London:

Akshata Murty stood by her husband Rishi Sunak as he delivered his final speech outside 10 Downing Street following a crushing loss to the Labour Party in the UK elections. While the results and the Conservative Party’s future were the primary topics of discussion, social media couldn’t help but fixate on Ms Murty’s dress. 

Her red, white and blue chevron gown, identified as the 395 pound (Rs 42,000) Lina Dress from designer Omi Na Na, drew significant attention. Comments ranged from the colour scheme to the design, and even to the price tag. Although she was in the background, her outfit sparked speculation, with some wondering if her bold fashion choice – featuring the colours of the UK flag – was a tactical move to make a subtle statement amid the country’s changing political dynamics. 

“Akshata Murty’s dress is absolutely perfect for the occasion. The multi-layered symbolism is *chef’s kiss*,” a user wrote on social media platform X. 

Leaving aside the other election stuff and tribal allegiances; Akshata Murty’s dress is absolutely perfect for the occasion. The multi-layered symbolism is *chef’s kiss* pic.twitter.com/mlTf0ZxGu9

— Saran (@__Saran__) July 5, 2024

However, not all reactions were positive. Some users speculated whether the dress was a deliberate distraction from Mr Sunak’s speech. 

One user wondered, “a deliberate attempt to distract from Sunak’s speech,” while another echoed this sentiment, saying, “Akshata desperately trying to draw the attention away from her husband in her awful dress”.

It’s hurting my (tired) eyes. Is it deliberate attempt to distract from Sunak’s speech?

— Mask wearing blue bean ???? (@bluebean76) July 5, 2024

Akshata desperately trying to draw the attention away from her husband in her awful dress#GeneralElection2024pic.twitter.com/FB48bWHoof

— Charles Mossman ???????????????? #FBPE (@charles_mossman) July 5, 2024

Others appreciated the dress, calling it “pretty stylish and fun,” and “beautiful” .

Obviously good riddance to her husband, but I think Akshata’s dress was pretty stylish and fun, personally.

— Dominic Dean (@DrDominicDean) July 5, 2024

Akshata’s dress was beautiful! pic.twitter.com/AkkiWl7oyx

— Helen ???????? Reasons to be Cheerful, One, Two, Three (@errjustsaying) July 5, 2024

Someone joked that “it looked like she was disguising herself as a zebra” while another comment read, “That dress is a distress signal and cry for help” .

When I first saw it the red part wasn’t visible and it looked like she was disguising herself as a zebra.

— Contrary Mary (@ContraryMary_74) July 5, 2024

That dress is a distress signal and cry for help

— Louise Maving (@LouiseMaving1) July 5, 2024

The cost of the dress also drew attention, with a user noting, “Akshata Sunak’s dress is 395 pounds which she will no doubt never wear again. That money could feed my whole family for over a month.”

Akshata Sunak’s dress £395 which she will no doubt never wear again.
That money could feed my whole family for over a month.

— Helen Seber Bridgwood (@Knitknurse) July 5, 2024

Rishi Sunak holds the distinction of being the richest person to have served as the Prime Minister of the UK. His wife Akshata Murty adds to their financial status as the daughter of Narayana Murthy, the billionaire founder of Infosys. According to the Sunday Times’ 2024 Rich List, the couple’s combined fortune is estimated at an impressive 651 million pounds. This immense wealth makes them the wealthiest inhabitants of 10 Downing Street to date.

Britain’s Prime Minister Rishi Sunak with his wife Akshata Murty.
| Photo Credit: AP

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and wife Akshata Murty, who made their debut in the annual ‘Sunday Times Rich List’ two years ago, have moved up the ranks in the 2024 edition released on May 17 thanks to the Murty’s lucrative Infosys shareholding.

The couple, both 44, have risen from 275th last year to 245th with an estimated wealth of GBP 651 million, making them the “wealthiest people to call 10 Downing Street home”.

Ms. Murty’s earnings are said to far exceed that of her husband as financial statements published in February are quoted to say Mr. Sunak made GBP 2.2 million in 2022-23 compared to Ms. Murty’s estimated GBP 13 million in dividends over the past year.

“The couple’s most valued asset is Murty’s shareholding in Infosys, a Bangalore-based IT company co-founded by Murty’s father [Narayan Murthy],” reads the newspaper’s analysis.

“Over the past year, the shares have grown in value by GBP 108.8 million to nearly GBP 590 million. The latest annual report suggests that Murty received about GBP 13 million in dividends during that time — adding to the more than a million pounds she has been paid in previous years. She is poised to receive another GBP 10.5 million this year,” it notes.

The annual compilation of Britain’s wealthiest families is once again topped by the Indian-origin Hinduja family, who saw their wealth increase over the past year to hit GBP 37.196 billion in the wake of the opening of their brand-new luxury OWO Hotel in the heart of London.

The U.K.-based family’s group of companies, headed by chairman G.P. Hinduja, operates in 48 countries and across several sectors – automotive, oil and speciality chemicals, banking and finance, IT, cyber security, healthcare, trading, infrastructure project development, media and entertainment, power, and real estate.

