Kris Gopalakrishnan, the Infosys chief executive, has an office in the middle of the IT industry's version of the Garden of Eden. Under a flawless azure sky, 18,000 computer programmers cycle between meetings in the company's 300-acre Bangalore campus. There they solve the software problems of the world's biggest companies before squeezing in a lunchtime volleyball game or honing their putting technique on the pristine green. Even the cleaners are beaming - as well they might. Many have made thousands of dollars out of stock options.

From this tranquil base, Mr Gopalakrishnan spends his time analysing the opportunities that globalisation affords Infosys, India's second-largest software exporter, opportunities such as yesterday's acquisition of Axon.

“Competition today is global even at an individual level,” he said last year. Infosys is well placed to benefit from the changing balance of power in the world economy and its chief executive gets an earlier indication than most about how the world's biggest companies are feeling. Blue-chip bosses ask him about upgrades to their IT systems. When things look bad, they ask him how to cut costs by moving work to India. Most of his recent calls have been along the latter line.

It's a far cry from 27 years ago, when Mr Gopalakrishnan and six of his friends founded the business from a flat in Bombay. They waited a year for their first telephone line. Mr Gopalakrishnan is known for being charming and considerate and for reminding people that although economic growth has benefited India, not everyone has been a winner. “Two thirds of the population still live with less than $2 a day, so we need to see the benefits impacting on the majority of the people. That is the challenge which really needs working on.”

The 53-year-old was promoted to chief executive in July last year. Married with one daughter, he is also chairman of the Indian Institute of Information Technology and Management and serves on the board of the National Internet Exchange of India.