‘What have you done since Hotmail’: Sabeer Bhatia says stigma around failure is so strong in India, people don’t experiment

He gave an example from his own family. “Teachers don’t correct [spelling mistakes] because spelling is irrelevant. What matters is the thought,” he said, talking about how his children are taught in the US. “In India, children are punished for making errors instead of being supported to think for themselves.”

And he didn’t mince words when describing the state of learning in the country: “You’re never asked to write a paper. You’re asked to memorise 13 chapters and regurgitate them. That is not education.”

Another major issue, according to Bhatia, is how society defines success. (file)

A society that’s afraid to fail

Bhatia also touched on India’s deep discomfort with failure. Sharing his own experience, he said, “People have even asked me, ‘What have you done since Hotmail?’”—as if one moment, good or bad, should define someone forever.

He believes this fear is holding back innovation. “Unless India stops confusing blind obedience with real intelligence, it will continue to lose talented minds,” he said.

According to Bhatia, another major issue is how society defines success. He explained that many Indian students choose careers like medicine or engineering not out of passion but because that’s what society tells them to do. “You can’t suppress the arts, sports, and culture and expect to build a balanced society,” he added.

Even when young people want to take a different route—like starting a business—the foundation they’ve been given doesn’t prepare them for that leap.

Failure can be scary to come to terms with. Neha Cadabam, a psychologist and executive director at Cadabams Hospital, told indianexpress.com that repeated setbacks in life can have a profound and lasting impact on an individual’s mental and emotional well-being. “Research has shown that chronic stress, a common consequence of repeated failures, can lead to a cascade of negative effects. Elevated cortisol levels, the primary stress hormone, can disrupt sleep patterns, impair cognitive function, and even compromise the immune system,” she explained.

Failure can erode self-esteem and confidence, leading to a negative self-perception and an increased risk of developing mental health disorders like depression and anxiety. The constant pressure to perform and the emotional toll of repeated setbacks can also lead to burnout, a state of emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion,” she said, adding that burnout is characterised by feelings of cynicism, detachment, and a reduced sense of personal accomplishment.

With the stakes so high, bouncing back from repeated failures requires a combination of practical strategies and a resilient mindset, said Cadabam.

“One effective approach is reframing failure as feedback, viewing setbacks as opportunities for learning and growth. This shift in perspective can help individuals maintain motivation and avoid a downward spiral of negativity,” she said. The psychologist also recommended saying positive affirmations, journaling, setting realistic standards for oneself and most importantly, having self compassion to avoid the fear of failure and get on with one’s life.

DISCLAIMER: This article is based on information from the public domain and/or the experts we spoke to.