Latest news with #SanjeevSanyal
Economic Times
4 days ago
- Politics
- Economic Times
Would you opt something that has 99.9% failure rate? Sanjeev Sanyal compares UPSC preparation as 'opium'
Synopsis Economist Sanjeev Sanyal has criticised the intense focus on India's civil services exam, highlighting its low success rate and the role of coaching centres. He argues that talented individuals are trapped in a cycle of preparation, leading to a misallocation of resources. Sanyal questions the value of pursuing a career path with such high failure rates when other opportunities exist. ANI Economist and PM-EAC member Sanjeev Sanyal (File photo) Economist and PM-EAC member Sanjeev Sanyal has strongly criticised the culture surrounding preparation for India's civil services examination, calling it a massive misallocation of talent driven by what he described as a 'coaching class mafia'. In a recent podcast with CA Kushal Lodha, Sanyal questioned the wisdom of pursuing an exam with a 99.9% failure rate as a primary life goal.'Now tell me how many things are there with a 99.9% failure rate that you would recommend somebody to do unless it has a very large payoff?' Sanyal said, adding, 'If you're going to take such a large risk—why become a bureaucrat?' While clarifying that he was not opposed to those who genuinely want to become civil servants, he criticised the prolonged cycles of preparation many aspirants are drawn into. 'There are people who have now become professional UPSC aspirants... they spend years and years doing it. I think it's a complete waste of human resources.'This is not the first time Sanyal has spoken on this issue. In March 2024, Sanyal was among the first prominent voices to publicly warn about the growing obsession with the UPSC exam. He said, 'Way too many young kids who have so much energy are wasting their time trying to crack UPSC.'Sanyal argued that the most talented students, not average ones, are being pulled into what he called a 'trap.' He said, 'It's the supposedly talented guy in the class because this is the only guy the family will borrow, beg, and send them to live in Mukherji Nagar in Delhi. So we are taking the best people in our system and instead of putting them to some productive use, we are putting them where there is a 99.9% failure rate.' He blamed the coaching industry for sustaining the system, describing it as one that 'sells opium' to aspirants. 'Imagine the product they're selling—it's a product that is going to fail you 99.9% of the time. And it's worse than that, because even the 0.1% who get through are not all going to do exciting things in life,' he noted that only a small number of those who succeed in the exam go on to hold top positions such as Cabinet Secretary. 'The bulk of them will do mostly mundane things,' he said, questioning why similar energy is not directed toward other career paths such as sports, entrepreneurship, writing or the arts. He added, 'The success rates of entrepreneurs are much, much higher than 0.1%.'When asked whether MBA entrance exams like CAT, which also involve high competition, fall in the same category, Sanyal disagreed. 'Many of them get through to something else. I don't think there is a large number of people who take CAT every year for five, six, and seven years.'On the Chartered Accountancy track, Sanyal said it does not fit the same pattern, as most students pursuing CA have a genuine interest in the subject. 'Two to three years is perfectly fine. That's even true for UPSC if that's what you want to do in life. First of all, be clear you want to do that.'Sanyal said the UPSC craze has turned into a culture. 'My experience is that UPSC giving is actually a culture now. Most of those people don't actually want to be civil servants. If they actually showed them the life of a civil servant, they would not want to be there.'He added that even successful candidates often reattempt the exam to join what they perceive as higher-ranking services. 'So that tells me one thing—even the successful people are not happy. So they are now on the opium.'
India.com
28-07-2025
- Business
- India.com
Indians are backbone of Rs 24200000000000 industry, dominate McKinsey, BCG, Big Four, still why is there no ‘Make in India' brand, reveals top economist…
Indians are dominating many industries including the consulting industry in the world. Still the actual share of India in industry like consulting is very less. Economist Sanjeev Sanyal has highlighted a major difference within the Indian consulting industry. We have seen Indian talent dominating the global consulting market, India's contribution is around $1.09 billion. Sanyal highlighted what is preventing Indian firms from growth. No 'Make In India' Consulting Brand The global consulting industry is valued at around $280 billion (around Rs 24.2 lakh crore), and it has many Indian professionals. Still, India has not been able to establish even a single major 'Make in India' consulting brand. This contradiction was discussed by Sanjeev Sanyal, a member of the Prime Minister's Economic Advisory Council. Thousands of Indian consultants play important roles in strategy and operations at global firms like McKinsey, BCG, and the Big Four, India's own share is only $1.09 billion. Sanyal stated that Indian talent is dominant across the global consulting sector, but Indian professionals are not running equivalent firms of their professionals are the backbone of this Rs 24.2 lakh crore global industry, yet no Indian consulting brand has left a strong mark internationally. Why Are There No Top Indian Brands? Indians have skills and best human resources still it has fallen short in building strong domestic brands with global visibility. Sanyal highlighted major barriers that prevent Indian firms from becoming global players. These include: Biased tender criteria Lack of recognition for prior experience Segregation between different professional domains Branding restrictions Missed global opportunities One hurdle is the high revenue threshold (Rs 500 crore or more) set for government and private sector contracts. This disqualifies newer or emerging Indian consulting firms from competing for major projects, giving established global players who already meet these thresholds an unfair advantage. As a result, Indian firms miss out on critical experience and credibility-building opportunities.
