A missed opportunity became a life-defining moment for Nandan Nilekani, the co-founder of Infosys. In a recent interview with Groww, he revealed how skipping the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) entrance exam unexpectedly steered his career toward entrepreneurship. “I was not feeling well that day, so I didn’t take the entrance exam,” Nilekani said, admitting he was also “too lazy” to apply for other global exams like the SAT or GMAT.
After completing his degree at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay, Nilekani found himself uncertain about his next steps. That changed when he learned about a small tech firm in Mumbai called Patni Computer Systems, which was gaining attention after the exit of IBM from India in 1977. He soon joined the company’s Nariman Point office, where he met a young engineer, NR Narayana Murthy. That meeting would alter the course of his life.
Inspired by Murthy’s vision to build a world-class technology company, the duo, along with a few others, founded Infosys in 1981. Nilekani credited Murthy’s leadership for setting the direction, saying they built the company by working “for his vision.” During Nilekani’s tenure as CEO from 2002 to 2007, Infosys witnessed one of its fastest growth phases, with revenue soaring nearly six times to touch $3 billion.
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Looking back, Nilekani called missing the IIM exam “a mistake I am glad I made.” The decision to stay in India, he said, opened doors he might never have explored otherwise. His philosophy at Infosys emphasized setting ambitious goals, envisioning growth milestones like “100 million, then a billion, then 10 billion.”
Beyond Infosys, Nilekani played a pivotal role in shaping India’s digital identity ecosystem as Chairman of the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) from 2009 to 2014. His journey stands as proof that sometimes missed opportunities can lead to extraordinary beginnings.
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