The correlation between having an educational degree and achieving success is not as straightforward as once thought. Individuals like Nikhil Kamath and Kunal Shah have demonstrated that practical skills and an entrepreneurial mindset often outweigh the significance of a formal education.
These young and successful Indian entrepreneurs have paved their way to success through real-world experience and adaptability.
Nikhil Kamath
Nikhil Kamath, the co-founder of Zerodha, a prominent stock brokerage platform, chose to leave school after the 10th grade. Revolutionizing India’s trading landscape, Zerodha quickly gained recognition for its transparent and cost-effective brokerage services, accumulating a profit of Rs 2,000 crore in 2023. Nikhil, who started selling used phones at the age of 14, worked at a call center before discovering his passion for stock trading, ultimately leading to the creation of Zerodha. With a net worth of $1.1 billion, according to Forbes, Nikhil Kamath exemplifies success beyond the traditional educational route.
Azhar Iqubal
Azhar Iqubal, co-founder and CEO of Inshorts, dropped out of IIT Delhi where he studied mathematics and computer science from 2009 to 2012. Inshorts, originating as a Facebook page in 2013, has evolved into a prominent content aggregator summarizing news and videos. Iqubal’s success is evident in his role as a judge on Shark Tank India 3, showcasing the impact of his entrepreneurial journey. At 31, he reportedly has a net worth of Rs 500 crore, proving that academic credentials are not prerequisites for entrepreneurial achievement.
Ritesh Agarwal
Ritesh Agarwal, the founder of Oyo Rooms, started his entrepreneurial journey by dropping out of college with a vision to establish one of the world’s largest hotel chains. Born in 1993, Agarwal received the Peter Thiel fellowship, providing him with USD 100,000 and paving the way for Oyo Rooms at the age of 19. Forbes reports a monthly revenue of $3.5 million for Oyo Rooms and a net worth of Rs 16000 crore for the 30-year-old entrepreneur.
Kunal Shah
Kunal Shah, founder of CRED, opted out of his MBA studies at Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies after completing his Bachelor’s in Philosophy from Wilson College. CRED, launched in 2018, rewards users for paying credit card bills on time. Before CRED, Shah co-founded FreeCharge, a mobile payments app acquired by Snapdeal and later by Axis Bank. With a net worth of about Rs 15000 crore in 2021, Kunal Shah’s entrepreneurial journey emphasizes the importance of practical learning over formal education.
Rahul Yadav
Rahul Yadav, co-founder of Housing.com, started his entrepreneurial journey while at IIT Bombay, where he dropped out before completing his degree. Inspired by his experience as the secretary of the student association, Yadav created Exambaba.com, a platform hosting a repository of old exam papers. Housing.com, launched in 2012, aimed to simplify the home-buying process through innovative technology. Despite controversies leading to his departure from Housing.com in 2015, Rahul Yadav, now 34, has a net worth ranging between Rs 20 crore to Rs 40 crore.
These success stories, along with notable figures from the older generation like Mukesh Ambani and Gautam Adani, demonstrate that substantial success can be achieved without a formal educational degree.
