Apple vs Infosys: Founders, CEOs and History
Apple was founded in 1976 by Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak, Ronald Wayne and is led by John Ternus. Infosys was founded in 1981 by N. R. Narayana Murthy, Nandan Nilekani, S. Gopalakrishnan and is led by Salil Parekh.
Company facts
Founders
Apple
Steve Jobs
Apple Computer was founded on April 1, 1976, by Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak, and Ronald Wayne, who sold his 10% stake back to his partners for $800 twelve days later.
Steve Wozniak
Steve Wozniak co-founded Apple and supplied the engineering foundation for its early success. He designed the Apple I as a working personal-computer board and then created the Apple II, the product that transformed Apple into a real company.
Ronald Wayne
Ronald Wayne co-founded Apple in 1976 but exited the partnership after only days, selling his stake back to Jobs and Wozniak.
Infosys
N. R. Narayana Murthy
Infosys possesses arguably the most ethical, well-known founding story in modern Indian corporate history, defining the 'middle-class' technology miracle of Bangalore and famously prioritizing rigorous corporate governance in a heavily corrupt regulatory era.
Nandan Nilekani
Nandan Nilekani served as Infosys CEO from 2002 to 2007, a period when the company expanded into global markets and deepened its position with Fortune 500 clients.
S. Gopalakrishnan
S. Gopalakrishnan co-founded Infosys in 1981 and served as CEO from 2007 to 2011, handling the company through the global financial crisis while maintaining profitability and client trust.
S. D. Shibulal
S. D. Shibulal co-founded Infosys in 1981 and served as CEO from 2011 to 2014. His tenure came during a transitional period when traditional outsourcing growth was slowing and the market was beginning to shift toward digital transformation, cloud, and automati…
K. Dinesh
K. Dinesh co-founded Infosys in 1981 and spent his career building the company's internal operating systems, quality processes, human resources practices, training programs, and organizational development.
N. S. Raghavan
N. S. Raghavan co-founded Infosys and served as a stabilizing administrative force during the company's fragile early years.
Ashok Arora
Ashok Arora co-founded Infosys in 1981 and contributed to the company's earliest technical work and client delivery. Unlike the other six founders, Arora left the company relatively early and sold his stake before Infosys became a public-market success.
CEOs and their tenures
Apple
- John Sculley1983–1993
CEO
Sculley, a Wharton MBA who had built his reputation running Pepsi's marketing organization, was recruited to Apple in 1983 after Steve Jobs asked him, 'Do you want to sell sugar water for the rest of your life, or do you want to change the world?' Apple paid h…
Source - Gil Amelio1996–1997
CEO
Amelio built his reputation as a corporate turnaround specialist at Rockwell International and then as CEO of National Semiconductor, where he was credited with transforming it from a struggling third-tier chipmaker into a more respected competitor, before joi…
Source - Steve Jobs1997–2011
CEO
Jobs enrolled at Reed College but dropped out after six months, later working as a video-game designer at Atari before he and Steve Wozniak founded Apple Computer in the Jobs family garage in 1976, funding the venture by selling Jobs's Volkswagen van and Wozni…
Source - Tim Cook2011–2026
CEO
Cook earned an industrial-engineering degree from Auburn University and an MBA from Duke's Fuqua School of Business, then spent 12 years at IBM's personal-computer business before serving as COO of the reseller division at Intelligent Electronics and briefly a…
Source - John Ternus2026–present
CEO
Before becoming CEO, Ternus was Apple's senior vice president of Hardware Engineering, the group responsible for the engineering of Apple's devices. Cook described his contributions to Apple as spanning 25 years when the succession was announced.
Source
Infosys
- S. D. Shibulal2011–2014
Co-founder and Former CEO
As one of the original founders serving as CEO, his tenure saw Infosys struggle with lagging growth compared to TCS, prompting the return of N.R. Narayana Murthy to stabilize operations.
Source - Vishal Sikka2014–2017
Former CEO
He resigned in August 2017 after public criticism from founder N. R. Narayana Murthy over governance, executive pay, and the Panaya acquisition.
Source - Nandan Nilekani2017–present
Co-founder and Non-Executive Chairman
His return restored investor confidence and ended the founder-board conflict. He earlier served as CEO from 2002 to 2007 and led India's Aadhaar digital ID programme.
Source - Salil Parekh2018–present
Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director
Under Parekh revenue rose from about $11.8 billion in FY2019 to $20.16 billion in FY2026 while operating margins stayed near 20%-21%. His board reappointed him for a second five-year term starting April 2022.
Source - Jayesh Sanghrajka2023–present
Chief Financial Officer
He has kept operating margins within the 20%-22% guidance band during a slow-growth period.
Source
Timeline: Apple and Infosys side by side
1976Apple
Apple is founded by Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak, and Ronald Wayne, turning an early personal-computer board into a company with a product and a market.
Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak, and Ronald Wayne founded Apple in 1976, when personal computing was still a hobbyist market.
1977Apple
The Apple II launches and gives the young company an expandable personal computer for schools, homes, and small businesses.
The Apple II turned a garage project into a business. Color graphics, expansion slots and a consumer-friendly design carried it into schools, homes and small offices, giving Apple a revenue base years before the Macintosh.
1980Apple
Apple completes its initial public offering in December 1980, raising capital and turning personal computing into a public-market story.
The December 1980 IPO gave Apple public-market capital and made personal computing look like a serious commercial category. It also raised the pressure to professionalize management, distribution and product planning as the company outgrew its founding team.
1981Infosys
Infosys Founded
Seven engineers founded Infosys in Pune before relocating and scaling the company in Bengaluru.
1984Apple
The Macintosh introduces a graphical interface and mouse-driven computing to a broad audience at a $2,495 launch price.
