IIT is not just an institution, it is a dream inspired by lakhs of aspirants in India. They move to places like the Kota factory to fulfill their dreams and reach this prestigious university. However, over time degrees lose their value. Thanks to AI. In a world full of information, a question that often makes students uncomfortable: Is an advanced college degree still worth the effort?
As artificial intelligence reshapes learning and challenges the traditional value of college degrees, Anahad CEO and IIT Bombay alumnus Shikhar Agrawal says that the organization’s high return on investment has not been its hallmark, but the changing environment of its peers who continue to develop ambition, skills and lifelong growth.
For many students preparing for competitive entrance exams, the question goes beyond tuition fees or stipends. It’s as if years of tireless planning are paying off as AI appears to be able to provide insights on demand.This is the debate that prompted entrepreneur Shikhar Agrawal, co-founder and CEO of Anahad, to reflect on what his years are doing. IIT Bombay meaning really.
The question that refuses to go away
Five years after leaving IIT Bombay and setting out on his own, Agrawal says one question haunts him.“Was IIT really important, or was it just hype?”The question, he wrote recently on LinkedIn, has become very important in the era of AI. With AI communication tools capable of expressing almost any thought, many believe that the need for traditional degrees is beginning to disappear.Agrawal, who graduated with a BTech in Mechanical Engineering from IIT Bombay in 2021, agreed that AI has revolutionized information technology. Information, once locked away in expensive classrooms, textbooks, and courses, is now available to anyone with an Internet connection.However, he argues, this is why people don’t understand the true return on investment of studying at an institution like IIT.
The main lesson was not taught in the classroom
Agrawal’s argument is a radical departure from the usual discourse surrounding elite institutions. It is not because of the classroom training, the academic syllabus, or the prestige that comes along with studying at IIT that he claims to be his greatest success.In fact, for him, the greatest gift from this training school lies in something invisible but lasting, and that would be his people.For him, spending four years with ambitious and talented people made him realize that he needed more in his life.Being around peers who continued to create, ask questions, solve problems, and dream big changed his mindset. The influence, he says, did not come from random training but from everyday skills.
The parable of the goldfish
To explain his point of view, Agrawal turned to an analogy that has become popular on the Internet. He wrote that the goldfish grows according to the place where it lives. Put it in a small bowl, and it will remain a few inches. Move it into larger water, and it will grow. Put it in a pond, and its size will continue to grow.For Agrawal, IIT Bombay was that pool. The comparison was not about better buildings, laboratories or school grounds. It was about an environment made up of thousands of students who were constantly encouraging, challenging, and competing with each other.His message was simple: people often grow up to conform to the expectations and aspirations of those around them.
AI has changed the value of the equation
Ironically, Agrawal believes that artificial intelligence has strengthened, not weakened, his appreciation for the experience.AI has democratized information in ways unimaginable even a few years ago. Learning a programming language, understanding complex scientific concepts, or learning more about technology just got a whole lot easier.Knowledge itself is not a rare commodity. What is rare, he says, is an environment that continually stretches people beyond their comfort zone.Although algorithms can answer questions within seconds, they can’t capture the subtle but powerful influence of age among people whose desires raise more and more.Daily exposure to curiosity, creativity and healthy competition, Agrawal believes, makes you think in ways that no chatbot or search engine can.
Real return on investment
Over the years, discussions of institutions like IITs have focused on placements, salary packages and international rankings.Agrawal’s reasoning shifts the conversation elsewhere. Perhaps the true value of an elite institution lies less in the degree certificate and more in the intangible set of ideas, relationships, collaborations and intellectual challenges that students face long after graduation.In an era where AI is rapidly narrowing the gap in access to knowledge, a competitive advantage may come from technology that is still hard to innovate – a human ecosystem that encourages people to think bigger than they might otherwise.For students weighing whether pursuing a top college is still worth it, Agrawal’s answer is simple. The information available within an IIT classroom can be easily accessed anywhere. But growing up with thousands of like-minded peers, he says, is one of the most lasting, perhaps most permanent, benefits.