Sunday, July 28, 2019
Biography of Nandan Nilekani:
Early Life and Education:
Nandan Nilekani was born on June 2, 1955, in Bangalore, Karnataka, India. He attended St. Joseph High School in Dharwad and later studied at St. Xavier's College in Mumbai. Nilekani graduated from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay with a degree in electrical engineering.
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| Biography of Nandan Nilekani |
Career at Infosys:
In 1981, along with six others including Narayana Murthy and his wife Sudha Murthy, Nandan Nilekani co-founded Infosys, a multinational corporation providing IT consulting and services. Nilekani served as the CEO of Infosys from March 2002 to April 2007. Under his leadership, Infosys became one of India's most prominent IT companies, expanding globally and earning a reputation for its innovation and quality services.
Role in Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI):
In 2009, Nilekani was appointed as the Chairman of the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), a government agency responsible for implementing the Aadhaar project. Aadhaar is a biometric identification system that assigns a unique 12-digit number to Indian residents. Nilekani played a key role in the implementation of this ambitious project, aimed at providing a unique identification number to every Indian citizen.
Nandan Nilekani's Political Career:
Nandan Nilekani briefly ventured into politics. He joined the Indian National Congress party and contested the 2014 Lok Sabha elections from the Bangalore South constituency. Although he was not elected, he remained active in public service and policy discussions.
Author:
Nandan Nilekani is also an author. He has written books such as "Imagining India: Ideas for the New Century," where he discusses various aspects of India's development and progress.
Philanthropy of Nandan Nilekani:
Nilekani and his wife Rohini Nilekani are involved in philanthropic activities through the Nilekani Foundation. The foundation supports initiatives related to education, healthcare, water, and governance, aiming to improve the quality of life for people in India.
Nandan Nilekani is widely regarded as one of India's most influential entrepreneurs and technocrats. His contributions to the IT industry, his role in the implementation of Aadhaar, and his philanthropic efforts have made a significant impact on India's technological landscape and social development.