In a searing critique of India’s inflexible schooling and work tradition, Hotmail founder Sabeer Bhatia warned that the nation is producing a technology wired to take orders—to not innovate. Talking on the NNP podcast, Bhatia mentioned India’s education system continues to reward rote memorisation over unique considering, making a workforce that’s ill-equipped for the longer term.
“We’re not educating children learn how to assume—we’re educating them learn how to observe,” Bhatia mentioned. “Lecturers themselves don’t know why they’re educating one thing. They haven’t skilled it, haven’t understood it. They’ve simply turn into lecturers as a result of the system wants obedient employees.”
He argued that this mentality might need made sense within the 1900s, in the course of the Industrial Revolution, when factories wanted compliance and repetition. “However at this time, machines can do this higher than people. What we want now are considering individuals—vital thinkers—who can create large worth. That solely comes from doing, from hands-on expertise, from asking: can this be completed otherwise?”
India, he famous, is just not utilizing its brightest minds for the appropriate functions. “What number of mechanical engineers have truly constructed one thing with their fingers? What number of have touched a manufacturing line? Everybody needs to be a supervisor. However the place’s the innovation in that?”
Bhatia harassed that innovation calls for rule-breaking and daring experimentation—traits India suppresses. “Each time somebody tries one thing new right here, there’s a refrain of ‘No’. You inform a child ‘no’ ten instances, he gained’t ask the eleventh. However innovation is born from that eleventh query.”
He in contrast India’s deeply conformist tradition with America’s unapologetic individualism. “Have a look at Donald Trump. To hell with what the world thinks—he does what he needs. That mindset, good or unhealthy, is what allows out-of-the-box concepts to outlive. In India, should you break one rule, it’s handled like a heinous crime.”
Bhatia believes that till India learns to worth vital considering over compliance, it’ll proceed to squander its mental capital. “We’ve got to cease making a tradition the place security, standing and obedience are every little thing. The longer term belongs to those that dare to do issues otherwise.”
