Table of Contents

• A personal story about Sanjeev Bikhchandani

• The fascination with agriculture

• The advice that changed everything

• Discovering IRMA

• Dr. Verghese Kurien's influence

• The seed behind KisaanSay

A personal story about Sanjeev Bikhchandani

Nitin began by telling me that he had recently come across my conversation with Sanjeev Bikhchandani, the founder of Naukri.com. That episode, The Father of Indian Startup Ecosystem, explores Sanjeev’s journey as a builder and investor. But Nitin knew Sanjeev much before he became known to millions as the founder of one of India’s most iconic internet businesses.

In 1998 and 1999, Nitin was preparing for MBA admissions. Sanjeev was teaching and coaching students for group discussions and personal interviews. Nitin would call his Delhi landline number, take an appointment near his home in GK, and attend one-hour sessions over the weekend after work.

There is something wonderfully human about the detail Nitin remembers most clearly: a small notebook containing Sanjeev’s six-digit Delhi landline number and the coaching address. At that point, it was simply a student preparing for the next stage of life. No one could have known that those coaching sessions would shape the founder he would eventually become.

“It is because of Sanjeev that I am here today,” Nitin told me.

That sentence carries far more weight than gratitude alone. It is a reminder that a mentor’s impact is not always visible immediately. A useful piece of advice can enter someone’s life as a practical recommendation, then remain in the background until the right moment arrives.

For founders and leaders, this is an important lesson. Mentoring is not only about delivering an answer. It is about noticing the unusual interest, instinct, or question a person brings to the table, especially when they cannot yet explain where it may lead.

The fascination with agriculture

Nitin had no conventional reason to pursue agriculture. He studied mechanical engineering at Kurukshetra, then known as REC Kurukshetra and now NIT Kurukshetra. Agriculture was not his family profession, and it was not an obvious extension of mechanical engineering.

But Kurukshetra and the surrounding region had a way of leaving an impression on him. Three decades ago, it was a much smaller town with limited entertainment options. Nitin and his friends spent time roaming through the surrounding fields. Over time, those ordinary experiences became something more meaningful.

“Somehow I developed a fascination for agriculture,” Nitin said.

This is where many people make a mistake in their own decision-making. They dismiss an interest because it does not yet come with a business model, a job description, or a prestigious label. Nitin did not have a defined agricultural career plan. He simply recognised that the pull was real.

When he began applying for an MBA, he had the usual institutions in mind, including the IIMs and XLRI. Yet he also carried a distinct thought: he wanted to study something connected to agriculture. It was not a fully formed ambition, but it was strong enough to influence his choices.

There is a powerful leadership lesson here. Before there is a strategy, there is often an observation. Before there is a company, there is often a question that refuses to disappear.

The curiosity to purpose framework

Nitin’s journey can be understood through a simple four-stage framework. It is useful for anyone trying to make sense of a career interest that may seem unconventional at first.

• 1. Notice the pull: Pay attention to subjects, environments, and problems that repeatedly draw your attention.

• 2. Voice it clearly: Share that interest with someone who has perspective, even if the idea is still unpolished.

• 3. Find the right institution: Choose an environment that gives structure, vocabulary, and exposure to the field.

• 4. Let the idea mature: Do not force immediate outcomes. Some ideas need years of experience before they become ventures.

The key is that none of these stages can be skipped. Curiosity alone is not enough. But neither is a career decision made without curiosity. Nitin’s story moves from fields around Kurukshetra to a conversation in Delhi, then to a rural management institution, and finally toward building KisaanSay.

The advice that changed everything

During one of his coaching interactions, Nitin told Sanjeev about his interest in food and agriculture. He had applied to the IIMs, but he was clear about one thing: if that did not work out, he did not want to settle for an MBA institute merely because it was the next available option.

He asked a straightforward question: was there a strong institution where he could study something related to agriculture and perhaps build a career around it?

Sanjeev thought about it and remembered a recommendation he had received years earlier. At his own graduation, Dr. Verghese Kurien had been the chief guest. Sanjeev’s answer to Nitin was simple and decisive.

“If you get into IIM, that is good. But if you do not, do not go anywhere else. Go here.”

The institution was IRMA, the Institute of Rural Management Anand.

Great advice is rarely generic. It does not simply tell someone to work hard or follow their passion. It understands the person’s specific starting point and points them toward a credible next step.

Sanjeev did exactly that. He did not push Nitin toward an arbitrary alternative. He connected Nitin’s interest in agriculture with an institution created for rural management and development.

That is why mentors matter. They often have a wider map. They can see options that are invisible when we are focused only on the most obvious routes.