Using business to transform education in India

A wearer of many hats, Meghdut RoyChowdhury is an entrepreneur, educationist, and public speaker, but above all, a leading change-maker in East India. 

If there are two things to know about Meghdut, it’s that he’s fiercely passionate about his hometown, Kolkata, the ‘the City of Joy’ – and even more so about people. 

That’s why, after graduating from HEC Paris – Master in Management in hand – there was no question about where his future would lie; he was to go back home to help and inspire the local community through what he loved best: education.

“I always knew I wanted to help people and change society for the better. We have so much potential in India, but our education system is very square; it doesn’t really encourage creativity or provide a holistic view of the world. I think this is so important to be successful, and I wanted to tackle the issue”, Meghdut explains. 

 “An entrepreneur is as good as the world he understands”

And tackle the issue he did. Over the past few years, his ambition has given rise to an array of education-disrupting companies, ranging from Technopreneurs’ Surrogate Ventures – a start-up incubator and East India’s largest co-working space – to Offbeat CCU, an experience-focused, 360° learning hub.

Laying the foundations

His passion for entrepreneurship gained traction during his studies, at HEC Paris. From day one, he wanted to experience it all; from being elected as Vice President for the International Society to doing an exchange at Stanford and creating a start-up student project in Silicon Valley, he was involved in everything. 

Whenever possible, Meghdut seized new experiences, which led him to an exchange program at Tel Aviv University. “Tel Aviv has one of the fastest-growing entrepreneurial ecosystems in the world, and I learnt so much from being in that environment”, explains Meghdut. “There are so many options to tailor your education to you at HEC, so you can do things like that – every step is like a new roll of the dice. You’re really encouraged to be authentically who you are”.  

“HEC doesn't come with a handbook; but if you have the drive, it couldn’t be a more enriching experience”

From Job-Seeker to Job-Giver

At first glance, you might be perplexed by Meghdut’s LinkedIn profile – he has his fingers in a whole tray of pies. But that’s what he loves. He explains, “I’m always looking to challenge and reinvent myself by starting new projects – it’s what being in education is all about. You have to practice what you preach!” 

At his core, Meghdut considers himself a job-giver. At Techno India Group – one of India’s largest education bodies – he has helped to offer their students a more hands-on learning experience, as well as an entrepreneurial focus in classes. Technopreneurs – a start-up incubator he founded in 2016 – has also helped 120 start-ups to get off the ground, and counting. 

With his most recent business, Meghdut is hoping to shake up the learning space in East India and change the way people view education. “Offbeat CCU is an eight-story building that focuses on experiential and interdisciplinary learning”, he explains. “It’s a hub offering a ton of workshops, boot camps and hackathons covering a whole host of topics – dance, yoga, coding, design… all disciplines that Indian students wouldn’t typically experience much. Through this, I hope they learn more about themselves, as well as gain a more holistic view of the world. I think this so important to be successful and happy in life.

“My dream was always to do something for my city – so I guess I’m living the dream.”