Can a tech titan ace a test to fix India’s crisis-hit education system?

August 4, 2026 - 12:36

India's education system is in deep trouble, and the man who helped build Aadhaar, the world's largest digital ID, now wants to fix it. Nandan Nilekani, co-founder of Infosys and a key architect of the country's digital public infrastructure, has turned his attention to schools and universities. His pitch is simple: use technology to make learning measurable, personalized, and aligned with what employers actually need. But the road ahead is littered with old problems and new fears.

The biggest issue is employability. Every year, millions of Indian graduates leave college with degrees that do not translate into jobs. Industry surveys consistently show that fewer than half of engineering graduates are hireable for core roles. Nilekani's plan involves building a national skills database and linking curriculum to real-world competencies. He wants to move away from rote memorization and toward problem-solving, digital literacy, and communication. That sounds good on paper, but changing what happens inside classrooms is another matter. Teachers are overworked, underpaid, and often untrained in the very methods he wants to introduce.

Then there is the AI factor. Nilekani believes artificial intelligence can personalize learning for each child, adapting lessons to their pace and style. He has talked about AI tutors that never tire and can work in any language. But critics point out that India's schools lack basic infrastructure. Many rural classrooms have no reliable electricity, let alone internet-connected devices. Rolling out AI tools before fixing those gaps could widen the digital divide, not close it.

Meanwhile, the system is facing a crisis of trust. Recent exam paper leaks in several states have triggered protests and arrests. Students have taken to the streets, angry that their futures are being decided by corrupt officials who sell question papers for cash. The government has promised reforms, but the damage is done. Parents and students are skeptical of any new initiative, including Nilekani's. They have heard promises before.

Nilekani's supporters argue that he has a track record of delivering at scale. Aadhaar now covers over a billion people, and the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) has transformed digital payments. If anyone can build a national education platform, they say, it is him. But education is not just a technical problem. It is political, social, and deeply emotional. A database cannot fix a broken exam system, and an app cannot replace a motivated teacher.

The real test for Nilekani is not whether he can design a clever platform. It is whether he can convince a skeptical nation that technology will not just make the system more efficient, but also more fair. So far, the evidence is mixed. Pilot projects have shown promise in some districts, but scaling them up has been slow. And with AI advancing rapidly, there is a risk that the skills being taught today will be obsolete tomorrow.

For now, the tech titan is pressing ahead. He has met with state governments, education ministers, and startup founders. He talks about a future where every child has a digital portfolio of skills, and employers can verify them instantly. That vision is ambitious, but India has heard ambitious visions before. What it needs now is proof that the system can actually deliver. And that proof, so far, is missing.