“It has been a year of expansion through acquisition for the group, made possible in part by growing stock market valuations of the family’s main listed holdings, which have risen to a total of GBP 8.7 billion,” reads the newspaper’s analysis.

The top 10 of the 2024 ‘Sunday Times Rich List’ sees another set of India-born brothers, David and Simon Reuben, build on their wealth to rise to third place from last year’s fourth, with a fortune estimated at around GBP 24.977 billion.

At No. 8 is NRI tycoon of ArcelorMittal steelworks Lakshmi N. Mittal, who slips two places from last year with an estimated GBP 14.921 billion, followed by Vedanta Resources’ industrialist Anil Agarwal at No. 23 with an estimated GBP 7 billion – down one rank from 2023.

Other Indian-origin billionaires on the 2024 list include textiles entrepreneur Prakash Lohia at No. 30 with an estimated GBP 6.23 billion; retail majors Mohsin and Zuber Issa at No. 39 with GBP 5 billion; and pharma chiefs Navin and Varsha Engineer at 58 with GBP 3 billion.

Among the top 100 richest Britons are brothers Simon, Bobby and Robin Arora at No. 65 with GBP 2.682 billion and leading NRI industrialist Lord Swraj Paul and family ranked 67th with an estimated wealth of GBP 2.6 billion – same as last year.

Fashion industrialist Sunder Genomal, a new entrant in 2023, is ranked 77th with a fortune estimated at GBP 2.214 billion, with hoteliers Jasminder Singh and family coming in at 83 with GBP 2.001 billion.

On the whole, the 36th edition of the rich list reveals the largest fall in billionaires in its history – down from a peak of 177 in 2022 to 165 this year.

“This year’s Sunday Times Rich List suggests Britain’s billionaire boom has come to an end. Many of our home-grown entrepreneurs have seen their fortunes fall, and some of the global super-rich who came here are moving away,” said the list’s compiler, Robert Watts.

However, moving from millionaire to billionaire on the tally is former Beatle Sir Paul McCartney – now the first U.K. musician to achieve that status after boosting his wealth by GBP 50 million over last year.

New Delhi:

The viral political debut speech of Indian-origin UK first lady Akshata Murty gave us some insights of what her relationship is like with her husband Rishi Sunak.

Ms Murty in her surprise speech on Wednesday stepped out to introduce “best friend” Rishi Sunak for his maiden speech as UK Prime Minister to the Conservative Party conference in Manchester. She during her light-hearted and personal speech, claimed her husband was unaware of her “gate-crashing” as the warm-up act to the centrepiece of the annual conference.

Here are some of the quotes from Akshata Murty ‘s speech:

We are best friends, one team

“Rishi and I are each other’s best friends; we are one team and I could not imagine being anywhere else than here today to show my support to him and to the party”.

Struck by two things about him

“Rishi and I met when we were 24 when we were both studying abroad in America. Right from the very beginning, I was struck by two things about him… his deep love for his home, the United Kingdom, and his sincere desire to ensure as many people as possible have a chance to have the opportunities he was lucky enough to have had. It completely energised him. Being with Rishi was the easiest decision of my life”.

During tough times

“Sometimes when the going gets tough, I remind Rishi that he’s fighting for his values. That he’s fighting for this party’s values, knowing that it’s a hard road ahead. That success is hard one”.

His incredible zest for life

“He has an incredible zest for life. What drew me to him most was his strength of character, his honesty, his integrity, with a firm understanding of right from wrong. It’s what I’m still drawn to, even today, after 14 years of being married.”

A proud wife

“Rishi, you know this, you know that doing the right thing for the long term even when it is hard is the right thing to do. I hope you also know how proud you make our girls and me every single day”.

Read| “Rishi And I…”: Akshata Murty’s Viral Speech At UK Political Stage Debut

London:

Britain’s Indian First Lady, Akshata Murty, made a surprise debut on the political stage on Wednesday when she stepped out to introduce “best friend” Rishi Sunak for his maiden speech as UK Prime Minister to the Conservative Party conference in Manchester. Ms Murty, during her light-hearted and personal speech, claimed her husband was unaware of her “gate-crashing” as the warm-up act to the centrepiece of the annual conference and that her decision had also surprised their daughters, Krishna and Anoushka.

The 43-year-old daughter of Infosys co-founder Narayan Murthy went on to share her pride in Mr Sunak’s many achievements and how it was his “honesty and integrity” that had first attracted her to him when they met as students at Stanford University in their 20s.

“Rishi and I are each other’s best friends; we are one team and I could not imagine being anywhere else than here today to show my support to him and to the party,” said Ms Murty.

“Rishi and I met when we were 24 when we were both studying abroad in America. Right from the very beginning, I was struck by two things about him… his deep love for his home, the United Kingdom, and his sincere desire to ensure as many people as possible have a chance to have the opportunities he was lucky enough to have had. It completely energised him. Being with Rishi was the easiest decision of my life,” she said.

According to Ms Murty, the one word that encapsulates her husband is “aspiration”, which drives him to work for a better future for the UK.

