| Nandan Nilekani Quick Info | |
|---|---|
| Height | 5 ft 10 in |
| Weight | 80 kg |
| Date of Birth | June 2, 1955 |
| Zodiac Sign | Gemini |
| Eye Color | Dark Brown |
Nandan Nilekani is an Indian entrepreneur and politician who is the co-founder of Infosys and has served as the non-executive chairman of Infosys. In 2006, he received the Padma Bhushan (the 3rd-highest civilian award in the Republic of India). He started serving as the chairperson of the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) in July 2009 under the invitation of Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh. Nandan Nilekani was included in the Time 100 list of ‘World’s Most Influential People’ in 2009. He has also headed the Government of India’s technology committee TAGUP (Technology Advisory Group for Unique Projects). In March 2014, he joined Indian National Congress (INC).
Full Name
Nandan Mohanrao Nilekani
Nick Name
Nandan
Sun Sign
Gemini
Born Place
Bangalore, Mysore State (later: Karnataka), India
Residence
Bengaluru, Karnataka, India
Nationality
Education
Nandan Nilekani received his education at the Bishop Cotton Boys’ School in Bengaluru, Karnataka and St. Joseph’s High School located in Dharwad, Karnataka. He also studied at PU College Dharwad.
He attended the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering.
Occupation
Entrepreneur, Politician
Family
- Father – Mohan Rao Nilekani (Worked as a general manager of Mysore and Minerva Mills)
- Mother – Durga Nilekani
- Siblings – Vijay Nilekani (Older Brother) (Has worked in the Nuclear Energy Institute in the United States)
Net Worth
According to Forbes, his net worth was $2.6B as of June 21, 2023.
Build
Average
Height
5 ft 10 in or 178 cm
Weight
80 kg or 176.5 lbs
Girlfriend / Spouse
Nandan Nilekani has dated –
- Rohini Nilekani (1977-Present) – In the year 1977, Nandan Nilekani met Rohini Nilekani (née Soman) at a quiz competition at IIT. The duo eventually got married and has 2 children – son Nihar Nilekani and daughter Janhavi Nilekani. Both of the children have earned an undergraduate degree from Yale University.
Race / Ethnicity
Asian (Indian)
He is of Konkani Brahmin descent.
Hair Color
Salt and Pepper
Eye Color
Dark Brown
Sexual Orientation
Straight
Distinctive Features
Sports a mustache
Religion
He was raised in a Brahmin household.
Nandan Nilekani Facts
- His parents hailed from Sirsi, Karnataka.
- His father was influenced by the Fabian Socialist ideals which also influenced a young Nandan Nilekani.
- He achieved the feat of becoming one of the youngest entrepreneurs to join 20 global leaders on the World Economic Forum (WEF) Foundation Board in January 2006.
- Nandan Nilekani was named Businessman of the Year by Forbes Asia in 2006.
- In November 2009, he became the first Indian to receive the ‘Legend in Leadership Award’ from Yale University.
- After joining the Indian National Congress in 2014, he contested from the Bangalore South constituency in the 2014 Lok Sabha election. However, he lost to BJP candidate Ananth Kumar by 228,575 votes.
- Reportedly, Nandan Nilekani was the richest candidate for the 2014 Lok Sabha elections as he declared assets worth Rs 7,710 crore in his affidavit filed before the Election Commission.
- Along with his wife Rohini, he decided to join the Giving Pledge (a campaign founded by Bill Gates and Warren Buffett that aims to encourage wealthy people to contribute a majority of their wealth to philanthropic causes) in 2017. The couple decided to donate 50 percent of its wealth and the reason behind the decision was stated: “We see inequality is increasing sharply in most countries. We see the young and the restless in this interconnected globe, unsure of their future, wanting more but anticipating less.”
- Nandan Nilekani was ranked #12 in India Today magazine’s list of India’s 50 most powerful people of 2017.
- He has invested in many start-ups like ShopX, Juggernaut, Mubble Networks, Fortigo, P2SME, RailYatri, Axiom Consulting, Disha Medical Services, LetsVenture, and TravelTriangle.
- In 2019, he was awarded a Doctor of Science (Honoris Causa) by IIT Bombay during the Institute’s 57th Convocation.
Featured Image by World Economic Forum / Flickr / CC BY-SA 2.0
