Kunal Shah, the founder of CRED and co-founder of FreeCharge, has been appointed as the new global head of WhatsApp at Meta. Kunal Shah's appointment as global CEO of one of the world's top tech companies has re-ignited the debate over formal qualifications since he is neither an engineering graduate or has any formal education in management. His rise to one of the most influential leadership positions in global technology has also started a debate on how companies evaluate talent.
Reacting to the appointment, startup founder Riya Upreti argued that many Indian companies still place excessive emphasis on academic credentials during recruitment, often overlooking capable candidates who do not fit conventional educational profiles.
In a post on X, she wrote, "Kunal Shah doesn’t have an IIT or IIM degree. He has a BA. If he were applying today for a Product Manager role or even many fresher jobs, companies like TCS or Infosys might not even shortlist him.
"Yet today, he is leading WhatsApp globally.
"That's the gap in hiring. Companies today filter candidates based on degrees and formal requirements at the very first stage, instead of evaluating skills and ability. In the process, they take away opportunities from many people who may not fit the traditional profile but are perfectly capable of doing the job."
Kunal Shah: From Philosophy Graduate to Tech Leader
Shah's academic journey differs from that of many technology industry leaders. He studied Philosophy at Wilson College in Mumbai and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree. He later enrolled in an MBA programme at Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies but left after about a year without completing the course.
Rather than pursuing a conventional corporate career, Shah entered entrepreneurship early and spent several years experimenting with different business ideas before finding success.
