I started with ₹0 in my pocket and a ₹1 crore dream.

Growing up, I watched teachers scribble notes on dusty chalkboards, students squinting to decipher faded equations. When I finally got my chance to teach, I thought I'd revolutionize things with a WhatsApp group tutoring session.

It was a disaster. Students vanished faster than free samosas at a startup event. By day three, I was teaching to an audience of "last seen yesterday" statuses. That's when it hit me – EdTech wasn't just broken for my students. It was broken everywhere.

The Uncomfortable Truth About Indian EdTech

My failed WhatsApp experiment wasn't unique. It reflected a systemic crisis that's been hiding behind glossy marketing campaigns and billion-dollar valuations.

The numbers tell a brutal story: - Online courses have completion rates of just 12-15%, with some studies showing MOOC completion rates as low as 12.6% - UNESCO reports startling digital divides in distance learning, with massive inequalities threatening learning continuity - In many developing regions, the majority of teachers lack proper ICT training to deliver effective digital education

Walk into any middle-class home during "online class" hours, and you'll see the reality: kids staring at WhatsApp groups flooded with PDFs, pretending to learn while parents scramble to afford data packs. This isn't the education revolution we promised – it's educational theater.

Why Traditional EdTech Fails

The problem isn't technology. It's that we've been digitizing the same broken system that put me to sleep in those dusty classrooms.

We took the worst parts of traditional education – passive consumption, irrelevant content, zero real-world application – and slapped a screen on top. Then we wondered why students disappeared faster than they came.

Students don't need another app to watch lectures. They need to build, create, and solve real problems. They need to see why their learning matters beyond the next exam.

Enter Shalyam: Education That Actually Works

That's why I co-founded Shalyam – an AI-driven platform that bridges the gap between academia and industry.

Instead of endless video lectures, we connect students with professors and companies to work on actual projects. Real problems. Real solutions. Real skills that employers actually want.

We're not just teaching students to pass tests. We're helping them build the future while they learn.

Our platform creates a vibrant ecosystem where: - Students gain hands-on experience on industry projects - Professors see their research applied to real challenges
- Companies get fresh talent and innovative solutions - Everyone wins

The ₹1 Crore Mission

Every rupee we raise goes toward one mission: making education relevant again.

We're not building another course marketplace or lecture platform. We're creating the workspace where India's next generation learns by doing, not just watching.

The old EdTech model is dying. Students are tired of being passive consumers of recycled content. Employers are frustrated with graduates who can't apply what they've "learned."

It's time for something better.

Ready to be part of the change?

• Follow my journey from ₹0 to ₹1 Cr
• DM me if you're an educator ready to try project-based teaching
• Join our beta and help us build the future of learning

Together, we're turning education from a tragedy into a triumph.

Sources: - Teachfloor Blog (2024). "100+ Mind-Blowing eLearning Statistics for 2025" - Online course completion rates data - Elite Content Marketer (2023). "Online Course Completion Rates" - Columbia University Teachers College study on MOOC completion rates

- UNESCO (2023). "Startling digital divides in distance learning emerge" - Digital education inequalities report - Business Standard. "India Education Sector: EdTech Crisis" - Industry analysis and rural access statistics - UNESCO. "Digital Education Ed-Tech Tragedy" - Global digital learning assessment - Shalyam.com - Platform information and mission details