“In business, failure is one of the best things that could happen to you... Embrace failures as ladder to success,” a quote by Anil Agarwal, Founder and Chairman of Vedanta Resources Limited. His message focussed on encouraging young entrepreneurs to not fear failure and to be persistent.

Agarwal shared that his startups became successful only in his 40s after dealing with numerous setbacks in his 20s and 30s.

Who is the person who gave this quote    

Anil Agarwal is a prominent Indian billionaire businessman and the Founder and Chairman of Vedanta Resources Limited, a global natural resources conglomerate. Often referred to as "India's Metal King," he built his fortune from a small scrap metal business into a company with a major presence in zinc, aluminum, oil & gas, and power, with an estimated net worth of over $3 billion (Rs 27,900 crore at current exchange rates).  

He significantly expanded his business by acquiring public sector companies like Bharat Aluminium Company (BALCO) and Hindustan Zinc Limited (HZL) in the early 2000s.  

Agarwal has pledged 75% of his wealth for social good, focusing on healthcare, nutrition, women and child development, and animal welfare.  

When was this quote said  

Agarwal shared this specific quote in a LinkedIn post on 19 October 2022. In the post, he reflected on his early struggles, including his experience with a company called Duratube, which faced significant hardships for several years before he eventually achieved success. He used this anecdote to highlight that the fear of failing is often conditioned from childhood, and entrepreneurs must unlearn it to succeed.

What does this quote mean?    

Agarwal, Chairman of Vedanta Resources, often cites his own 10-year struggle and nine failed businesses. He highlightes that success isn't about being perfect the first time, but about having the "stubbornness" to keep using those failures to climb higher.

Agarwal believes success often hides your weaknesses, whereas failure forces you to analyze what went wrong. It provides "real-world" data that no textbook can offer. Each mistake is a "rung" on the ladder. By learning what doesn't work, you are technically one step closer to finding what does. In his view, you aren't falling; you're climbing through a process of elimination.

Published on: Apr 30, 2026 12:32 PM IST