‘At 18, you are a rebel’: Nandan Nilekani shares his ‘rebellious’ choice to choose IIT Bombay against his father’s wishes

Nandan Nilekani, co-founder of Infosys and a key figure in India’s digital and economic transformation, shares how he disobeyed his father in a conversation with Ryan Roslansky, global CEO of LinkedIn A personal story about choosing to study at IIT Bombay.

In his conversation with Roslansky, Nandan Nilekani said that his father’s job made him feel insecure, so he stressed the importance of getting a solid education and a stable career.

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Nilekani was born in Bangalore in the 1950s, and he explains that during that time, children in India were often expected to choose between engineering or medicine. Since he had no interest in becoming a doctor, he decided to study engineering.

“If I wanted to study engineering, it had to be in a top institution and IIT Bombay was the best choice,” he said.

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Indian Institute of Technology Bombay

In 2023, India Outlook ranked IIT Bombay 3rd among government engineering colleges. In 2024, India Today ranked it second among the best engineering colleges. QS India ranks first in 2025. Moreover, 72 of the top 100 students in JEE (Advanced) chose IIT Bombay, with all the top 10 choosing Computer Science.

Nandan Nilekani, co-founder of Infosys and a key figure in India’s digital and economic transformation, shares how he disobeyed his father in a conversation with Ryan Roslansky, global CEO of LinkedIn A personal story about choosing to study at IIT Bombay.

Also read: 8,000 IIT employees remain unemployed; Minimum salary for IIT Bombay graduates reduced $4 LPA

When asked about his father’s objection to his choice of IIT Bombay, Nilekani replied: “At 18, you are a rebel. My father sent me a telegram that read: ‘Join Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chemical Engineering. “

He continued, “I told him, ‘I won’t listen to you.'” Instead, I decided to join IIT Bombay in electrical engineering. It was a small act of rebellion,” he explains.

IIT Bombay is one of India’s premier higher education institutions for engineering, technology and research. It was established in 1958 and is located in Powai, Mumbai. IIT Bombay is globally recognized for its academic excellence, cutting-edge research and contribution to technological innovation.

Consistently ranked among the top engineering colleges in India, it is known for its world-class faculty, state-of-the-art infrastructure and strong alumni network.

Also read: IIT Bombay batch average salary hike 7.7% for 2024; 22 students accepted $Offers above Rs 1 Crore

The college offers undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral programs across various disciplines including engineering, science, design and management.