Mr Congeniality

HIS NATURAL AFFABILITY HAS HELPED NANDAN NILEKANI BRIDGE MANY DIVIDES. PERHAPS HIS GREATEST TEST LIES IN HIS LATEST ROLE, AS THE NON-EXECUTIVE CHAIRMAN OF INFOSYS, THE FIRM HE CO-FOUNDED

- Sayan Chakraborty

When Naman Pugalia first wrote to Nandan Nilekani in the summer of 2009, he did not expect a response. After all, Pugalia was a nobody, fresh out of Brandeis University, Massachusetts, in the US, hoping to work with the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), an organisation that Nilekani chaired. People of Nilekani’s stature had no business responding to cold emails seeking jobs, he thought.

Much to Pugalia’s surprise, Nilekani wrote back, albeit regretting his inability to immediately accommodate Pugalia. Six months later, when a position opened, Pugalia joined UIDAI, kickstarting an association with Nilekani that would transcend the project. “When I started working with Nilekani, I realised that the act of responding to my email wasn’t a one-off, but something that is fundamental to him. His rules of engagement are extremely democratic,” Pugalia, founder of FourthLion Technologies, a political campaign planner that counts Nilekani as its first client, says in a phone interview. “He is a leader who will seek you out.”

At 62, Nilekani has made many friends like Pugalia and won more fans with his disarming demeanour and collegial approach at work. Gestures as elementary as responding to an email, for instance. More important, these friends cannot only be found in the swanky chambers at corporate offices or government establishments, as befits the billionaire co-founder of software services exporter Infosys, but also among the foot soldiers.