One of the realities of a world shaped by social media is that once something is said, it rarely disappears. It stays, circulates, and often comes back when least expected. This is something Nikhil Kamath is experiencing now, as an old remark of his resurfaced during a public interaction at Columbia Business School.
During the India Business Conference at the school, Kamath was in conversation when a student, identified as Anaheez Patel, brought up his earlier criticism of MBA degrees. “A few months ago, you said if you are 25 and getting your MBA, you must be some kind of idiot,” she said, pointing out that many people in the audience were business students. She questioned why he chose to attend an event at a business school despite holding such views.
Before she could finish, Kamath interrupted, asking, “Were you the one who posted online?” When she confirmed, he replied, “I saw that video.” The student responded, “I’m glad the algorithm did its work, and it reached you,” and continued to press him on the contradiction.
Kamath’s response draws attention
Responding to it Kamath said, “300 grand for your MBA course. So this room, if it has 500 people here, you have spent $90 million to be in this room. I hope knowing the rich kids of India of tomorrow has some value to me in the future. Hence, I’m here.”
A debate that refuses to fade
The exchange also brought back Kamath’s earlier comments made during an AMA session at Zerodha, where he had said, “If you are 25 and going to an MBA college today, you must be some kind of an idiot.” At the time, he argued that traditional education models may lose relevance as job markets evolve.