Times of Oman
18-07-2025
- Business
- Times of Oman
India's economy is in good shape, can grow faster with investment in infrastructure, trade: Sanjeev Sanyal
New Delhi: Prime Minister's Economic Advisory Council member and economist Sanjeev Sanyal on Friday stated that India's economy is in good shape, but it can grow even faster with consistent investments in infrastructure, the forging of trade agreements, and improvements in the ease of doing business. Speaking with ANI, Sanjeev Sanyal said, "So we are in good shape, but can we grow faster? Yes, but for that, we will need to first put in place things like free trade agreements. We will have to keep investing in our own infrastructure and ease of doing business, so it's not like growth somehow naturally happens." Talking about the efforts for the country's economic growth, Sanyal said that the efforts are being made to take advantage of even the uncertain times. "It requires effort, and we are putting in that effort, and the idea is that as and when we settle into the new environment, we can take full advantage of this and grow at more than 7-8 per cent. I mean there's no reason we shouldn't aspire to grow at 8 per cent every year, but that requires that the external environment be such that we are able to do it," Sanyal said. On US trade tariffs, Sanyal said that India has been successful in navigating the turbulent trade situations as the country is signing pacts with new geographies. "Old order is breaking down and there will be a period of turbulence, but as you have noticed, we have navigated this reasonably well, and we also will participate in the rulemaking of the new order. And we are taking proactive steps, as you may be aware. We are signing free trade agreements with a large number of countries. We already have some with countries like Japan, Australia, the UAE, the UK, and so on," he said. "We're in advanced discussions with the European Union and the United States. So let me say that we are fully cognisant of the environment in which we are. Our purpose is to provide as much of a cushion to our domestic economy so that we can keep growing," Sanyal added. Earlier this May, Sanyal had said that India's economic growth rate of 6 to 7 per cent is a result of many "process reforms" undertaken that are not part of the headlines. India continues to be among the fastest-growing major economies and is expected to maintain this momentum over the coming years, according to global agencies. Speaking in Bengaluru at a seminar titled 'Reforms: Way To Vikasit Bharath', Sanyal, said, "process reforms are an important part of reforms."
NDTV
14-07-2025
- Entertainment
- NDTV
The Revolutionaries: First Look Of Bhuvan Bam And Rohit Saraf's Web Series Out Now
New Delhi: The first look of Nikkhil Advani's upcoming web series The Revolutionaries is out now. The show features Bhuvan Bam, Rohit Saraf, Pratibha Ranta, Gurfateh Pirzada and Jason Shah in key roles. On Monday, Nikkhil shared the 56-second promo of The Revolutionaries on Instagram. It gave a glimpse of the time period when India was governed by Britishers. The video introduced the cast as freedom fighters, disguised in different getups, as they take arms against their colonial oppressors. The side note read, "'Give me a hundred youth — fiery, fearless, and pure — and I shall shake the world.' - Vivekananda (1902) Make way for the REVOLUTIONARIES. Coming in 2026." Take a look: View this post on Instagram A post shared by Nikkhil Advani (@nikkhiladvani) In a statement, Nikkhil Advani shared his thoughts on his new show The Revolutionaries. The director said, "For me, The Revolutionaries is a deeply enriching and enlightening experience. Sanjeev Sanyal's powerful book has given us a compelling foundation to tell the untold stories of these extraordinary young patriots. We're thrilled to work once again with our long-standing collaborators at Prime Video, who are wholly supportive and encouraging of our vision." He added, "We have brought together an exceptional crew and cast, led by Bhuvan, Rohit, Pratibha (Ranta) and Gurfateh, who are ready to fully immerse themselves in the spirit of this story and breathe life into these iconic characters. We are committed to crafting a narrative that is both authentic and impactful for audiences across the globe." The Revolutionaries is inspired by Sanjeev Sanyal's book Revolutionaries: The Other Story of How India Won Its Freedom. The series is currently being filmed across several Indian cities, including Mumbai, Amritsar, Varanasi and Dehradun. The show is produced by Monisha Advani and Madhu Bhojwani under the banner of EmmayEntertainment. It is set to release in 2026 exclusively on Prime Video.
The Hindu
14-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Hindu
‘The Revolutionaries': Period action series on freedom struggle debuts first look
After Freedom At Midnight, Nikkhil Advani is back with another period series revisiting India's Independence movement. The focus, this time, has shifted from behind-the-scenes maneuvering and mass struggle to armed revolution. Set to stream on Prime Video, the upcoming series is based on Sanjeev Sanyal's non-fiction book Revolutionaries: The Other Story Of How India Won Its Freedom. The book mines stories of armed resistance against the British Raj, focusing on freedom fighters like Subhas Chandra Bose, Aurobindo Ghosh, Bhagat Singh, Vinayak Savarkar, Bhikaiji Cama and others. Titled Revolutionaries, Advani's new series features a young ensemble. Bhuvan Bam, Rohit Saraf, Pratibha Ranta, Gurfateh Pirzada and Jason Shah star as the fearless 'revolutionaries' pitching an armed struggle against colonial rule. Currently on floors, the series is being filmed across Mumbai, Amritsar, Varanasi, Dehradun and elsewhere. Mounted on a lavish scale, the show will stream on Prime Video in 2026. 'India's rich history is filled with stories of courage, valour and sacrifice – many of which have been lost to time,' said Nikhil Madhok, Director and Head of Originals, Prime Video, India. 'Sanjeev Sanyal's remarkable book Revolutionaries: The Other Story of How India Won Its Freedom shines a light on a vital part of our freedom struggle, and we're immensely proud to bring this story to life.' According to Nikkhil Advani, Sanyal's book provided a 'compelling foundation' to tell the untold stories of these bravehearts. The director-showrunner had previously collaborated with Prime Video on two seasons of Mumbai Dairies. 'We have brought together an exceptional crew and cast, led by Bhuvan, Rohit, Pratibha and Gurfateh, who are ready to fully immerse themselves in the spirit of this story and breathe life into these iconic characters,' Advani said. 'We are committed to crafting a narrative that is both authentic and impactful for audiences across the globe.'
