Before becoming Microsoft CEO, Satya Nadella faced the ‘One rejection’ Indian students fear most – The Times of India

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella once shared his experience of how not going to IIT which he describes as the “the holy grail” for middle-class students became a turning point for him. The IIT rejection redirected his life towards a path only few could have imagined and which eventually led him to become the CEO of Microsoft, one of the world’s most valuable companies. Speaking to LinkedIn CEO Ryan Roslansky in 2023, Nadella revealed that as a teenage in Hyderabad his ambition revolved around cricket and banking. He said that he never thought of software. Nadella further added that like many of friends he also viewed IIT as the pinnacle of academic achievement. But when he failed to secure admission, Nadella faced a setback that could have easily defined his future. Instead, it became the catalyst for a different journey.Nadella described IIT as “the holy grail” for middle-class students, acknowledging the weight of expectations. Yet, he later reflected that not getting in…