Zerodha co-founder Nikhil Kamath makes bold claim about Mukesh Ambani during his speech at DIAS, says 'If anyone knows...'

The 21st DAIS (Dhirubhai Ambani International School) Graduation Ceremony was held on May 28, 2025, with a unique twist. Zerodha co-founder Nikhil Kamath was invited as the chief guest, and his address to the graduating class of 2025 was anything but conventional. As a billionaire entrepreneur and one of India's youngest success stories, Kamath's words carried significant weight, and his message was both inspiring and thought-provoking.

The ceremony was attended by Nita Ambani, the founder of DAIS, who couldn't help but smile at Kamath's lighthearted question about Mukesh Ambani's involvement in the stock market. “I don’t know how much Mukesh bhai is into stock markets,” Kamath said. The crowd chuckled, and Nita Ambani's smile confirmed what many suspected: India's richest man may not trade stocks, but he doesn't need to. However, he then continued saying, "But if anyone here knows what will happen tomorrow, it’s probably him."

Kamath's address was a candid reflection of his journey, from dropping out at 15 to finding his calling in trading. He shared his experiences, including selling phones to neighbourhood kids and working nights at a Bangalore call center selling health insurance to British customers. “There’s hypocrisy in me giving you a lecture on your convocation when I never had one,” he admitted.

He described the markets as a relationship that "start off great, get bad, and if you stick around, maybe they get better again." He credited his success not to relentless hustle but to pattern recognition, emotional stability, and the people around him. "Being stable, not reacting, being objective in chaos—that's probably the biggest skill to succeed," he said.

Kamath challenged the room to rethink effort itself, declaring, "Hard work is not that important." He recounted a moment with his leadership team, where everyone was pretending to work because they thought the others were. "Hard work becomes a defense mechanism when the ego asks why you didn't make it," he said.

Kamath's address was a refreshing departure from traditional graduation speeches. His words of wisdom and unconventional insights left the graduating class of 2025 with much to think about. As they embark on their own journeys, they can draw inspiration from Kamath's story and apply his principles to achieve success in their chosen paths.