‘If Narayana Murthy asked me to...’: Nilekani’s meeting with Infosys boss and a small rebellion which shaped India’s IT

Fresh out of college, Nandan Nilekani, first met Narayana Murthy in 1978 at Patni Computer Systems in Pune, where he went seeking a job. The chance encounter could have set the stage for the future of revolution in India's IT sector.

Nandan Nilekani, who became the co-founder of Infosys and a key figure in India's digital and economic transformation, was looking for direction in his career. Nilekani, an electrical engineer from IIT Bombay, had missed his graduate school entrance exam due to illness.

Fascinated by the mini-computer company, he walked into Patni Computers' modest office, where he met Narayana Murthy, then the head of software there.

“I came at a time when computing was moving from mainframes to mini computers,” Nilekani told LinkedIn CEO Ryan Roslansky. “When I heard about this mini computer company, I said, ‘Wow, this sounds exciting.’”

‘If he asked me to jump off the cliff, I would have jumped...’

Charmed by Murthy’s charisma, Nilekani said he was ambitious and "set great goals."

“I would have done anything. If he asked me to jump off the cliff, I would have jumped off the cliff. It was a great experience working with him,” he added.

Job at Patni Computers

Recalling the job interview with Narayana Murthy, Nandan Nilekani said the meeting was more than just a job interview; it was the beginning of a lifelong professional bond.

The job offer itself was unconventional. “He asked me some problem-solving questions,” Nilekani shared. “Fortunately, I managed to get them right, and he gave me a job.”

This choice not only secured Nilekani's place in the burgeoning computing industry but also set the stage for him to become one of the six co-founders of Infosys shortly after in 1981.

All this began with his rebellious choice of IIT Bombay and electrical engineering, defying his father’s instruction to join IIT Madras. “It was a small act of rebellion,” he admitted.