A group of senior professionals, including software icon N R Narayana Murthy today formed a work group that would spearhead an initiative aimed at getting the IT industry to set higher benchmarks in professionalism and ethics.

Besides Murthy, who is the chief mentor of Infosys, other members of the group are: Chief Technology Officer of Wipro I Vijaya Kumar, Vice-Chairman of MindTree Subroto Bagchi, Director of Indian Institute of Management (Bangalore) Pankaj Chandra, BSNL's Principal General Manager Subendu Ghosh and Director of The Law Associates Sheahan Verghese.

The idea was formulated during a round table on professionalism and ethics, organised by the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) at Infosys campus here.

Murthy termed the constitution of the group as a "proactive step" aimed at open-minded exchanges and learning from each other's experience on professionalism and ethics.

"With Indian industry becoming much more competent, exports growing and the GDP on higher trajectory, people's expectations have gone up. To meet the expectations, industry should be more productive, more trustworthy and it has to deliver on its promise," he said.

"...and indeed we have to become a nation respected for the professionalism of its professionals throughout the world.

And this is where professionalism and ethics become extremely important", he added.

Bagchi said the idea is to set higher bench marks on professionalism and professional ethics as the Indian IT industry prepares to take the next big step forward.

He said the working group would be expanded with sub-committees. "The working group would consider issues like...number one.. building an industry-level alliance that takes the position on professional behaviour..."