Editor || Ankita Kumari
In the age of Instagram stories, concert selfies, and investment “success” posts on LinkedIn, the Fear of Missing Out (FOMO) has become more contagious than ever. If you’ve ever felt a pang of regret for not snagging those Coldplay concert tickets or missed out on the latest IPO that everyone was talking about, then you’ve been bitten by the FOMO bug. And trust me, it’s not just you—FOMO is running wild in India.
Whether it’s the insane ticket rush for Coldplay, the latest IPO hype with Bajaj Housing Finance, or the constant barrage of MBA networking events, FOMO is reshaping how we make decisions. So, buckle up as we dive into why you (and pretty much everyone else) are willing to throw caution to the wind just to say, “I was there!”
Coldplay FOMO: Where Concert Tickets Become Gold
Let’s start with Coldplay, because this is where things get wild. When Coldplay announced their Music of the Spheres tour for 2025 in India, tickets were practically gone before you could say “Fix You.” Originally priced between INR 3,500 and INR 35,000, tickets flew off the digital shelves. Fans lucky enough to grab them celebrated like they’d just won the lottery. Meanwhile, the rest of us were left in a state of panic, endlessly refreshing BookMyShow in vain. And guess what? The FOMO was so real, people turned to resale platforms where prices skyrocketed to INR 10 Lakhs! That’s not just a concert; that’s an investment!
Now, it’s not just about seeing Coldplay live—it’s about not being that person who missed out while your Instagram feed gets flooded with stories from the concert. The worst part? Social media makes the FOMO 100 times worse. You’re scrolling through endless pics of your friends with captions like “Best night ever!” and there you are, sitting at home in your pajamas with some serious regret.
This isn’t new, though. Diljit Dosanjh fans faced the same struggle earlier this year, and even Arijit Singh’s concerts were a mad rush. But there’s something about Coldplay that just sets off the FOMO on a different level. Missing that iconic “Yellow” performance live? It’s enough to send anyone into a spiral of envy.
- 999999+ People in Coldplay’s virtual Queue
- Diljit Dosanjh’s pre sale tickets sold out in minutes
- Is this ticket sales or modern economics in action?
The IPO Gold Rush: Because Missing Out on Gains Hurts More Than Watching Coldplay
Let’s move from Coldplay to another type of gold rush—IPOs. If you thought concert ticket FOMO was bad, wait till you hear about the IPO frenzy. In India, IPOs are like the grown-up version of Pokémon cards—everyone’s trying to get in before they’re gone, hoping to land the next big winner. And if you’re an MBA student, the pressure is even more intense. Missing out on that hot new IPO can feel like you’ve kissed your future fortune goodbye.
Take Bajaj Housing Finance’s IPO for instance. It was all over the news. Priced between INR 800 and INR 850, this IPO was oversubscribed 60 times in the retail category. Yep, you read that right—60 times! The FOMO here was real, with investors jumping in headfirst, hoping to strike gold. And it wasn’t just Bajaj—India’s SME (Small and Medium Enterprises) IPOs are also gaining huge traction. Companies like DroneAcharya Aerial Innovations saw their IPOs oversubscribed up to 30-60 times.
But here’s the kicker: not every IPO is a winner. Paytm’s infamous IPO crash in 2021 still haunts a lot of investors. It was hyped up so much, but when the stock plummeted by 27% on the first day of trading, the regret was real. Same story with LIC’s underwhelming IPO. If you didn’t FOMO into these, you probably dodged a bullet. But if you did, well, welcome to the FOMO rollercoaster—where you win some, you lose some, but you always feel like you’re missing out.
MBA Life: The Ultimate Breeding Ground for FOMO
Now, if there’s one place where FOMO thrives, it’s in the world of MBA students. Everyone is hustling, networking, and attending every possible event like it’s going out of style. And if you’re not at every single guest lecture, networking event, or case competition, you can’t help but feel like you’re falling behind.
Picture this: your classmate posts on LinkedIn about meeting the CEO of some unicorn startup at a networking event, and suddenly, you’re questioning why you didn’t attend. You were probably busy prepping for that finance quiz or taking a rare break from the grind, but now you’re regretting every second of it. LinkedIn is practically FOMO headquarters, with all those “hustle” posts making you feel like you’re missing the boat on something big.
Let’s talk numbers. A 2022 survey from a leading Indian B-school revealed that 72% of students felt the pressure to attend every single event, and 63% admitted that FOMO influenced their financial decisions. Whether it’s signing up for overpriced workshops or attending seminars that have nothing to do with your career goals, FOMO is the silent force driving us all to do things we don’t always want to do.
The same goes for investing. IPOs are the shiny new thing that everyone’s jumping into. Bajaj Housing Finance? Check. DroneAcharya Aerial Innovations? Absolutely. But here’s the reality—while some IPOs may give you bragging rights, many others can lead to massive regret (looking at you, Paytm). Yet the fear of missing out is so strong that rational thinking goes out the window. Suddenly, you’re putting your savings into a stock that you barely researched, just because your batchmate said it’s the “next big thing.”
The FOMO Economy: When Missing Out Costs More Than Just Money
FOMO doesn’t just mess with our heads; it’s messing with the economy too. Coldplay tickets aren’t just about you going to a concert—there’s a whole ripple effect. Hotels, restaurants, and local transport in cities like Mumbai and Bengaluru get a huge boost around concert dates. Remember Taylor Swift’s “Eras” tour that caused hotel prices in the U.S. to jump by over 30%? Well, Coldplay’s Indian leg might not be far behind. Hotel bookings in Mumbai shot up by 90% around Coldplay’s concert dates, and restaurants near the venue are doing double shifts to cater to hungry fans. Your FOMO is literally feeding local businesses!
And in the stock market? FOMO is driving up the demand for IPOs, which in turn creates massive volatility. Oversubscription leads to inflated stock prices, and when things go south—like they did with Paytm—it’s the retail investors (aka FOMO-driven folks like us) who feel the burn. According to the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), individual stock market participation in India rose by 33% between 2020 and 2023, largely driven by younger investors hoping to cash in on the IPO craze.
How to Beat FOMO: It’s Not About Missing Out, It’s About Opting Out
Okay, so we’ve established that FOMO is real, it’s powerful, and it’s making us do some pretty wild things. But how do you fight it? Well, here’s the secret: it’s not about missing out—it’s about opting out.
Next time Coldplay or Arijit Singh comes to town, ask yourself: Do I really need to blow half my savings on resale tickets? Will attending every networking event at your MBA make or break your career? And when that new IPO drops, take a step back. Do your research. If it’s solid, go for it—but don’t just jump in because everyone else is.
And if you’re finding social media is stoking your FOMO fire, try a little detox. Unfollow accounts that make you feel inadequate or take a break from LinkedIn if it’s triggering those “I’m falling behind” feelings. A University of Pennsylvania study found that limiting social media use to 30 minutes a day can significantly reduce FOMO. So, maybe it’s time to swap scrolling for something less stress-inducing.
Conclusion: FOMO in the Indian MBA World
FOMO is here to stay, but that doesn’t mean it has to control you. Whether it’s Coldplay tickets, IPOs, or MBA life, the trick is to strike a balance between seizing opportunities and knowing when to sit one out. After all, life isn’t about chasing every shiny thing that comes your way—it’s about choosing the ones that really matter to you.
So next time you see your friend’s Coldplay concert story or hear about the latest IPO, take a deep breath. Missing out on one thing doesn’t mean you’re missing out on everything. Stay calm, stay smart, and maybe—just maybe—you’ll dodge that next FOMO bullet.
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