The Macintosh brought a graphical interface and a mouse to a mass-market computer and defined Apple's design identity.
1993Infosys
Indian Public Listing
Infosys listed in India and began building a transparent governance reputation.
1997Apple
Apple completes the NeXT acquisition, bringing Steve Jobs back and supplying the operating-system foundation for the years that followed.
Apple's NeXT acquisition brought Steve Jobs back when the company was financially weak and unfocused.
1999Infosys
NASDAQ Listing
Infosys became the first Indian company listed on NASDAQ, boosting global investor credibility.
2000Infosys
Finacle Scales
Infosys expanded its banking software platform, creating product-led switching costs inside banks.
2001Apple
Apple introduces the iPod on October 23, 2001, a 5GB music player priced at $399 that held about 1,000 songs.
The iPod put a hard-drive music library in a pocket at $399 and went on sale on November 10, 2001.
2007Apple
The iPhone is introduced as a phone, widescreen iPod, and internet communicator, moving Apple into the center of mobile computing.
The iPhone moved Apple into mobile computing and shifted the company's center of gravity away from the Mac. It also created the hardware base that later supported services, accessories and developer economics.
2008Apple
The App Store opens with 500 apps, creating a controlled software marketplace that becomes a major Services pillar.
The App Store launched with 500 apps and gave iPhone owners a single, controlled way to install third-party software.
2011Apple
Tim Cook becomes chief executive on August 24, 2011, after Steve Jobs resigns and the board names Cook to succeed him.
Apple's board named Tim Cook chief executive on August 24, 2011, when Steve Jobs resigned and recommended the succession plan be carried out.
2011Infosys
S. D. Shibulal becomes CEO
S. D. Shibulal became CEO of Infosys Limited in 2011. He was the last founder to serve as CEO before the board appointed an outside leader.
2014Apple
Apple agrees to acquire Beats Music and Beats Electronics for $3 billion, its largest deal.
Apple agreed to buy Beats Music and Beats Electronics for a total of $3 billion, about $2.6 billion in purchase price plus roughly $400 million vesting over time, and brought in founders Jimmy Iovine and Dr. Dre.
2014Infosys
Vishal Sikka becomes CEO
Vishal Sikka became CEO of Infosys Limited in 2014. He resigned in August 2017 after public criticism from founder N.
2018Infosys
Salil Parekh Becomes CEO
Salil Parekh became CEO and began a period focused on large deals, cloud, AI, and delivery discipline.
2020Apple
Apple announces the Mac transition to Apple silicon, deepening control over performance, power efficiency, and software optimization.
Apple began moving Mac computers off Intel processors and onto its own M-series chips in 2020.
2024Apple
Vision Pro launches at $3,499 and gives Apple a shipping platform for spatial interfaces, sensors, and custom silicon.
Vision Pro gave Apple a live platform for spatial interfaces, eye and hand input, high-resolution displays and custom chips.
2024Infosys
Acquired In-tech
Infosys Limited acquired In-tech for $485 million.
2026Apple
John Ternus becomes chief executive on September 1, 2026, and Tim Cook becomes executive chairman.
John Ternus, Apple's senior vice president of Hardware Engineering, became chief executive on September 1, 2026, and Tim Cook became executive chairman after 15 years as CEO.
2026Infosys
Revenue Crosses $20B
Infosys reported $20.158 billion in FY2026 revenue, up 3.1% in constant currency, with $14.9 billion in large-deal wins.
2026Infosys
FY2027 Guidance Cut
In July 2026 Infosys reported Q1 FY2027 revenue of $5.082 billion and lowered full-year growth guidance to 1.5%-3.0% in constant currency.
Acquisitions
Infosys
- MRE Consulting2025$36M
- InSemi Technology Services2024$33.7M
- In-tech2024$485M
- BASE life science2022Undisclosed
- Oddity2022Undisclosed
- Simplus2020$250M
Questions about Apple vs Infosys
Who is the CEO of Apple Inc. and Infosys Limited?
Apple Inc. is led by John Ternus and Infosys Limited is led by Salil Parekh. Both serve as the top executive responsible for the company's strategy, operations, and financial performance.
When was Apple Inc. founded vs Infosys Limited?
Apple Inc. was founded in 1976 — 5 years before Infosys Limited, which was founded in 1981. Apple Inc.'s longer operating history gives it a deeper track record but also potentially more institutional inertia compared to the younger Infosys Limited.
How many employees does Apple Inc. have compared to Infosys Limited?
Apple Inc. employs approximately 166,000 people, while Infosys Limited employs approximately 328,594. Infosys Limited has the larger workforce at 328,594 employees, compared to Apple Inc.'s 166,000. A higher headcount does not necessarily imply greater efficiency — it often reflects differences in business model (e.g., manufacturing vs. software).
Where are Apple Inc. and Infosys Limited headquartered?
Apple Inc. is headquartered in United States and Infosys Limited is headquartered in India. Their different home markets mean they may face different regulatory frameworks, tax regimes, and currency exposure.
Who founded Apple Inc. and Infosys Limited?
Apple Inc. was founded by Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak, Ronald Wayne. Infosys Limited was founded by N. R. Narayana Murthy, Nandan Nilekani, S. Gopalakrishnan, S. D. Shibulal, K. Dinesh, N. S. Raghavan, Ashok Arora.
Which company has a longer operating history — Apple Inc. or Infosys Limited?
Apple Inc. has been operating for approximately 50 years, making it the more established of the two companies. Infosys Limited has been in operation for around 45 years. A longer operating history often signals greater institutional resilience and brand recognition, though it can also mean slower adaptation to new market conditions.
Figures come from each company's filings and the sources linked beside them. Amounts reported in another currency are shown in US dollars at an approximate rate and marked with ~. Back to the Apple vs Infosys overview