By Pragya Raj Singh
With India deeply committed to investing in its youth and redefining the future of education, few visionaries have left as profound a mark on the evolving learning landscape as Saurabh Saxena. An alumnus of IIT Roorkee, Saxena is a pioneering force in the global EdTech space, first gaining recognition as the co-founder of Vedantu, India’s flagship online learning platform that democratized live, interactive education for millions and set new standards for tech-driven instruction in Asia’s most dynamic classrooms. Yet, his journey extends beyond scale; it is a story of relentless reinvention fueled by a steadfast belief that education must transcend traditional academic achievement to truly equip students for the complexities of the real world.
Early in his EdTech career, Saxena recognized that true readiness for life hinges on creativity, collaboration, and entrepreneurial thinking, skills often missing even in the most advanced academic ecosystems. This realization inspired him to launch ambitious ventures such as Uable and Power Club. These platforms move beyond exam preparation, enabling students to tackle real-world challenges, pursue their passions through authentic projects, and build portfolios that showcase the skills that will define their future success. His work empowers young learners to solve genuine problems and develop their unique talents in meaningful ways.
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What fuels this serial entrepreneur? Saxena’s core conviction is both radical and simple: education is not just about content delivery, but about unlocking the innate problem-solver within every child. Through his words and deeds, he champions a new paradigm—one where learning and life seamlessly intersect, and where young changemakers don’t wait for the future but start shaping it today.
Sitting down with Saxena in an exclusive interview for The American Bazaar, here’s a candid conversation about his journey so far, what drives his radical vision, and what the future holds for young changemakers.
Pragya Raj Singh: Saurabh, congratulations on an incredible journey, from co-founding Vedantu to pioneering the Power Club. How has your personal vision of education evolved from your early days in the sector to where you stand now?
Saurabh Saxena: I’ve been passionate about changing education since 2006 when I started my first venture, Lakshya. Back then, I didn’t know much about entrepreneurship or first-principles thinking in education, so my early ventures, including Vedantu, were still rooted in traditional models, even though we introduced some important innovations.
Over time, after interacting with thousands of students in physical classrooms and later online, I realized education doesn’t just need incremental improvements; it needs a perspective shift. My own daughter inspired me to reimagine learning from first principles. Years of research and reflection have led me to focus on real-world learning and empowering students to become creative problem-solvers, discover their passions, and develop their unique talents.
So my journey has evolved from innovating within traditional models to now driving a fundamental rethink of how we approach education and human potential.
You’ve built frameworks that empower students globally to tackle real-world challenges. What visible ripple effects have you seen so far, and how do you envision sustaining this impact over the coming decades?
At Power Club, we’ve built frameworks where every student can work on real-world challenges and entrepreneurial projects, co-designed with experts from organizations like Tesla, Google, Harvard, and EA Sports. We’ve seen incredible outcomes; students from small towns in India collaborating with peers worldwide, discovering passions in engineering, filmmaking, or game design they never thought possible in school. But the biggest shift I see is schools themselves opening up. Top IB, American, British, and even progressive CBSE schools are now integrating Power Club projects into their curriculum. That excites me because true impact will only come when schools transform at scale, and that’s the beginning of a real-world learning revolution.
With over 20 years in EdTech, what major shifts or emerging trends do you see shaping education globally? Are there any lessons you think India could learn from—or opportunities where India could lead the way?
The biggest global shift I see is the push to make learning relevant – connecting education with the real world. We’re moving from treating students as passive learners to engaging them as problem-solvers with entrepreneurial mindsets. With AI reshaping jobs daily, creativity and adaptability are becoming the core skills to nurture. Globally, schools and universities are slowly breaking free from outdated models and becoming more real-world focused. India has been slower to adapt, but change is coming. Organizations like Udhyam are bringing entrepreneurial projects to millions of government school students, and private schools are also adopting real-world projects. With the world’s youngest population, India has both the urgency and the opportunity. Mainstream jobs will never be enough, so students need to chart their own paths by building ideas, solutions, and ecosystems. This is where India can not just catch up, but lead.
Reflecting on your journey, what have been the greatest challenges and most rewarding moments in driving change and inspiring others to embrace a new paradigm in education?
In my earlier ventures, innovating within traditional models was relatively straightforward because people already understood the need. The harder part has been convincing the ecosystem that incremental patchwork won’t do — education requires fundamental change. Mindsets, especially among parents, are slow to shift, so we decided to focus directly on schools to impact students at scale.
Another big challenge has been building a transformational education model through a VC-backed lens. Investors often prioritize rapid growth and returns, which doesn’t always align with long-term innovation in education. It’s like trying to sell organic, healthy food when people want quick energy drinks. To solve this, we’re now adopting a hybrid social enterprise model — giving ourselves the time, alignment, and sustainability to truly transform schools while staying impact-driven.
After a remarkable journey of successful ventures, what exciting new challenges and opportunities are you most eager to pursue? What bold ideas or dreams are fueling your passion for the future?
What excites me most is our next leap: building a global, tech-powered real-world learning platform, almost like a “LinkedIn for schools and students.”
Imagine a space where students everywhere, regardless of geography or background, can collaborate with experts, mentors, and organizations on real-world projects. They’ll build authentic portfolios that open doors to opportunities, whether in top universities or careers.
The vision is a connected world of education where schools, students, organizations, and progressive universities are all on one platform. That’s the bold dream driving me forward every day.
As someone who has navigated entrepreneurship and education innovation for over 20 years, what advice or mindset would you share with young EdTech entrepreneurs or aspiring changemakers passionate about transforming education?
For young entrepreneurs, it’s tempting to chase funding and material success, especially because startups have become “cool.” But in education, true change requires patience, mission, and a cause larger than yourself. My advice: be mission-driven. Dedicate yourself to solving problems that matter, even if they take longer to scale. Don’t just build what’s easy to sell today, build what society truly needs for the long term. If we nurture mission-driven entrepreneurs who think from first principles, we’ll create not only better companies but also a more creative, fulfilled, and compassionate world.
(Pragya Raj Singh is a next-generation global social entrepreneur dedicated to innovation and grassroots impact.)