The intellectual roots of Sridharan Krishnamurthy were firmly established at the prestigious Indian Institute of Technology Madras, where he earned his B.Tech in Civil Engineering in 1980. IIT Madras not only sharpened his analytical thinking but also instilled a lifelong commitment to excellence, discipline, and societal responsibility.
Driven by a curiosity that transcended disciplinary boundaries, he pursued two Master’s degrees in Chemical Engineering and Computer Science from Southern Illinois University, Carbondale. This rare academic combination allowed him to develop a systems-level perspective—one that later became central to both his technology leadership and nonprofit scalability models.
To further refine his leadership and strategic capabilities, Sridharan completed an Executive MBA from Pepperdine University in Malibu, California, equipping him with advanced insights into governance, finance, and organizational growth.
Sridharan Krishnamurthy: A Distinguished Career at Intel: Innovation at Scale
For over 26 years, Sridharan Krishnamurthy built a stellar career at Intel Corporation, one of the world’s most influential technology companies. Working in system software, he eventually rose to serve as Director of Strategy and Marketing for Software Pathfinding & Innovation.
At Intel, his work consistently sat at the intersection of vision and execution. He contributed to foundational software initiatives, influenced long-term technology roadmaps, and played a key role in driving innovation across complex ecosystems. His contributions earned him the Intel Achievement Award, one of the company’s highest internal honors, and resulted in multiple patents, reflecting both technical depth and creative problem-solving.
Despite the intensity of a demanding global role, Sridharan Krishnamurthy never viewed professional success as an end in itself. Instead, he saw it as a platform—one that could and should be leveraged for a larger social mission.
Entrepreneurship and the Future of Technology
Extending his impact beyond corporate leadership, Sridharan Krishnamurthy is also a Partner and Chief Product Officer at Zan Compute, a Silicon Valley–based Internet of Things (IoT) startup. In this role, he continues to shape next-generation technologies, applying decades of experience in software strategy, product design, and innovation leadership.
His entrepreneurial work reflects a consistent theme in his career: building systems that scale, adapt, and deliver meaningful outcomes—whether in technology or healthcare.
Sridharan Krishnamurthy: The Birth of a Humanitarian Vision – Sankara Eye Foundation USA
In 1998, in San Jose, California, Sridharan Krishnamurthy co-founded the Sankara Eye Foundation (SEF), USA, alongside his brother Murali Krishnamurthy and Ahmad Khushnood. The mission was both ambitious and urgent: to eradicate curable blindness in India.
SEF USA works in close partnership with Sankara Eye Care Institutions (SECI) in India, an organization originally established in 1977 under the spiritual guidance of the Sankaracharya. When SEF joined hands with SECI, the collaboration marked a turning point—transforming a regional success into a national movement.
A Revolutionary Model for Sustainable Eye Care
At the time SEF was founded, a single hospital in Coimbatore performed approximately 8,000 free eye surgeries annually. Under the leadership of Sridharan Krishnamurthy, a bold vision emerged: Vision 20/20 by the Year 2020.
To achieve this, he helped design and implement a self-sustaining hospital model that redefined nonprofit healthcare delivery. Each hospital would:
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Become financially independent within five years
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Perform 80% of surgeries free of cost
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Use revenue from 20% paying patients to fund charitable care
This model was first proven in Guntur, Andhra Pradesh, and soon replicated across India. The results were transformative.
Impact at Scale: Restoring Sight, Restoring Lives
From 8,000 free surgeries in 1998, the annual number grew to over 120,000 by 2010, and has since expanded exponentially. As of 2026, the Sankara Eye Care network includes 27 hospitals across 14 Indian states, making it one of the largest charitable eye-care systems in the world.
Millions of individuals—primarily from rural and underserved communities—have regained vision, independence, and livelihood because of this work. Behind this extraordinary impact lies Sridharan Krishnamurthy’s relentless focus on governance, strategy, transparency, and volunteer-driven leadership.
Vision 2030: March to a Million
Never one to rest on past achievements, Sridharan Krishnamurthy is now spearheading “Vision 2030: March to a Million”, an ambitious initiative to perform one million free eye surgeries every year by 2030.
This vision reflects not just scale, but sustainability—ensuring that quality, affordability, and ethical care remain uncompromised even as reach expands.
Sridharan Krishnamurthy: Awards, Recognition, and Global Respect
The contributions of Sridharan Krishnamurthy have earned widespread recognition:
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Distinguished Alumnus Award, IIT Madras
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Global Leadership Award, Pan IIT Organization
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SEF USA’s 4-Star Charity Navigator rating, achieved consistently for governance excellence
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Multiple national and international healthcare excellence awards awarded to SECI