‘As someone who never went to college…’: Anil Agarwal likens Cambridge invitation to a dream

Vedanta Resources Chairman Anil Agarwal said that as someone who never went to college, being invited to Cambridge University to interact with the students was nothing short of a dream. He told the students that they don’t need any degree or good English to be successful, but fearlessness and the stubbornness to achieve one’s dreams. 

Agarwal was the keynote speaker at the Cambridge India Conference 2023, held on June 15. 

“As someone who never went to college, being invited to Cambridge University and speaking with the students was nothing short of a dream… I was surrounded by bright 20-year-olds who firmly shook my hands and introduced themselves with a big smile…I remember when I was their age, I was a little awkward and shy…never felt presentable enough and spoke tooti footi (broken) English,” said Agarwal in a social media post. 

He said that the confidence of the students at Cambridge left him inspired. Agarwal said that he was asked about his company and how he managed to crack big business deals. “...but the answer to these questions have always been in my failures…,” said Agarwal. 

The Vedanta Chairman said that he spent his 20s and 30s struggling. He looked at others wondering when he will make it. Agarwal said that after nine failed businesses and years of depression, he had his first successful start-up. 

“The only message I passed to them was to never give up. You don’t need a degree, family background or good English to be successful. Sure these things help but what will truly make you different from others is your stubbornness towards your dreams…be ziddi, be fearless,” he said. 

Agarwal has often spoken candidly about his humble beginnings and how he had to learn much from others to make it to where he is today. In one such post last year, he had said about his early, nervous days in the UK. He said that he was nervous when he had moved to the UK and had to struggle to converse in his “thick Indian accent”. But his young daughter inspired him to put an extra effort. "I began putting in extra effort to improve my English, learn their rang dhang, and their ways of doing business. On days I was too tired, I would compensate for it the day after," he had said.

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