How I Met My Wife: 'Boring' Nandan Nilekani reveals quizzing love story of meeting 'mercurial' wife Rohini

Infosys co-founder Nandan Nilekani recently shared memories of his first meeting with his wife, Rohini, during a quiz competition in 1977 at Mumbai's Elphinstone College. In a podcast with Nikhil Kamath, he recalled, “We had a quiz competition, I was representing IIT and the quiz was (hosted) at Elphinstone College. That's how I met her.” Nilekani humorously noted that IIT had "obviously" won the competition, adding, “Obviously, we won the quiz… That’s how I met her way back in 1977."

Personalities in Contrast

During the discussion, Nilekani described his personality as "boring," contrasting it with Rohini's more vibrant nature. He stated that Rohini is “more spontaneous, more emotional and even mercurial," while he identifies himself as the “more sedate, boring type." Rohini Nilekani is noted for her background as a former journalist and her commitment to environmental philanthropy.

Philanthropic Endeavors

Nilekani highlighted that the environment is a significant focus of Rohini's philanthropic work, referring to her as “the biggest, probably, the only environmental philanthropist in India now." Together, the couple has two children, Nihar and Janhavi. In 2023, Rohini Nilekani became the only woman to be included in the top 10 of Hurun’s top Philanthropist List.

Commitment to Giving

Both Rohini and Nandan Nilekani are also part of the Giving Pledge, a commitment initiated by Bill Gates and Melinda French Gates. They explained their rationale for joining the movement, stating, "We see that inequality is increasing sharply in most countries. We see the young and the restless in this interconnected globe, unsure of their future, wanting more but anticipating less. We see a growing politics of polarization, of divisions, of brinksmanship. It is as if the world holds its breath. What should we do at this time? That is a question every citizen must ask. Those of us who have wealth beyond all our wants must ask that very sharply. Wealth comes with huge responsibility and is best deployed for the larger public interest. So what must the super-wealthy do?"