THE TROUBLESHOOTER
Because
he emerged as the consensus candidate to put Infosys—the company he co-founded— back on track in the wake of charges of corporate governance mis-steps. With a new CEO in place, Nilekani’s next mission is to reconstitute the Infosys board
Because
governments may change but not his status as India’s digital doyen. Nilekani was a Congress candidate in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, but that didn’t stop the Narendra Modi government from seeking his services as digital advisor for cashless transactions, simplifying GST returns and developing IT infrastructure for the National Health Protection Mission
Because
he is the Modi government’s biggest endorser of the Aadhaar architecture amid questions being raised over data security
ANGEL INVESTOR
Nilekani’s investment firm Fundamentum will be investing $8-15 million in start-ups this year. The first investment of Rs 78 crore was made in the online travel marketplace TravelTriangle in April
BIG MOVE
Co-Impact, a global philanthropic group created by Bill and Melinda Gates and the Rockefeller Foundation among others, has partnered with his social enterprise, EkStep, to invest $500 million in three key areas—health, education and economic opportunities