Infosys Public Services CEO ‘unreachable’ as hundreds go missing after Nepal floods

Infosys Public Services' chief Lax Gopisetty could not be reached after the flash floods in Nepal on August 26, which has rendered hundreds of people missing.

Infosys in a statement on Friday said the chief executive officer of its subsidiary had been in Nepal at the time of the disaster and was unreachable, PTI news agency reported. Infosys Public Services, a subsidiary of IT services major Infosys, is mainly focused on the public sector in the US and Canada.

The IT firm said Gopisetty was visiting the region in a personal capacity, while highlighting that his safety and well-being was a priority.

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In the statement, Infosys confirmed that Gopisetty could not be contacted. “We can confirm that our colleague Lax Gopisetty, who was visiting the region in a personal capacity, is currently not reachable,” the Bengaluru-headquartered company said.

It further said that it was in communication with Gopisetty's family, and was working with relevant agencies to gather information and establish contact with him. “We remain in close communication with the family and are providing all necessary support during this difficult time. Our thoughts are with Lax and all those affected by this tragedy,” Infosys said in its statement. The company said it was deeply saddened by the devastating floods in Nepal and the loss of lives.

Gopisetty, who has over 30 years of experience in helping organizations across public and private sectors, advises Infosys' subsidiary on strategy, technology, operations, and transformation to support agencies' mission, according to the company's website.

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Prior to his stint as CEO of its subsidiary, Gopisetty was global vice president with Infosys and head of business applications and digital workspace service. Before joining Infosys, Gopisetty was a Managing Director at Accenture where he led a segment of Health and Public Services business in North America.

Days after the devastating flash floods from the Bhote Koshi River, at least 287 Indian nationals and 128 persons of Indian origin remain missing, according to a statement by the ministry of external affairs on Saturday evening.

The ministry said four Indian nationals were rescued earlier today from a hydropower project in Nepal's Rasuwa district. They have been identified as Ripu Kumar, Chaneshwar Narzary, Kripa Shankar and Mohammed Minhajuddin, and have been taken to Kathmandu.

88 Indian nationals had been rescued till the time of release of the MEA statement, the ministry said. Meanwhile, forensic expert teams from India were expected to reach Kathmandu on Saturday to assist in the analysis of DNA samples for identification.

Arya Mishra is a Content Producer at Hindustan Times, based in New Delhi, and a key member of the digital news team focusing on urgent breaking developments across India and the world.