The Indian Institute of Technology is one of the country’s most prestigious institutions, which is also credited worldwide for its remarkable academic performances, structured teaching, and groundbreaking research potential. Set up in 1950, this esteemed institution has given the country and the world some of the brightest minds in science. Getting into any IIT is not easy, but once you complete your education as an IITian, the sky is the limit for you. The institution opens a plethora of opportunities for its students, and giving back something to it in return is always a good deed. And Nandan Nilekani, a Bachelor’s degree holder from IIT Bombay, donated a generous amount of Rs 315 crores to his former institution, as per Live Mint reports. Nandan is the co-Founder and Chairman of Infosys Limited.
Nandan Nilekani’s early life
On June 12, 1955, Nandan Nilekani was born in Bangalore in a Konkani family. The Fabian Socialist ideas of his father, who served as general manager of Mysore and Minerva Mills, had an early impact on Nilekani. Vijay, the eldest brother of Nilekani, is employed by the Nuclear Energy Institute in the US.
Nilekani completed his education at the Bishop Cotton Boys’ School and St. Joseph’s High School Dharwad in Karnataka before attending the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay to earn a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering. He began working in 1978 at Patni Computer Systems in Mumbai, where he met and spoke with N.R. Narayana Murthy. Nilekani, Murthy, and five other individuals left Patni in 1981 to start Infosys, their own venture.
Building Infosys
Nilekani took over as Infosys’ CEO in March 2002 and remained in that role until April 2007, when he handed over the reins to his colleague Kris Gopalakrishnan and was named co-chairman of the board of directors. In addition to managing director, president, and chief operating officer, Nilekani held a number of positions before taking the helm as CEO in 2002. From March 2002 to April 2007, he held the position of CEO.
After CEO Vishal Sikka left Infosys in 2017, he came back to serve as chairman. When he got back, he switched the organisation’s power centre from California back to its Bengaluru headquarters.
From 2009 to 2014, he served as the Cabinet Minister who founded the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI). EkStep Foundation, a non-profit organisation working to develop a learner-centric, technological platform to improve fundamental reading and numeracy for millions of children, was co-founded by Nandan, who also serves as its chairman. He was chosen to serve as co-chair of the “G20 Task Force on Digital Public Infrastructure for Economic Transformation, Financial Inclusion and Development” in January 2023.
Nandan Nilekani’s achievements and awards
He was awarded the famous Joseph Schumpeter Prize in 2005 for his creative contributions to politics, economics, and economic sciences. He received the Padma Bhushan in 2006. Additionally, Forbes Asia honoured him as ‘Businessman of the Year’ among many other achievements throughout his career.
Nandan Nilekani wrote “Imagining India”, and co-authored his second book with Viral Shah, “Rebooting India: Realizing a Billion Aspirations” For his third book he collaborated with Tanuj Bhojwani, “The Art of Bitfulness: Keeping calm in the digital world” that was released in January 2022.
Nandan Nilekani’s net worth
As per Forbes report, in 2023 Nandan has a net worth of $2.8 billion.
