After the Tatas, software maker Infosys has become the second large Indian company in

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succession to look for a successor to its chairman.

While Tata Group's iconic chief Ratan Tata, 72, is due to retire at the end of 2012, Infosys Chairman and Chief Mentor N R Narayana Murthy will retire in August 2011 when he turns 65.

The IT company has already started the hunt for the next leader.

Talking to reporters here about his succession plan, Murthy said, "We have a nominations committee. Jeffrey Lehman is the Chairman of that. At an appropriate time he will do that. Certainly, he and his committee will come up with a successor in time so that I can retire on August 20, 2011."

The Tata Group last week announced setting up a committee to search for Ratan Tata's successor, who is expected to be in place by March next year.

Murthy was in the capital to attend an AIMA event.

Infosys' nominations committee, which has ICICI Bank non-executive chairman K V Kamath, Cornell University professor Lehman and HDFC Standard Life Insurance CEO Deepak M Satwalekar as members, has already begun discussions on the process.

The purpose of the nominations committee is to oversee the company's nomination process for the top level management and specifically to identify, screen and review individuals qualified to serve as executive directors, non-executive directors and independent directors.

However, Murthy declined to comment on whether he prefers an Infoscion to step into his shoes.

Similarly, Tata has made it clear that his successor need not necessarily be a parsi or have a Tata name. The five member search panel set up by the Tatas includes two serving directors and a former vice chairman.

Murthy established Infosys in 1981 with an initial capital of USD 250 along with six others, Nandan Nilekani, Kris Gopalakrishnan, SD Shibulal, K Dinesh, N S Raghavan and A Arora.

The company is currently being led by CEO Kris Gopalakrishnan.

With revenues of Rs 6,198 crore at the end of June 30, 2010, Infosys has over 113,000 employees in over 50 offices worldwide.

Shares of Infosys were trading at Rs 2,823.05, down 1.74 per cent at the Bombay Stock Exchange.