Click to play videoCNN-IBN:Congratulations on the appointment - you are choosing to leap from corporate to a public appointment - tell us what led you to accept the post?
Nandan Nilekani: I think first of all the Prime Minister's strong conviction, his complete commitment to this project that he would give total backing and the fact that if this project, if it is done well, has huge transformational opportunities. That is what has motivated me to look at this seriously.
CNN-IBN:What is the primary purpose of the ID going to be- a citizen census or national security?
Nandan Nilekani: See the unique ID simply says that this is a number associated with this person and it will keep some details about this person in the data base. So if the person goes somewhere he doesn't have to re-giving all his details. He can just say I am this person, and he can punch that into something and the system will come back saying that this person is who he is claiming to be. So it dramatically reduces the time spent in authenticating and verifying the time spent in establishing an individual’s identity. Today, what happens is that every system does his own verification, the mobile phone does its won know your customer, when the banks open accounts they have to do the same thing. Lot of this inefficiency we can reduce, if we have a single way of identifying a person.
CNN-IBN:Many concerns a national ID system is another case of Big brother watching over your shoulder - how would you hope to protect the rights of the individual citizen?
Nandan Nilekani: No will have a separate track. I will look at issues of security, privacy, data protection. I will have parallel tracks. Looking at these concerns, because they are important concerns and we have to reassure our citizens and residents that we are addressing these concerns.
CNN-IBN:What is the timeline you would look at- How soon will every Indian have a unique ID?
Nandan Nilekani: First set of cards will be out in 12-18 months. Well my hope and maybe I am being overambitious and rash in making this public commitments. My hope is that the first set of cards will be out in 12-18 months
CNN-IBN:You have had to completely cut the cord to Infosys after all these years of building and then mentoring the company- did leaving cost you a pang today?
Nandan Nilekani: Definitely it was a very big decision, because it was a company which I was the co founder, which I had nurtured for 30 years. Certainly it was a very emotional decision. But at the end of the day when the PM requests you take up a project of national importance and says please take this and do something in five years, that's an offer you can't refuse.
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