Nilekani reportedly said in his farewell message that in any other assignment he would have tried to keep links with Infosys but since the UID project is in the information technology area he would have to break all connections to remain unbiased.

Following the announcement of Nilekani’s exit last week Narayan Murthy who played a major role in shaping his life said “as a company that has always put the interest of the society ahead of itself, Infosys will accept his absence with a sense of duty to a larger cause, but with deep sadness at the departure of one of her most illustrious sons”. “We are glad that an extraordinary individual like Nandan has got an opportunity to add value to India through this position,” he stated.

Nilekani’s secretary Malliga who has served him for years is expected to be re-assigned. Over the years Nilekani is reported to have collected hundreds of autographs from foreign heads of state on his secretary’s request.

Known as the man who helped Thomas Friedman discover a phrase to describe his globalization treatise of a flat world, Nilekani was in 2006 listed as one of the 100 most influential people in the world by Time magazine.