Infosys co-founder Nandan Nilekani turned a basic government directive into Aadhaar, the world’s largest biometric ID system, now used by over 1.3 billion people. In a recent chat with LinkedIn CEO Ryan Roslansky, Nilekani shared his experiences and key insights behind creating this transformative project.
“All I had was one page saying, ‘Give every Indian a unique ID.’ It didn’t say how… Just, ‘Do it,'” Nandan Nilekani shared during the interview that the Aadhaar project started with just a single-page directive. With no detailed instructions, he transformed this vague idea into a groundbreaking digital system, now handling around 80 million interactions daily.
Nilekani brought together government officials and Silicon Valley experts, blending his entrepreneurial spirit with the government project. He emphasized that “making other people effective and motivated is a huge part of success,” showcasing his unique leadership style. Nilekani set an ambitious target of 600 million unique IDs within a month of starting the initiative before stepping down. While many doubted the goal, his bold vision motivated the team and drove unprecedented technological progress.
Nilekani credits his success to a mindset rooted in curiosity and focusing on solving human-centered problems. He told Ryan Roslansky, “I get up every morning wanting to learn new things. The future is about what only humans can do: empathy, compassion, and connecting the dots.”
Nilekani is tackling big societal challenges beyond Aadhaar with his latest project, EkStep, aimed at improving literacy for 200 million children. His journey highlights that asking the right questions and empowering others to pursue ambitious goals can lead to meaningful change, even more than having all the answers.