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Global citizen

Nandan Nilekani,
CEO Infosys Technologies

Most people across the world now recognise Nandan Nilekani as the man who inspired the title of Thomas Friedman’s latest tome on globalisation, but for India Inc he’s long been the familiar face of the IT-led new economy. He has successfully grown Infosys into a global IT powerhouse that’s now posing a real threat to multi-national technology giants. While showcasing India’s software prowess and its growing economic influence to the world, Nilekani, like Murthy, has also been actively involved with a variety of corporate social initiatives, and serves as a role model to aspiring business leaders

He has arguably had the toughest job in India Inc — trying to fill the shoes of a living legend like NR Narayana Murthy. He was watched all along with everyone waiting for that little mis-step and the constant comparison with NRN.

To his credit not only has he passed the test of stepping into NRN’s shoes but also is now in the process of ensuring that one day his own successor will have an equally testing time of filling his shoes. Since he took over as CEO of Infosys from his mentor NR Narayana Murthy, Nilekani has gone on to prove himself a worthy successor.

Nilekani has worked with NRN while they were at Patni Computers, and when NRN was looking for a successor in 2002, he found one next door.

Nandan Nilekani has led Infy into the billion-dollar club with aplomb and has already set his eyes on the next target — the five billion dollar mark. Those who know him know that he sleeps, breathes and talks only Infosys.

While NRN continues to be the public face of the company, Nilekani has been more than content to stay in the shadows and chart out a growth path for his firm that has seen Infy maintain a staggering level of growth and hire a record number of people. In doing all this, he has ensured that the firm retains its middle-class charm that NRN claimed was the bedrock of Infy’s success.

If Narayana Murthy was the man who drew the world’s attention to Bangalore, then Nilekani may well be the man to make the Indian software MNC a reality. Under his watch, Infy’s no longer an Indian software company but a MNC based out of Bangalore. His talk is peppered with global insights, anecdotes about his interactions with global leaders, and his views on global happenings.

Despite a globe-trotting schedule, Nilekani has found time to get involved in various local commitments.

He’s Chairman of the Indian government’s IT task force for the power sector and the chairman of the Bangalore agenda task force. For those who spent endless hours asking if anyone could ever successfully replace Narayana Murthy, it’s perhaps time to start asking the same about Nilekani.

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