I am proud of the fact that my wealth is completely transparent.

You don't choose a party because it's the flavour of the month. I feel I will be able to work under a political system. I feel if people like me don't enter politics to bring change, who will?

When India got independence, entrepreneurs were seen as a bad lot, as people who would exploit.

My transactions are above board: I do not have money deposited in other accounts and have transparently declared all assets. My real wealth is, however, my experience as cofounder of Infosys and as Aadhar Chairman, which gave away 60,000 crore identity cards to people of India as promised.

Democracy as a system has evolved into something that Thomas Jefferson didn't anticipate.

For me, politics is about passion. It doesn't matter what you know; it's your actions that count. I meet people who say they're socialists, and that's not what they carry out in their everyday life.

Our country is slowly but surely moving - and I've seen it over and over again in many instances in government - toward a culture of mediocrity.

There are so many demands on your time, on your resources, and on the prestige of the government.