‘Rethink Darshan culture’: CRED's Kunal Shah questions value of college fest speakers, sparks online debate

CRED founder and CEO Kunal Shah’s recent post about the relevance of inviting celebrity speakers to college festivals has sparked an online debate.

In a post on X, Shah remarked that many college fests appear overly focused on securing high-profile guests for their events.

The entrepreneur shared that some of the best speakers today are already widely accessible online and that physical appearances at campus events may not necessarily translate into meaningful learning.

He wrote, “I see college festivals trying desperately to get someone to come speak at their event. Best speakers may not come to a college event and are better consumed via YouTube. And those who may come may not necessarily add much value. They should rethink the Darshan culture.”

I see college festivals trying desperately to get someone to come speak at their event.

Best speakers may not come to a college event & are better consumed via YouTube.

And those who may come may not necessarily add much value.

They should rethink the Darshan culture.

— Kunal Shah (@kunalb11) January 27, 2026

Netizens respond

The post went viral, triggering a discussion among netizens on how college events are evolving and whether traditional speaker sessions have any value in today’s day and age.

“Spot on observation! The digital-first approach makes more sense - YouTube and podcasts reach far wider audiences with better engagement. College events should focus on building community experiences rather than celebrity speakers. The Darshan culture needs evolution for genuine value creation,” one user commented.

“College fests confuse presence with value. Real ideas are already online. Campus stages chase photos, not thinking. That’s Darshan culture, not education,” said another.

“I’ve felt this too. Most of the speakers who’ve genuinely influenced my thinking came through books or YouTube not stages. The value is in ideas and reflection, not physical presence,” wrote a third user.

Another user shared, “Students get inspired when they see the person they want to become in real life, otherwise tons of motivational videos are readily available. But seeing a successful person in real life adds more value.”

“But folks like Sridhar Vembu of Zoho (who's youtube interviews are great, come to colleges to have personal interaction) human touch is also important,” said another.

“It’s not about ‘Darshan.’Yes, the best speakers may not come to college fests—and their talks are available on YouTube. But career-shaping moments don’t come only from content consumption. They come from in-person exposure, energy, relatability, & the belief that people like you can build something meaningful,” remarked a user.

Also read: “Storytelling is a core life skill”: Nikhil Kamath tells under-25 Founders what really drives Startup success (startuppedia.in)