NEW DELHI: Within hours of returning as chairman of Infosys after the company's founders staged a dramatic coup against the management, Nandan Nilekani called an investor call in which he laid out his agenda.
Finding a CEO, recasting the board and bringing in stability are the three items top of his agenda.
The new CEO will not be Nilekani himself.
On the rebound from all the warfare that went on between the board and the group of seven co-founders of the company, Nilekani said he would ensure there are no more discordant voices in the company and differences over corporate governance would be sorted out.
Nilekani, 62, a co-founder and former CEO and chairman until he quit to head India's Aadhar initiative in 2009, was called in to steady Infosys after chairman R Seshasayee and three other directors quit, bowing to demands voiced by N R Narayana Murthy.
"I have come in to focus on the future of the company. I have come in to take the company forward and deal with its challenges," he said in the investor call. I plan to be here as long as necessary," he added.
Nilekani said the future strategy of Infosys would be aligned with global developments amid which, he said, he saw "tremendous opportunities" in software data and machine learning. "I will focus my attention on the future of the business and customer needs, and show demonstrable progress," he said.
But he desisted from spelling out strategy and committing himself to future earnings, saying that would be premature. Contours of the company's strategy would likely emerge in October.
It was the role of the gang of founders that was at the top of the mind of investors, and Nilekani said he was an "admirer" of Narayana Murthy and would work to "ensure that Infosys, Murthy and other founders have a healthy relationship".
Nilekani made it clear that as the non-executive chairman, his role would be limited to oversight, governance and functioning and of course the CEO search. The company will look at both internal and external candidates as well as Infosys "alumni".
While committing to staying "as long as necessary", Nilekani declined to put a timeframe to his latest stint. Finding a new CEO soon and reconstituting the board would run parallel, he indicated.