‘I won’t listen to you…’: Why Nandan Nilekani said ‘no’ to his father and chose IIT Bombay

Nandan Nilekani, co-founder of Infosys and the driving force behind India’s digital revolution, described a pivotal moment in his youth that paved the way for his remarkable career.

Born in Bengaluru in the 1950s, Nilekani grew up in an era when children’s futures were often determined by their parents. For most, the options were clear: engineering or medicine. Nilekani chose the former, but it was his decision to go against his father’s wishes that made the difference.

His father, a man who struggled with job insecurity and highly valued stability, believed that a solid education was the key to a secure future.

He sent a telegram to Nilekani instructing him to join IIT Madras and study chemical engineering. But Nilekani had other plans.

“You’re an 18-year-old rebel,” he said during a conversation with LinkedIn CEO Ryan Roslansky. “I told him, ‘I’m not going to listen to you.’ Instead, I joined electrical engineering at IIT Bombay. “This was a small act of rebellion.”

For Nilekani, IIT Bombay represented excellence and opportunity. “If I was going to study engineering, I had to study in a top institution and IIT Bombay was the best option,” he explained.

His decision was brave; it went against not only his father’s express wishes, but also the norms of a time when parental authority was rarely questioned.

This act of defiance, although seemingly small, marked the beginning of a journey that would see Nilekani build one of India’s most successful companies and pioneer transformative initiatives such as Aadhaar.

It also highlighted a lesson that would define his career: the courage to forge one’s own path, even if it means breaking with tradition.