IIT Delhi admission is ‘20 times harder’ than Harvard, says founder-turned-investor at $40 billion fund

Bengaluru-based investor and IIT Delhi alumnus Ishan Preet Singh has claimed that getting into an Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) is mathematically "20 times harder" than gaining admission to Harvard, while sharing his views on India's growth, career choices and success.

Speaking in a vox pop interview with an Instagram channel, Singh said he had been a founder before becoming an investor at a global venture fund based in Bengaluru with $40 billion in assets under management (AUM).

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Singh on what people get wrong about India

Responding to a question about India, Singh said one of the biggest things people misunderstand is the pace at which the country is growing.

He argued that many successful companies built in India were started by people who could have secured jobs at startups or companies in the US but instead returned to India because they believed in the country's potential.

According to Singh, these founders chose to build in India despite having opportunities elsewhere.

‘Most of the advice that we get sucks’

Singh also spoke about a lesson he said he had learned through experience, arguing that much of the advice people receive is not useful.

He said the best advice he had received was to understand that people who achieve great things do so over a long period rather than because they happen to be in a particular phase or moment in time.

Singh encouraged people to pursue their interests fully rather than approaching them with only partial commitment.

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Singh says passion follows ability

According to Singh, passion is something that develops when a person becomes good at something. He said, "winning comes first then passion", arguing that success and capability can eventually create the passion that people associate with their work.

Reflecting on his own career, Singh said his choices were driven by things he found enjoyable.

He advised people to focus on doing good work, taking on ambitious challenges and working with outstanding people. According to him, financial rewards eventually take care of themselves when those priorities are in place.

Singh also stressed the importance of having fun, saying that a person who is having fun is successful because there is no defined end point to the pursuit.