In at this time’s fast-changing academic panorama, pursuing an MBA now not ensures the profession leap it as soon as did. As soon as seen as the final word path to skilled success, the diploma’s shine is fading as startups, communities, and on-line studying reshape how Indians construct careers and networks.
Tej Pandya, Founder at Groweasy.ai, echoed this sentiment in a thought-provoking put up on LinkedIn, responding to Zerodha co-founder Nikhil Kamath’s latest feedback calling MBAs “silly” in at this time’s context.
“Nikhil Kamath mentioned doing an MBA at this time is silly. And he’s completely proper. However 10 years in the past, he wouldn’t be,” Pandya wrote, reflecting on how the education-to-employment pipeline has developed over the previous decade.
Pandya shared his personal journey — that of a lower-middle-class boy from Gujarat for whom an MBA was as soon as a lifeline. “Once I was 22, an MBA was survival. No publicity. No community. No LinkedIn. MBA was the one strategy to get observed — the one path to an honest paying job,” he wrote. Again then, India supplied only some choices: small family-run companies, company jobs in Mumbai, authorities roles, or low-paying IT jobs. “MBA was your ticket to door no. 2,” he added.
However in 2025 India, Pandya argues, the equation has flipped. With startups flourishing in Gurugram and Bengaluru, tier-2 cities creating homegrown manufacturers, and international functionality facilities (GCCs) increasing alternatives, formidable professionals now have a variety of entry factors. “Indian founder-run firms pay higher. Communities like GrowthX, Growthschool, and The Product Of us educate quicker. The Web changed the classroom,” Pandya noticed.
Whereas he acknowledged that elite consulting corporations like McKinsey nonetheless desire MBA graduates, Pandya quipped, “Solely fools nonetheless dream of working there.” He concluded with a strong redefinition: “The brand new MBA is curiosity + neighborhood. Do you continue to want a campus for that?”
Pandya’s put up got here within the wake of Nikhil Kamath’s viral remarks throughout an AMA session celebrating Zerodha’s fifteenth anniversary. Kamath acknowledged bluntly, “In my view, schools are lifeless. If you’re 25 and going to an MBA faculty at this time, you have to be some type of an fool.” He added that within the coming years, entrepreneurship will now not be a selection however a necessity as conventional job markets shrink.
Kamath’s feedback drew blended reactions throughout social media — some agreeing that standard levels now not ship worth, others accusing him of dismissing schooling from a place of privilege.
