Nandan Mohanrao Nilekani, commonly known as Nandan Nilekani, is one of the most recognised personalities in the Indian business space. Nandan was among the seven people, who co-founded Infosys on July 2, 1981, in Pune. Currently, he serves as the non-executive chairman of a multinational technology company. Apart from this, Nandan Nilekani is also the chairman of UIDA (Unique Identification Authority of India). Not everyone is aware of the fact that after having a successful career with Infosys, he moved to TAGUP (Technology Advisory Group for Unique Projects) and headed the committee.
In the past, Nandan Nilekani has also been a member of the Indian National Congress. The entrepreneur was born in Bengaluru to his parents, Mohan Rao and Durga Nilekani. His parents were Konkani people from Karnataka's Sirsi. While his father worked in Mysore in the position of general manager, not much is known about his mother.
advertisement
After completing his schooling at Bishop Cotton Boys' School and St. Joseph's High School, Nandan Nilekani took admission to IIT Bombay. He attained a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from IIT Bombay and started his career at Patni Computer Systems. It was at this company that Nandan Nilekani met Narayana Murthy, and Infosys happened.
Fast forward to 2024, and according to Forbes, Nandan Nilekani has an estimated net worth of 3.4 billion USD. The billionaire currently stands at the 1018 spot in the world's billionaires index. One of the biggest reasons behind his popularity is his work as a philanthropist. For the uninitiated, he donated 50 percent of his wealth to the Giving Pledge, an organisation started by Bill Gates to encourage wealthy people to contribute their wealth to the betterment of society.
Talking about the personal life of Nandan Nilekani, it is nothing less than the script of a Bollywood rom-com. For the unversed, Nandan is married to a stunning Indian writer, Rohini Nilekani. Apart from being a renowned author, she is also an active philanthropist like her husband. Back in 2001, she founded the Arghayam Foundation with the aim to focus on issues related to water and sanitation. Talking about Rohini's work as a writer, she has published four books so far, Stillborn (1998), Uncommon Ground (2011), The Hungry Little Sky Monster (2020), and Samaaj, Sarkaar, Bazaar: a citizen-first Approach (2022).
Continue reading below
During a conversation with Nikhil Kamath on his podcast, People by WTF, Nandan Nilekani opened up about his marriage with Rohini Nilekani. The billionaire recalled the time when he met Rohini for the first time in his life at a quiz competition during his college days in 1977. While he was representing IIT Bombay, Rohini was his opponent, representing Elphinstone College. Although Nandan won the quiz, he lost his heart to Rohini. After a series of interactions, they fell in love and dated each other for some time before tying the marital knot.
The much-in-love couple, Nandan and Rohini Nilekani are blessed with two children, Nihar Nilekani and Janhavi Nilekani. As of now, while Janhavi is married to Shray Chandra, Nihar is reportedly still unmarried. In the same conversation with Nikhil Kamath, the doting husband also admitted that he is the 'boring one,' while his wife, Rohini is more 'spontaneous and mercurial'.
Nandan Nilekani also lauded his wife, Rohini Nilekani, for her efforts in fighting climate change and labelled her the biggest environmental philanthropist in India. We hope Nandan and Rohini continue to contribute to the betterment of society.
What are your thoughts on Infosys co-founder, Nandan Nilekani and his wife, Rohini Nilekani's love story? Let us know.
Also Read: Meet Jay Chaudhry's Wife, Who Quit Her Job, Gave Life Savings To Him, Made Him Richest Indian In US
advertisement
advertisement
advertisement
