Nandan Nilekani, co-Chairman, Infosys Technologies Ltd, the country’s second largest software company, who was today appointed the Chairperson (with Cabinet Minister rank and status) of the National Unique Identification Authority, said the massive system will be up and running in the “next two to three years,” accumulating data of some 120 billion citizens all over the country.

“I expect the first set of cards to be issued by one of the partners in 12-18 months,” Nilekani, 54, told The Indian Express that first reported on June 22 his likely appointment by the UPA government as the head of the ID project.

The first corporate CEO to get a Cabinet minister’s rank and status in the UPA, Nilekani has quit the Infosys board of directors to chair the National UID Authority, notified on January 28.

Hours after meeting the Prime Minister in Delhi today, Nilekani said he has been assured flexibility in recruiting professionals. “I will finalise the blueprint for the project within a month. The Infosys background helps me understand the architecture issues and broadly the kind of collaboration we will require across government agencies to make it work,” he said.

Having co-founded Infosys and been so much a part of it for the last 30 years, Nilekani said it was a difficult decision to quit the company. “What makes this project challenging besides the technical complexity is the huge organisational complexity — in terms of coordinating with government agencies, etc,” Nilekani said. The Authority will get statutory backing to help facilitate such coordination.

... contd.