Knowledge@wharton

When Nandan Nilekani was the CEO of Infosys one of India’s top IT and outsourcing firms he often found himself being forced to answer questions not just about his company but also his country. Sometimes global business executives who visited the company’s sprawling campus in Bangalore would raise issues to which Nilekani had no answer -- such as ”Why does Infosys have such a beautiful campus but also large slums in other parts of the city?” So when Nilekani decided to write a book unlike other CEOs who write about their favorite leadership or management theories he chose India as his subject. In ”Imagining India: The Idea of a Renewed Nation ” Nilekani tackles themes ranging from education and demographics to investment and infrastructure. Nilekani who was recently recruited by Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to head a project to create a national identification card for the country spoke with India Knowledge at Wharton about the book at the recent Wharton India Economic Forum in Philadelphia.