There had been much speculation about the ‘mystery’ guest who would feature in the next episode of Zerodha co-founder Nikhil Kamath’s podcast. Prior to the trailer, teasers stirred excitement and curiosity surrounding the identity of the guest. Netizens began guessing that it might be ‘Modiji,’ with some even commenting on the teasers, suggesting that India’s Prime Minister could be the next guest. On Thursday (Jan 9), ‘People By WTF’ finally ended the suspense, revealing that the special guest would be none other than India’s Prime Minister, Narendra Modi.
Nikhil Kamath’s Podcast with PM Modi: A Landmark Debut
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has made his much-awaited podcast debut, with Zerodha co-founder Nikhil Kamath as the host. Kamath launched his podcast, WTF is with Nikhil Kamath, in March 2023, and in 2024, he has interviewed several prominent celebrities on the show.
The trailer for PM Modi’s first-ever podcast episode has just been released, shared by Nikhil Kamath on his X handle. Initially, Kamath teased the next episode, where he was seen conversing with a guest in Hindi. Viewers quickly speculated that the mysterious guest could be none other than Prime Minister Modi — and their guess turned out to be right.
Now, Kamath has shared the full trailer of the episode, showcasing an intimate conversation between him and PM Modi. In the video, Kamath admits in Hindi, “I am sitting here in front of you, and I’m getting nervous. This is the most difficult conversation for me.” The Prime Minister responded candidly, saying, “This is my first podcast. I don’t know how the audience will receive it.”
Who is Nikhil Kamath?
Nikhil Kamath is a billionaire businessman and investor, co-founder of Zerodha, an online stock brokerage firm, and True Beacon, an asset management company. Kamath is a part of the 2024 Forbes World Billionaires List with a net worth of $3.1 billion. He, along with his brother Nithin, is also part of Forbes’ list of India’s 100 Richest for 2024. In June 2023, Kamath made history as the youngest Indian to join the Giving Pledge, promising to donate half of his wealth. This youngest billionaire usually stays out of the spotlight.
According to a report released on December 18 by Hurun in association with IDFC First Private Banking, Zerodha, a 14-year-old company, is now valued at an estimated ₹64,800 crore ($7.7 billion, based on an exchange rate of ₹84 to a US dollar). This marks a significant increase from its $3.6 billion valuation reported in September 2023 as a bootstrapped startup.
Kamath’s family background is diverse: his father, Raghuram Kamath, was an executive officer at Canara Bank, while his mother, Revathi Kamath, was a renowned Veena player. Despite leaving school after the 10th grade and not holding a formal degree, Kamath began his career in a call center before entering the world of finance.
In 2006, Kamath began his career as a sub-broker and, along with his brother Nitin, founded the brokerage firm Kamath & Associates. In 2010, they went on to establish Zerodha, which became a leading brokerage firm. Kamath also founded True Beacon in 2020, and in June 2023, he pledged to donate 50% of his wealth by signing The Giving Pledge.
Celebrities and Entrepreneurs Featured on Kamath’s Podcast
In March 2023, Kamath launched his podcast, WTF is with Nikhil Kamath, where he has hosted a range of celebrities and entrepreneurs, including Tanmay Bhatt, Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, Suniel Shetty, Ritesh Agarwal, and Ronnie Screwvala. Now, in 2025, Kamath will host none other than Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a landmark episode of his podcast.
Gist of Modi-Nikhil Conversation
At the start of the podcast, Nikhil Kamath apologized to Prime Minister Modi for his ‘bad Hindi,’ to which the Prime Minister reassured him, saying, “We will get along just fine.” Kamath then asked PM Modi to offer advice to the youth who aspire to join politics, emphasizing that only good people should enter the political arena. In response, PM Modi advised that the youth should approach politics not with ambition, but with a sense of mission. He also reflected on an old speech from his time as Chief Minister, acknowledging that he had said something insensitively and adding, “Mistakes happen. I am a human being, not a god.”
The conversation also touched on the wars happening around the world and the differences between PM Modi’s first and second terms. Kamath shared that growing up in a South Indian middle-class household, he was always told that politics was a ‘dirty game.’ This belief was so deeply ingrained that it seemed nearly impossible to change. He asked PM Modi for advice for those who still hold this view. The Prime Minister responded, “If you truly believed in what you just said, we wouldn’t be having this conversation.”
At the end of the two-minute trailer, a message appeared stating that the full episode would be released soon, though no specific date was provided.
