Tech tycoon joins battle to map India's post-cash future

Bengaluru

FACED with chaos after eliminating India's highest value rupee notes, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has roped in a billionaire from the ranks of his adversaries to help.

Nandan Nilekani, a high-profile member of the opposition Indian National Congress party, has joined a committee to map a path to digital payments. India is trying to end its reliance on cash, especially in rural areas where almost every transaction is done in hard currency. It's not the first time the former head of outsourcing giant Infosys Ltd has tackled a national project - he spearheaded the country's biometrics-based Aadhaar unique identity programme.