After 28 Yrs, Infy Co-Founder & Co-Chairman Nandan Nilekani Leaves For 
Govt’s ID Project
Bangalore: At 4 pm on Thursday, computers fell silent at the steel & glass Electronic City campus of Infosys as 20,000-odd employees logged out and headed to the convention hall, to hear Nandan Nilekani, their co-founder and co-chairman, who is leaving to head the national ID project. He logs into his new job next week in New Delhi. Nilekani took the floor at 5 pm to a standing ovation, saying, “I am generally very articulate but this is not the day or place where I can be articulate. I’ve been wrapped up in Infosys for 28 years. My only identity is Infosys. I will be going to lead a programme to give identity to every Indian. But today I am losing my identity.’’ Of his journey, he said, “It’s not the question of being at the right place at the right time. It is also being lucky. You get the right person to guide you in life,’’ referring to Infosys chief mentor N R Narayana Murthy. “He gave me the first job. Then, when he started Infosys, he invited me to join as a co-founder,’’ he added. Recalling the early days, he reminisced about carrying his first computer on his lap as a precious possession when travelling from Mumbai to Bangalore. Obviously, Nilekani has no illusions about the world he’s entering. “I am leaving an organised world. Here, standing at the top of an abyss, even if I were to fall, I may find water. But, in my new role, I’m supposed to work with 600 government departments knowing fully well that no two government departments get along with one another.’’ But, public service has been a life-long calling. His ambition, he said, was “not to be on the board of any company’’. Also, because “my father was a huge public service guy. My uncle was also in this domain. And here I am, heading to it.’’ To one lakh Infoscions, he said, “I’ll watch how Infosys is progressing, watch you getting into the next growth orbit from outside.’’ The roar came back, “While you watch us, we will also watch you!’’ His regret? “I could not drive on the elevated flyover for which I’ve waited for five years,’’ from his home in Koramangala to office. The Infosys founding team had anecdotes. Kris Gopalakrishnan, who took over from him as CEO and lives in the same lane as Nilekani, remembered him as a friend and dreamer. “How well he can delegate work. You’ll never find anything in his inbox. If you give him any work, he will delegate it so well that it will go off to the outbox. How he delegates, no one knows.” For HR head Mohandas Pai, it was Nilekani’s elephantine memory and his networking abilities that were amazing. Also, “If Murthy is to be convinced, only Nandan can do it. How he does it, no one knows,’’ he said. The final words were from Murthy, who believes his protege still “has a long way to go. Lookswise or brain-wise, he is the best. Very few to match up.’’
Govt’s ID ProjectBangalore: At 4 pm on Thursday, computers fell silent at the steel & glass Electronic City campus of Infosys as 20,000-odd employees logged out and headed to the convention hall, to hear Nandan Nilekani, their co-founder and co-chairman, who is leaving to head the national ID project. He logs into his new job next week in New Delhi. Nilekani took the floor at 5 pm to a standing ovation, saying, “I am generally very articulate but this is not the day or place where I can be articulate. I’ve been wrapped up in Infosys for 28 years. My only identity is Infosys. I will be going to lead a programme to give identity to every Indian. But today I am losing my identity.’’ Of his journey, he said, “It’s not the question of being at the right place at the right time. It is also being lucky. You get the right person to guide you in life,’’ referring to Infosys chief mentor N R Narayana Murthy. “He gave me the first job. Then, when he started Infosys, he invited me to join as a co-founder,’’ he added. Recalling the early days, he reminisced about carrying his first computer on his lap as a precious possession when travelling from Mumbai to Bangalore. Obviously, Nilekani has no illusions about the world he’s entering. “I am leaving an organised world. Here, standing at the top of an abyss, even if I were to fall, I may find water. But, in my new role, I’m supposed to work with 600 government departments knowing fully well that no two government departments get along with one another.’’ But, public service has been a life-long calling. His ambition, he said, was “not to be on the board of any company’’. Also, because “my father was a huge public service guy. My uncle was also in this domain. And here I am, heading to it.’’ To one lakh Infoscions, he said, “I’ll watch how Infosys is progressing, watch you getting into the next growth orbit from outside.’’ The roar came back, “While you watch us, we will also watch you!’’ His regret? “I could not drive on the elevated flyover for which I’ve waited for five years,’’ from his home in Koramangala to office. The Infosys founding team had anecdotes. Kris Gopalakrishnan, who took over from him as CEO and lives in the same lane as Nilekani, remembered him as a friend and dreamer. “How well he can delegate work. You’ll never find anything in his inbox. If you give him any work, he will delegate it so well that it will go off to the outbox. How he delegates, no one knows.” For HR head Mohandas Pai, it was Nilekani’s elephantine memory and his networking abilities that were amazing. Also, “If Murthy is to be convinced, only Nandan can do it. How he does it, no one knows,’’ he said. The final words were from Murthy, who believes his protege still “has a long way to go. Lookswise or brain-wise, he is the best. Very few to match up.’’
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