How Infosys co-founder Nandan Nilekani’s bold decisions and visionary leadership transformed India’s tech landscape and empowered billions of people

The Path is a video series where I chat with some of the most influential leaders in the world exploring the successes, missteps, and key pivotal moments that shaped their professional paths. It’s through these authentic stories that we can learn how to navigate our own career journeys.

My guest this week is Nandan Nilekani.

Nandan is the co-founder of Infosys, architect of India’s digital transformation, and the visionary behind Aadhaar, the world’s largest biometric ID system that serves over 1.3 billion people.

Nandan calls himself an “accidental entrepreneur.” He didn’t set out to launch a global IT powerhouse or lead one of the largest public technology projects in history, but curiosity guided him. It first led him to mini computers in the 1970s, where he met Narayana Murthy — a charismatic leader who became his mentor and later his co-founder at Infosys. Together, they built a company that not only revolutionized India’s IT industry, but helped establish the country as a global tech hub.

Later, Nandan took on the challenge of Aadhaar, creating a groundbreaking digital ID system that provided millions of Indians access to banking, government services, and more. “I went from being the top of a very successful company to being employee number one at a startup,” he said. The journey had its challenges, but overcoming them, he said, made him a stronger leader. “I really stepped out of my comfort zone because the prize was too good.”

Here are my takeaways from our conversation:

Dream audaciously, act boldly

When India’s Prime Minister called on Nandan to create Aadhaar, the mandate was surprisingly simple. ‘It was just one page saying, ‘Give every Indian a unique ID.’ It didn’t say how… just, ‘Do it.’”

Nandan has always embraced ambitious goals. From starting Infosys in a one-bedroom apartment with no infrastructure to creating Aadhaar, he sees beyond the hurdles. His latest endeavor, EkStep, takes on another massive challenge: improving literacy for 200 million children. Whether it’s building companies or transforming public systems, Nandan’s story is proof that big dreams paired with bold action can lead to extraordinary impact.

Big goals require great teams

“Making other people effective and motivated is a huge part of success.”

Nandan’s ability to unite people has been central to his success. At Aadhaar, he brought together two very different groups — Silicon Valley technologists in T-shirts and hierarchical government bureaucrats in suits — and aligned them with one audacious goal: enroll 600 million people in just a few years. That shared vision not only galvanized his team, but helped Aadhaar become a game-changer — the identification system is now used almost 80 million times a day.

Stay curious, stay human

“I get up every morning wanting to learn new things,” Nandan told me. “The future is about what only humans can do: empathy, compassion, and connecting the dots.”

For Nandan, curiosity isn’t just about learning — it’s about solving real problems and collaborating with others to make it happen. He blends a relentless drive with the empathy needed to bring people together, transforming bold ideas into practical solutions.

Nandan’s path shows that success isn’t about having all the answers — it’s about asking the right questions and uniting people to tackle big problems.