From Code to Capital: How Anirudh is Scaling Access through Tech-Driven Investing
The night Anirudh Tandon decided to apply to top business schools, he wasn’t ticking off a lifelong checklist. He was deep in the middle of a high-stakes product sprint, managing the competing demands of three startups, when it hit him: while he loved building products, he wanted to scale his impact.
Unlike the typical MBA applicant following a well-charted path through consulting or investment banking, Anirudh’s journey unfolded in dynamic, cross-disciplinary spaces — where technology intersects with business, and ideas are either tested to their limits or evolved into scalable solutions. His story wasn’t formulaic or manufactured. It was lived, tested through real-world challenges, and driven by curiosity and resilience, and that authenticity became his strength.
Born in a small town nestled in Uttarakhand, Anirudh grew up in an environment where he observed the lack of strong infrastructure in healthcare and education, impacting accessibility of critical resources to thousands.
That early exposure shaped his ambitions. During high school, Anirudh pursued coaching for India’s fiercely competitive IIT-JEE engineering exam. His hard work paid off when he received an admission to BITS Pilani.
At BITS Pilani, the traditional markers of success—GPA, internships, and placements—didn’t spark his enthusiasm, the way building something from the ground up did. Instead of chasing grades, he immersed himself in hackathons, startup ideas, and hands-on projects. Some failed. Others lit the spark that would guide his career. Each was a stepping stone in shaping his entrepreneurial mindset.
Post-graduation, while many peers gravitated toward tech giants or civil services, Anirudh joined HSBC in a cloud migration role, not flashy on the surface, but one that offered a front-row seat to large-scale transformation in a global organization. Here, he began to understand how meaningful change in legacy systems isn’t just about deploying new technologies—it’s about understanding timing, strategy, and stakeholder alignment.
From there, he pivoted to ShareChat, embracing digital innovation. At ShareChat, Anirudh led cognitive personalization initiatives, helping reshape customer engagement. Presenting machine learning strategies to senior executives at a young age was more than a milestone—it was a validation of his ability to lead innovation in complex, fast-moving environments. But his entrepreneurial spirit kept pushing him forward.
Drawn to build a deeper impact in the startup world, Anirudh joined WestBridge Capital on the investment side. There, he focused on ed-tech ventures transforming access to education in India’s underserved regions. Working closely with companies like PhysicsWallah and Sunstone, Anirudh actively contributed to the democratization of opportunity for millions. It was here that he saw the power of technology not just as a tool but as a catalyst for societal change.
Across each transition, Anirudh noticed a pattern: traditional business frameworks were no longer sufficient. Whether in finance, manufacturing, or education, industries were being reshaped by digital disruption, but very few leaders knew how to effectively bridge the gap between technical innovation and strategic execution. Anirudh was determined to become that bridge.
Wharton stood out to him not just for its global reputation but also for its commitment to nurturing entrepreneurial, analytical, and socially conscious leaders. He didn’t view the MBA as a reset button but as a launchpad, a way to accelerate an already evolving mission to lead purpose-driven innovation at scale.
Working with Rajdeep at Admissions Gateway, Anirudh embraced his true journey, with its bold pivots, rapid learning curves, and the insight gained from building in the trenches. His application wasn’t a success story; in hindsight, it was a builder’s vision, clearly articulating the future he wants to help shape.
When the Wharton acceptance finally arrived, it wasn’t the end of a journey; it was the beginning of a new chapter.
Anirudh isn’t heading to Wharton to fit into an existing mold. He’s going there to redefine how business and technology converge to help write the playbook for the next generation of leaders.
And he’s just getting started.
To read more such stories of folks who got into their dream business schools to pursue their lifelong passion, check out our success stories.
