'Safar bhale hi akela ho, raasta apna hona chaiye...': Vedanta Chairman Anil Agarwal's message to young founders

Anil Agarwal, Chairman of Vedanta Resources, shared a personal and reflective message directed at young entrepreneurs, acknowledging the emotional toll of the founder's journey.

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), he wrote: “Dear young founders, here’s something no one warns you about…The journey you’ve chosen? It gets lonely.” Drawing from his own experience, Agarwal likened the early stages of entrepreneurship to “living in a pressure cooker,” where each decision can either advance or derail a long-held dream.

“Kehne ko saath apne ek duniya chalti hai, but the truth is, most people around you will not get it,” he said, not out of indifference, but because they’ve “never had to believe in something invisible.”

He described the isolation that often accompanies the climb, writing, “Mount Everest ki chadhai pe bheed nahi hoti…the higher you climb, the fewer people you see.” The sentiment resonated with startup founders who often find themselves navigating ambiguity with little external validation. 

He recalled a moment from his own past—finding comfort in his mother’s shawl during cold nights in London. "So, if you're in that phase - keep going. ...And on the loneliest nights, find something that reminds you of home. For me, it was maaji ki shawl in a cold London flat."

“Safar bhale hi akela ho, raasta apna hona chahiye…” Agarwal added.

Dear young founders, here’s something no one warns you about…

The journey you’ve chosen? It gets lonely.

The early years feel like living in a pressure cooker.

Every day, you make decisions that could move your dream forward or take it a step back.

It feels like shouting… pic.twitter.com/9DhoS71zAx

— Anil Agarwal (@AnilAgarwal_Ved) May 30, 2025