“Sometimes when the going gets tough, I remind Rishi that he’s fighting for his values. That he’s fighting for this party’s values, knowing that it’s a hard road ahead. That success is hard one,” she said.

During the lighter moments in her speech, Ms Murty confirmed media reports about Mr Sunak’s preference for romcoms and described him as “fun, thoughtful and compassionate”.

“He has an incredible zest for life. What drew me to him most was his strength of character, his honesty, his integrity, with a firm understanding of right from wrong. It’s what I’m still drawn to, even today, after 14 years of being married,” she said.

“Rishi, you know this, you know that doing the right thing for the long term even when it is hard is the right thing to do. I hope you also know how proud you make our girls and me every single day,” concluded Ms Murty, to sustained applause from the Tory gathering as a visibly moved Mr Sunak stepped out onto the stage.

During his much-anticipated address, Mr Sunak opened with the central theme of the Tory conference to say that Ms Murty was the “best long-term decision for a brighter future” he had made.

Mr Sunak said since he became Prime Minister in October last year the government has “done good things in that time”. He went on to highlight that the political system over the last 30 years had incentivised easy decisions short-term rather than the right ones.

“It doesn’t have to be this way, I won’t be this way,” he declared.

Confirming an expected decision to axe the High Speed-2 (HS2) railway project, Mr Sunak claimed it was the “ultimate example of the old consensus” and the economic case for the project has “massively been weakened”.

“I say to those who backed the project in the first place, the facts have changed and the right thing to do when the facts change is to have the courage to change direction. And so I am ending this long-running saga. I am cancelling the rest of the HS2 project and in its place we will reinvest every single penny, GBP 36 billion in hundreds of new transport projects in the north and the Midlands, across the country,” he said.

Taking a shot at his predecessor at 10 Downing Street, Liz Truss, who had again called for tax cuts during a fringe event at the conference earlier this week, something Mr Sunak has repeatedly said would be inflationary.

“I will tell it as it is, I will lead in a different way because that is the only way to create the sort of the change in our politics and our country that we all desperately want to see,” he said, laying out his stall for the governing party activists ahead of an expected general election next year.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, his wife Akshata Murty. File
| Photo Credit: Getty Images

What does the British Prime Minister discuss at the dinner table with his Indian parents-in-law? Is it Indian politics or the challenges of running Britain? Neither. It’s cricket.

“The most political we tend to get is in our discussion of cricket. I’ve agreed that my daughters can support India when it comes to cricket, as long as they support England when it comes to football!” Prime Minister Rishi Sunak told PTI.

Mr. Sunak’s parents, both of Indian origin, came to the U.K. from east Africa. His wife Akshata Murty is the daughter of India’s billionaire tech czar Narayana Murthy and philanthropist and educator Sudha Murty.

In an interview via email days ahead of his visit to New Delhi to attend the G20 summit on September 9 and 10, Mr. Sunak said Wednesday the response from the Indian people to his appointment as the prime minister was “overwhelming and humbling.” “I am hugely proud of my Indian roots and my connections to India. As you know, my wife is Indian and being a proud Hindu means I will always have a connection to India and the people of India,” he said.

The 43-year-old leader of the Conservative Party was first elected as an MP in 2015. He was made finance minister or chancellor of exchequer in February 2020 by then Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

In October last year, he became the first Indian-origin British prime minister, scripting history.

“One of the first things I did after becoming Prime Minister was to hold a reception for Diwali in Downing Street. Having the opportunity to welcome many British Indians into Number 10 and seeing the building decorated from top to bottom with lights and flowers was an incredibly proud and emotional moment for me,” Mr. Sunak said.

“Because my story is the story of so many people in Britain with deep and enduring links to India. The strength of our country lies in its diversity, and that’s something I have seen first-hand many times since becoming Prime Minister,” he said.

Asked whether he discusses Indian politics, technology or problems he faces in running Great Britain when he sits with his in-laws, Mr. Sunak said it is important to keep politics separate from family. “It’s very important to keep politics separate from family, but of course my wife and two daughters very much guide my values, as do my parents and parents-in-law.” “I am, though, incredibly proud of my parents-in-law and what they have achieved – going from nothing to building one of the world’s largest and most respected companies, which employs thousands of people in both India and in the U.K.,” he said.

“I want to create and lead a country where anyone can emulate the kind of success that they have had,” Mr. Sunak said.

“It is wonderful to be able to travel to India for the G20 with Akshata, and hopefully we will get a chance to visit some of the places we went to when we were younger – we’ll both be very busy the whole trip though!” Mr. Sunak said he is looking forward to meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi and deliberate on how collaboration between India and the U.K. helps in dealing with various global challenges.

“My ministerial colleagues who have visited India in the past year have all returned with a renewed enthusiasm for the UK-India partnership,” he said.

“Beyond the work of the G20 itself, it has been fantastic for so many people to see the breadth and depth of India by travelling all over the country for meetings and discovering the unique cultures on display all over India,” he added.

“When I meet Prime Minister Modi again this week it will be an opportunity to speak about some of the global challenges we face, and the huge role that the U.K. and India have to play in addressing them,” Mr. Sunak said.