Anand Mahindra tells graduates to embrace change without losing their humanity

Mahindra University Chancellor Anand Mahindra on Tuesday urged the graduating class of 2026 to prepare for a future defined by constant disruption, saying they belonged to a generation that has already navigated unprecedented change. “You have grown up in a world where ‘once in a lifetime’ seems to happen every year,” he said, pointing to the pandemic, wars, climate change and artificial intelligence as forces reshaping society. The chairman of Mahindra Group added that “new jobs appear almost overnight as quickly as old ones disappear” and “just when you think you understand the rules of the game, the game changes.”

‘The future needs both’

Comparing the graduating class to the X-Men, Mahindra said, “Extreme conditions don’t just test you. They can transform you,” arguing that young people have developed “comfort with ambiguity, collaborating with Machines, familiarity with perpetual change.” He described this as their “mutant power: the ability to evolve and thrive in conditions that would have paralysed generations before you.”

At the same time, Mahindra cautioned against allowing technology to overshadow human values. Quoting Swami Vivekananda’s words, “All power is within you,” he said the qualities graduates would need most, “courage, resilience, compassion” already exist within them. While “artificial intelligence is doing many things that we once thought only humans could do,” he said, “there are things that only human beings can provide – ethics, humility, compassion, curiosity, moral purpose.”

Mahindra concluded by urging students to balance adaptability with purpose. “The future needs both - the ability to evolve and the ability to be more deeply human,” he said, adding that “the dual capacity to evolve outwardly and to awaken inwardly is your real superpower.”

Rajiv Bajaj, Managing Director, Bajaj Auto Limited was the chief guest at the event. He said, "Technology is evolving faster than business models, competitive advantage lies less in what you know and more in how quickly you learn, adapt and execute. Success will come from developing depth, discipline and the courage to make independent decisions. I encourage graduates of Mahindra University to maintain an unwavering commitment to quality and curiosity, ensuring that their contributions drive meaningful and lasting value for society."