How Nandan Nilekani's First Meeting With Narayana Murthy Sparked A Tech Legacy

In a recent conversation with LinkedIn CEO Ryan Roslansky, Nandan Nilekani, the former chairman of Infosys, shared a key moment that shaped the trajectory of his career — his first job interview with Narayana Murthy in 1978. This pivotal meeting would later contribute to the founding of Infosys in 1981, a company that grew to become one of India's largest and most influential IT giants.

Nilekani, a fresh graduate from IIT Bombay with a degree in electrical engineering, had no grand vision of becoming an entrepreneur at the time. He humorously referred to himself as an “accidental entrepreneur,” highlighting how the events of his early career unfolded almost by chance. "I came at a time when computing was moving from mainframes to mini-computers," Nilekani recalled during the discussion. "When I heard about this mini-computer company, I said, ‘Wow, this sounds exciting,"

The company he was referring to was Patni Computer Systems in Pune, where Murthy, a visionary in the field, served as the head of software. Nilekani was drawn to Murthy’s ambition and lofty goals. "He was ambitious and set lofty goals," Nilekani said. "I was willing to do anything for him. If he had asked me to jump off a cliff, I would have done it. Working with him was an incredible experience."

Reflecting on the job interview that would change his life, Nilekani recalled the intellectual challenge Murthy presented. "He asked me some problem-solving questions. Luckily, I managed to answer them correctly, and he offered me a job,” Nilekani shared with a smile, emphasising how his ability to solve those challenges played a role in shaping his future.

However, Nilekani admits that he never initially envisioned building a global IT powerhouse like Infosys. His primary motivation at the time was curiosity. “Every morning, I wake up eager to learn something new,” Nilekani said. “The future will revolve around uniquely human qualities: empathy, compassion, and the ability to connect the dots.”