MBA grad who questioned Nikhil Kamath reacts to viral moment: '72 hours of breaking the internet in India'

Anaheez Patel has reacted to her exchange with Nikhil Kamath, which has gone viral, sparking a discussion on the relevance of formal education.

Days after her exchange with Zerodha co-founder Nikhil Kamath went viral, NYU Stern student Anaheez Patel addressed the moment in a LinkedIn post.

Addressing her viral moment, Patel emphasised the importance of respectful disagreement. (LinkedIn/Anaheez Patel )

The interaction took place during the India Business Conference, where Kamath was questioned by Patel over his earlier remark suggesting that pursuing an MBA at 25 may not be worthwhile. Her pointed question, delivered in a room full of business students, quickly gained traction online, sparking discussion on the relevance of formal education.

In a LinkedIn post days later, Patel described the aftermath as “72 hours of breaking the internet in India”. “There’s been a lot said, assumed and inferred about me (97% of it positive, which I’ll take;), so I thought I’d respond myself. Writing has always been pretty cathartic for me, so here goes,” she wrote.

Patel shared about her background, saying that she was raised in a family where education was “non-negotiable”. She also highlighted her parents’ professions - her father a marine engineer and her mother a teacher - and spoke about a childhood shaped by academics and extracurricular pursuits.

“Anyone who has known me growing up knows that academics were non-negotiable, alongside a fairly packed schedule of extracurriculars: debate, speech, drama, ballet, music, olympiad exams and more,” she wrote.

Patel acknowledged that she did grow up with privilege, but said that not in the way people often imagine. “I grew up with a degree of privilege, nothing excessive, at least not in the way people often assume today (that I can now afford for myself and access through the industry I work in, why not?),” she wrote.

“But there was one thing that was never denied: access to knowledge. Books were never questioned. Even family vacations had an element of learning and substance - many museums, dad took us into engine rooms on ships and more. VERY RICH, in that sense of the term,” she added.

Patel also recalled how her family supported their domestic help’s daughters in accessing education, with one going on to earn an MBA and achieve upward mobility. “When I speak about education, it’s not abstract. I’ve seen firsthand what it can do,” she said.

MBA grad addresses viral moment

Addressing her viral moment, Patel emphasised the importance of respectful disagreement. “We’ve normalised a kind of intellectual politeness where we sit around ideas we don’t agree with, simply because it’s easier. I’ve never found that particularly useful,” she wrote, adding that she believes in questioning ideas with logic and respect.

She also noted that her candid questioning style was rooted in her upbringing, where open discussions and being challenged were encouraged. “If you know me personally or follow me on Instagram, this probably didn’t come as a surprise. I have a spine, and I believe in using it,” Patel wrote.

What did Nikhil Kamath say during the conference?

During the business conference, Kamath responded to Patel with a mix of humour and candour. “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,” he said.

The remark drew laughter and cheers from the audience, with the exchange turning into a light-hearted moment during the session.