Sanjeev Bikchandani revists school memories, says good grades open doors. See post

With a reported net worth of approximately $3.43 billion (around Rs 30,000 crore), Sanjeev Bikhchandani remains one of India’s most influential entrepreneurs.

Sanjeev Bikhchandani, the founder of Naukri.com and one of India’s earliest internet entrepreneurs, recently offered a candid reflection on the role of academics in shaping success. In a post shared on X (formerly Twitter), Bikhchandani revisited his school years and presented a perspective that contrasted the popular “marks don’t matter” narrative, drawing wide attention online.

A former student of St. Columba’s School in Delhi and senior to actor Shah Rukh Khan, Bikhchandani took a look back at his 1978–79 school magazine, which displayed the Class 10 board results of his batch. What began as a nostalgic exercise became a broader reflection on diligence, consistency, and the long-term value of education.

"If I look at the top fifty students by academic standing and try and piece together their careers here is what I see. Two have passed away and I have no news of another six," he wrote, adding, "almost all of these fifty have had stellar careers in their chosen field and all of them got to where they did by dint of their effort and their academic accomplishments. To the best of my knowledge none of them did drugs and nobody did politics and aandolans in college."

Bikhchandani, who went on to study at St. Stephen’s College and later at the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad (IIM-A), observed that the top-ranking students from his batch went on to achieve significant positions in various fields. Some became professors at leading universities such as Princeton, Cornell, and the University of Texas, while others pursued successful careers as business executives, politicians, medical professionals, and entrepreneurs.

Grades Matter

These two photographs are from the 1978-79 issue of my school magazine The Columban. In that era grades were not private and they were published in our school magazine. In 1978 around 200 students in my batch wrote the Class 10 Board exam. The list in the… pic.twitter.com/QT4y7yakb5 — Sanjeev Bikhchandani (@sbikh) September 8, 2023

He noted that one of his former classmates became President of SoftBank, and another went on to serve as India’s Minister of State for Finance. “Good grades open doors,” Bikhchandani wrote. "Unless you are from an already wealthy family and can look forward to an inheritance or if being financially successful is not one of your aims and you don’t really want to get into the next good institution of learning or get a job in a leading organisation you should be focusing on academics as your most important priority," he added.

The entrepreneur emphasised that his classmates’ success stories were not shaped by privilege or influence but by discipline and perseverance. Their journeys, he pointed out, were built on effort and commitment rather than short-term recognition. He added that sustained focus and dedication, rather than instant success, were what defined meaningful achievement.

At the same time, Bikhchandani acknowledged that success could take different forms. He recognised that while his generation’s approach was centred on education and structured goals, others might find fulfilment through unconventional paths. However, he underscored that “hard work in academics is never wasted”, regardless of the chosen profession or path in life.

With a reported net worth of approximately $3.43 billion (around Rs 30,000 crore), Sanjeev Bikhchandani remains one of India’s most influential entrepreneurs. He is best known as the co-founder and executive vice chairman of Info Edge (India) — a company that has played a pivotal role in the evolution of India’s digital economy.

Info Edge operates several well-known platforms including Naukri.com for employment listings, Jeevansathi.com for matrimonial services, 99acres.com for property listings, and Shiksha.com for education-related resources.

Beyond his own ventures, Bikhchandani was among the earliest investors in some of India’s most successful technology companies. Info Edge was an early backer of Zomato, and PB Fintech — the parent company of Policybazaar and Paisabazaar — both of which went public in 2021.