‘Degrees open doors...’: Sabeer Bhatia praises Stanford’s real-time learning, reignites IIT curriculum debate

Sabeer Bhatia, the founder of Hotmail — now known as Microsoft Outlook — has sparked a debate on the relevance of IIT curricula, claiming that while “Stanford teaches what’s happening now, much of IIT academia is stuck in the past.”  

The concern over IITs’ outdated curriculum is not new. Critics argue that the heavy emphasis on theory leaves graduates unprepared for modern job roles that demand hands-on experience in AI, data science, blockchain, and emerging technologies. The slow pace of curriculum updates and rigid course structures further limit the integration of industry trends and interdisciplinary learning.  

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Bhatia wrote, “Stanford teaches what’s happening now, while much of IIT academia is stuck in the past. I got into Apple on my grades, but built Hotmail by learning on the job. Today, free knowledge from the internet is the real teacher. Innovation comes from doing, not just studying.”  

His remarks resonated with many. One user noted that despite efforts to bring practical learning into academia, resistance remains. “Agree 💯 I've been teaching a practical course on innovation at IIM-A for the last decade, partnering with a corporate, keeping it as real as possible, minimal theory, learn by doing. It’s very popular with the students… but a few of the insecure, clique-driven, PhD-ed, academia-obsessed faculty lose no occasion to run it down.”  

Another pointed to the job market as evidence of the issue. “Shockingly, 36% of IIT Bombay’s latest batch failed to secure placements amid a shrinking job market. This crisis signals the urgent need to align IIT curricula with industry demands and address systemic unemployment among India’s educated youth.”  

However, not everyone agreed with Bhatia’s assessment. One user countered, “Respectfully sir, your information seems to be extremely dated. Even in 2011, IIT Kanpur CS professors were teaching state-of-the-art courses… Our AI/ML courses taught us all the foundational aspects up to training our own neural nets and CNNs back then.” The user highlighted industry collaborations and project-based learning opportunities at IITs, arguing that Stanford’s advantage comes more from its Silicon Valley ties than a lack of innovation in IITs.  

Another took a more philosophical approach: “Stanford’s edge lies in its pulse on the now — real-time relevance over rote tradition — while IITs, for all their rigor, can calcify in outdated frameworks. Your path from grades to Apple, then Hotmail via hands-on grit, proves the internet’s free knowledge is a great equalizer… Degrees open doors, but doing builds empires.”  

Bhatia’s comments have reignited the debate on whether IITs need a curriculum overhaul to stay relevant in an evolving tech landscape.