10/12/2025
Here’s something I’ve never said out loud.
I didn’t go to business school.
And for years, it felt like a missing piece.
Every win, every setback, every late-night decision.
That became my education.
And then last week happened.
I received an invitation from Vidyalankar Institute of Technology, Mumbai, to speak at their MSME Summit 2025 and to share my journey of building hashtag with their management and engineering students who want to be future founders.
I read the email twice, not out of disbelief…
but because it felt like a full-circle moment.
An institution was telling me,
Your lived experience is valid.
Your mistakes taught you enough.
Your journey is your qualification.
Sitting on that stage with Mr Sandeep Jain and Radhika Bajoria, looking at a hall full of sharp, curious, fearless young minds, I felt fulfilled.
Fulfilled by the path I chose.
Fulfilled by the path I had the courage to carve.
To every student who came up after, asking real questions - about risk, money, grit, courage, and the messy truth of entrepreneurship - thank you.
You reminded me exactly why founders do what we do.
And to Vidyalankar Institute of Technology, Mumbai thank you for the honour.
Not for validation… but for the opportunity to give back.
Because if you’ve ever felt “not qualified enough,” here’s the truth:
Your journey is your MBA.
Your persistence is your degree.
Your courage is your business school.
And trust me - the world does recognise real experience…
Often earlier than you think.
