Kunal Bahl said that Infosys co-founder Nandan Nilekani is the country's Elon Musk. (FILE)
Elon Musk is the man of the hour, thanks to his latest purchase of Twitter. While the world may be divided on what it means for the social media platform's future and for freedom of speech, there is no denying that Mr Musk is one of the biggest names in the world of technology and business.
And, now, the next question that has cropped up on social media platforms is “who is India's answer to Elon Musk?” Snapdeal co-founder Kunal Bahl has a pick. In a Twitter thread, Mr Bahl said that Infosys co-founder Nandan Nilekani is the country's Elon Musk. In his post, Mr Bahl has described the new Twitter owner as an embodiment of ambition, technology and impact and added that Mr Nilekani has the same traits.
Kunal Bahl started the Twitter thread by saying, “The thought of who is India's Elon Musk has come to many minds. An embodiment of ambition+tech+impact. We need to look beyond the startup space to find the person who has time again created pioneering, enduring businesses and platforms. For me that is Nandan Nilekani.”
He added, “Whether it is Infosys or Aadhaar or UPI and now ONDC [Open Network for Digital Commerce], his impact on India and its global standing is nothing short of incredible.” Kunal Bahl said that the Infosys co-founder has the ability to create something from scratch.
Kunal Bahl also went on to admit that Nandan Nilekani's personality and approach are “distinct” from that of the Tesla CEO. He added, “But the quantum of his (Mr Nilekani's) impact is no different in the context of what India and its people need.”
The Snapdeal CEO concluded his post by saying that he finds Mr Nilekani “very, very inspiring.”
Nandan Nilekani co-founded software giant Infosys four decades ago and also spearheaded Aadhaar, the central government's program to create biometric identification for 1.4 billion Indians.
Currently, Nandan Nilekani is working on a technology network that will empower small merchants by creating a level-playing field in the $1 trillion retail market in India.