refused to be drawn into the boardroom controversy involving Infosys, maintaining that she does not see any conflict of interest in the appointment of Punita Sinha, wife of Union Minister Jayant Sinha, as an independent director.

"... To comment on what is happening in a particular corporate organisation will be unfair from what reports I have seen in the media - that will be rather unfair to comment on whatever I have read in the media," she said.

She was speaking to PTI on the sidelines of The Hindu's The Huddle, an interactive event with eminent personalities from different walks of life.

Sitharaman was specifically asked about Infosys co-founder N R Narayana Murthy flagging the issue of quality of governance at Infosys having "slipped" amid reports of uneasy equations between the company founders on the one hand and CEO Vishal Sikka and the board on the other.

On Punita's appointment, which was made almost a year ago and is also reported to be a contentious point in the rift, she said, "I am not sure I will personally have any objection. I am not sure again (whether) it is a conflict in the context of what is developing at Infosys."

Sitharaman made the point that Punita has been in this field because of her "capacity and credentials". "Well, I think Punita has a career of her own. She has been in this field of activity for a very long time and if she is there, it is because of her capacity and her credentials," she said.

On the rising tendency of protectionism by several countries as advocated by US President Donald Trump, Sitharaman said protectionism "is in India's face" and the the government is negotiating to be less protectionist.

"Protectionism is in our face and we are negotiating with people to be less protectionist. A majority of the protectionist instruments are not tariffs, but standards," she explained.

She further said it is too early for her to comment on Trump's policies, which are yet to be ratified, but the Indian government is keenly watching the development and the Ministry of External Affairs is in touch with the US administration.

"We shall keep continuing the engagement and I would want to remind you that even with the Obama administration, we had engaged through Strategic Commercial Dialogue two years consequently - once in Washington and once here in Delhi... The issues continue. We need to have them resolved, and therefore we shall be continuing the engagement," the minister said.