'Kunal Shah won't even get a fresher job at TCS or Infosys': Founder highlights flaws in corporate hiring practices

Kunal Shah, the founder of CRED and co-founder of FreeCharge, has been appointed as the new global head of WhatsApp at Meta. Kunal Shah's appointment as global CEO of one of the world's top tech companies has re-ignited the debate over formal qualifications since he is neither an engineering graduate or has any formal education in management. His rise to one of the most influential leadership positions in global technology has also started a debate on how companies evaluate talent.

Reacting to the appointment, startup founder Riya Upreti argued that many Indian companies still place excessive emphasis on academic credentials during recruitment, often overlooking capable candidates who do not fit conventional educational profiles.

In a post on X, she wrote, "Kunal Shah doesn’t have an IIT or IIM degree. He has a BA. If he were applying today for a Product Manager role or even many fresher jobs, companies like TCS or Infosys might not even shortlist him.


"Yet today, he is leading WhatsApp globally.

"That's the gap in hiring. Companies today filter candidates based on degrees and formal requirements at the very first stage, instead of evaluating skills and ability. In the process, they take away opportunities from many people who may not fit the traditional profile but are perfectly capable of doing the job."

Kunal Shah: From Philosophy Graduate to Tech Leader

Shah's academic journey differs from that of many technology industry leaders. He studied Philosophy at Wilson College in Mumbai and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree. He later enrolled in an MBA programme at Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies but left after about a year without completing the course.

Rather than pursuing a conventional corporate career, Shah entered entrepreneurship early and spent several years experimenting with different business ideas before finding success.

Kunal Shah's Journey From FreeCharge to CRED

His breakthrough came in 2010 when he co-founded FreeCharge, a platform that offered rewards on mobile recharges and bill payments. At a time when digital payments were still emerging in India, the company gained significant traction among consumers.

In 2015, FreeCharge was acquired by Snapdeal in a deal reportedly valued at around $450 million. The acquisition established Shah as one of India's prominent startup founders and investors.

Following the sale, Shah invested in several startups across sectors such as fintech, education, mobility and e-commerce before launching CRED in 2018 with an initial investment of $1 million of his own capital.

CRED initially focused on rewarding users for paying credit card bills on time. Over the years, the platform expanded into lending, insurance, commerce and wealth management services.

Shah's career trajectory has often been cited as an example of how entrepreneurial success is not always linked to traditional academic qualifications. As a philosophy graduate who left an MBA programme midway, he went on to build successful companies, invest in startups and now lead one of the world's most widely used messaging platforms.