Nikhil Kamath, the co-founder of Zerodha, is a successful entrepreneur who dropped out of school after the 10th grade and never pursued a formal degree. Recently, he hosted Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his podcast series People by WTF, marking the PM's debut in the podcasting space. During the candid conversation, PM Modi shared insights about his journey in politics, his approach to handling failures, and taking risks.
"I am not someone who will spend his life crying over a setback. One has to take risks at every moment," PM Modi remarked.
Reflecting on the Chandrayaan-2 mission in 2019, which failed during its final moments, PM Modi recalled how many advised him not to attend the launch event, given the high uncertainty of success.
"They said, 'Sir, it’s uncertain. Other countries succeed only after four or six attempts. What if something goes wrong?' I responded, 'So what? Don’t I have a responsibility to stand by it?' So, I went," he explained.
When the mission failed at the last moment, the atmosphere turned somber, and no one had the courage to inform the Prime Minister. PM Modi shared that he couldn’t sleep that night, but instead of dwelling on the setback, he made a point to meet the scientists behind the mission before departing.
"It was a significant setback for the country, but I told them, 'If there is a failure, it is my responsibility.' I did everything I could to instill confidence in them," he said.
His efforts bore fruit as India celebrated the resounding success of Chandrayaan-3.
