IIT is not just an institution, it is a dream fueled by thousands of aspirants in India. They move to places like Kota factory to fulfill their dreams and make it to this prestigious university. However, over time the qualifications are losing value. Thanks to AI. In a world full of information, one question repeatedly makes students uncomfortable: Is an elite college degree still worth the effort?
As artificial intelligence reshapes learning and challenges the traditional value of university degrees, Anahad CEO and IIT Bombay alumnus Shikhar Agrawal argues that the institution’s biggest return on investment was not its prestigious label, but the transformative peer environment that continues to shape ambition, innovation and lifelong growth.
For many students preparing for highly competitive entrance exams, the question goes beyond tuition fees or salary packages. It’s about whether years of relentless preparation still make sense when AI seems capable of providing information on demand.This is precisely the debate that prompted entrepreneur Shikhar Agrawal, co-founder and CEO of Anahad, to reflect on his years in IIT Bombay really mean
A question that refuses to go away
Five years after dropping out of IIT Bombay and building his own company, Agrawal says one question follows him.“Was IIT really worth it or was it just hype?”The question, he noted in a recent LinkedIn post, has become even more relevant in the age of AI. With conversational AI tools capable of explaining almost any concept, many believe the value of traditional titles is beginning to fade.Agrawal, who graduated with a BTech in Mechanical Engineering from IIT Bombay in 2021, acknowledged that AI has fundamentally changed access to knowledge. Information, once locked away in classrooms, textbooks, and expensive courses, is now available to virtually anyone with an Internet connection.Yet, he argues, that’s precisely why people don’t understand the real return on investment of studying at an institution like IIT.
The greatest lesson was never taught in a classroom
Agrawal’s argument clearly departs from the conventional narrative surrounding elite institutions. It is not the lectures, the curriculum or the prestige that comes with studying at an IIT that he attributes most of his success to.On the contrary, for him, the greatest gift of this educational institute lies in something intangible but long-lasting, and that would be its people.For him, spending four years around such ambitious and gifted people made him realize how much more he could aspire to in life.Being around peers who continued to create, question, solve difficult problems and dream big changed his perspective completely. The influence, he suggests, came not from formal instruction, but from daily exposure to excellence.
The goldfish analogy
To explain his perspective, Agrawal turned to an analogy that resonated widely online. A goldfish, he wrote, grows according to the environment in which it lives. Place it in a small bowl and it’s only a few inches long. Move it to a bigger tank and it will get bigger. Put it in a pond and its growth expands even more.For Agrawal, IIT Bombay was that pond. The comparison was not about better campus buildings, labs or facilities. It was about the environment created by thousands of students constantly inspiring, challenging and competing with each other.His message was simple: people often grow up to fit the expectations and ambitions of those around them.
AI has changed the value equation
Ironically, Agrawal believes that artificial intelligence has strengthened, not weakened, his appreciation of this experience.AI has democratized information in ways unimaginable even a few years ago. Learning a programming language, understanding complex scientific concepts or acquiring technical knowledge has become much easier.Knowledge itself is no longer the scarce resource. What remains in short supply, he argues, is an ecosystem that continually stretches individuals beyond their comfort zones.While algorithms can answer questions in seconds, they cannot replicate the subtle but powerful influence of spending years among people whose ambitions are constantly raising the bar.This daily exposure to curiosity, innovation and healthy competition, Agrawal believes, shapes thinking in a way that no chatbot or search engine can.
The real return on investment
For decades, discussions about institutions like the IITs have largely focused on placements, pay packages and global rankings.Agrawal’s reflection shifts the conversation elsewhere. Perhaps the true value of an elite institution lies less in the degree certificate and more in the invisible web of ideas, friendships, collaborations and intellectual challenges that students carry with them long after graduation.In an era where AI is rapidly closing the gap in access to knowledge, competitive advantage can increasingly come from something technology still struggles to recreate: the human ecosystem that encourages people to think bigger than they might otherwise.For students weighing whether the pursuit of an elite college is still worthwhile, Agrawal’s answer is nuanced. Information available within an IIT classroom can now be more easily accessed from anywhere. But the experience of growing up alongside thousands of exceptionally driven peers, he argues, remains one of the institution’s most enduring, and perhaps irreplaceable, advantages.