BANGALORE, India -- Nandan Nilekani late last month resigned as co-chairman of Infosys Technologies Ltd. to head up a newly created Indian government agency charged with creating a unique identification and smart-card system.

Nilekani will be minister of the Unique Identification Authority of India, which will oversee a new system for delivering subsidized products and other benefits to India's poor.

Nilekani was CEO and managing director of Infosys from March 2002 to June 2007.

- John Ribeiro, IDG News Service