Career
Nandan Nilekani is one of the co-founders of Infosys and served as its CEO from March 2002 to April 2007. He is currently chair of the Unique Identification Authority of India, a cabinet-ranking position that he entered in 2009 under the invitation of Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh.
Mr. Nilekani received a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay in 1978 and joined Mumbai-based Patni Computer Systems, where he met and was interviewed by N.R. Narayana Murthy. In 1981, Mr. Nilekani, Mr. Murthy, and five others left Patni to start their own company, Infosys. Nilekani became the Chief Executive Officer of Infosys in March 2002 and served as CEO of the company through April 2007, when he relinquished his position to his colleague Kris Gopalakrishnan and became co-chairman of the board of directors. Before assuming leadership as CEO in 2002, Mr. Nilekani held various posts, including managing director, president, and chief operating officer.
Mr. Nilekani left Infosys in July 2009 to serve as the chairperson of the Unique Identification Authority of India,. As chair of the UIDAI he is responsible for implementing the envisioned Multipurpose National Identity Card, or Unique Identity card (UID Card) project in India. This initiative aims to provide a unique identification number for all residents of India and will be used primarily as the basis for efficient delivery of welfare services.
Mr. Nilekani co-founded India's National Association of Software and Service Companies (NASSCOM) as well as the Bengaluru chapter of The IndUS Entrepreneurs (TiE). He is a member of the board of governors of the Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations (ICRIER) and the president of NCAER (the premier independent applied economics research institute in India). He also sits on several advisory boards, including those of the World Economic Forum Foundation and the Bombay Heritage Fund.
Mr. Nilekani has appeared on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart to promote his book Imagining India: The Idea of a Renewed Nation and spoke at a TED conference in 2009 on his ideas for India's future.
Mr. Nilekani has an estimated net worth of $1.4 billion.
Read more about this topic: Nandan Nilekani
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