‘India’s biggest brain drain isn’t to Silicon Valley, it’s to the scroll’: Anupam Mittal

Anupam Mittal has shared a heartfelt post on LinkedIn that is resonating with many, especially parents.

Shark blames mindless scrolling for damaging creative thinking

“India’s biggest brain drain isn’t to Silicon Valley,” claimed the entrepreneur. “It’s to the scroll.”

He elaborated how technology, social media, and artificial intelligence-driven content are reshaping our daily lives, often in ways we don’t even notice.

“Yes, I believe the next wave of global entrepreneurs will come from India,” claimed Mittal. “I have put my money on it.”

However, the Shark Tank India judge also warned that India is building “the largest army of thumb warriors - overstimulated, under-inspired people, who're weirdly okay with it”.

What struck a chord with many parents was a story about his seven-year-old daughter: her day might begin innocently with Peppa Pig, but before long, she’s pulled into what the Shaadi.com CEO described as a “vortex of glitchy animation and algorithmic chaos”.

He further said that not only are the children getting drowned in technology, but adults are not immune to it either.

We are passively consuming AI-packaged quotes and shallow content daily as if it’s become part of our routine–“like roti-sabzi,” he said.

Mittal remarked that India “leapfrogged straight to Reels”, unlike the West, which transitioned slowly from the radio to television to the internet.

“TikTok, Insta & YT did their job — they captured attention and monetized it,” he opined. “But what did we lose in the process?”

To answer his own question Mittal shared, “We’re raising a generation that doesn’t play. Teens that don’t talk. Adults that don’t think – just scroll.”

He added that as AI evolves, this constant stimulation is only going to get more intense.

It’s both a massive opportunity and, as he puts it, a “Black Mirror episode no one signed up for”.

While ending the post, Mittal clarified that he is not offering a solution or asking people to delete their apps.

“It’s a rant from a concerned father,” he said. 

He specifically asked the parents, professionals, educators, and entrepreneurs to respond on this issue.

“How do we make sure the India we’re building doesn’t forget to look up?” Mittal asked.

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