In an exclusive interview, Siddharth Banerjee, CEO of UNIVO Education, Noida, shares his vision for transforming India’s higher education landscape through EdTech. With over 25 years of leadership experience across consumer goods, technology, and education, Banerjee discusses UNIVO’s mission to democratise online education, the role of AI in personalised learning, and the future of industry-academia partnerships in creating job-ready graduates.
Q. You have built a stellar career spanning over 25 years across consumer goods, technology, and now education. What inspired your shift towards EdTech, and how has the journey been at UNIVO?
I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to work across diverse industries in world-class organisations with exceptional mentors and colleagues across India and emerging markets. My career has connected three core strengths: consumer technology, leadership, and lifelong learning. My role at UNIVO allows me to leverage these strengths to help build India’s most sustainable EdTech company. Over the past three years, we have made significant strides in our mission, and today, UNIVO is one of India’s leading online higher education organisations.
Q. As CEO of UNIVO, how do you see online education evolving in India over the next five years, especially in collaboration with universities?
As India emerges as one of the top three global economies, our growing young population will require high-quality education and employability solutions. In higher education, we must increase our Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) from the current 25% to 50% by 2035 to support our journey towards “Viksit Bharat”. We believe online education will play a pivotal role in achieving this. At UNIVO, our mission is to democratise online education by enabling select universities to offer online degrees, which provide quality outcomes alongside flexibility, convenience, and affordability.
Q. With your earlier experience as Managing Director of Pearson (India & Asia), what gaps or opportunities did you identify in the Indian higher education ecosystem that UNIVO is now addressing?
Making online degrees mainstream is a significant opportunity that many industry players have overlooked. This is central to UNIVO’s strategy, and our growth playbook is now among the best in the country. This approach has led to fruitful partnerships with forward-thinking universities like Amity Online, enabling us to collaborate with corporate organisations to build employability services for learners. I am delighted that our energising mission and sustained efforts are yielding results with learners, clients, and the wider world—UNIVO was recently ranked #4 in the Global Rising EdTech Stars in the Times 2025 rankings.
Q. What role do you think industry-academia partnerships should play in future-ready curriculum design and delivery?
Collaboration between educational institutions and industry leaders is vital to ensure courses integrate real-world exposure and leverage cutting-edge technologies for practical learning. UNIVO plays a crucial role in bridging this gap by embedding industry expertise into academic curricula. For example, we supported our anchor partner, Amity University Online, in launching diverse undergraduate and postgraduate programmes through partnerships with HCLTech, TCS iON, and KPMG. These collaborations ensure learners are better equipped for successful careers in today’s digital economy, positioning online higher education as a credible alternative to traditional degrees. UNIVO designs industry-aligned degree programmes for its partner universities, going beyond theoretical knowledge to equip students with practical, job-ready skills.
Q. How is UNIVO leveraging AI, data, and other cutting-edge technologies to personalise or improve the student learning experience?
UNIVO is building an AI-ready ecosystem to make online learning more adaptive, personalised, immersive, and career-focused. By harnessing AI, machine learning, and data analytics, we are reimagining education delivery at scale. A key innovation is Professor AMI, launched in September 2023 as India’s first AI-powered 24/7 virtual teaching assistant, developed by UNIVO for its partner university. Its latest upgrade, Prof. AMI 2.0, a Socratic Virtual Assistant, provides personalised, course-specific academic support to enhance the learning experience. Additionally, UNIVO has partnered with leading solution providers to deliver an AI-powered Career Services Platform featuring approximately 100,000 job listings, an intelligent resume builder, simulated interviews, and personalised job matching, improving career outcomes across the ecosystem. AI also enhances operational efficiency at UNIVO by optimising processes, increasing agility, reducing costs, and shortening turnaround times. We are committed to ethical AI adoption, with robust frameworks for risk management, data privacy, regulatory compliance, and workforce upskilling. Through these initiatives, UNIVO is not merely adopting AI but shaping a responsible, scalable future for online higher education.
Q. Given your international exposure across India, Singapore, and the UK, what best practices from global education could the Indian education ecosystem adopt?
Having gained in-depth exposure to the education ecosystems of India, Singapore, and the UK, I have observed how global models prioritise outcome-driven learning, strong industry-academia linkages, and a robust culture of lifelong learning. India could benefit significantly by adopting practices such as modular and flexible curricula, stackable micro-credentials, and apprenticeship-embedded programmes that align education with employability. Globally, there is increasing emphasis on digital-first delivery models, personalised learning pathways, and rigorous quality-assurance frameworks—all aimed at enhancing learner outcomes and workforce readiness. At UNIVO Education, we are leveraging these global insights to deliver scalable, inclusive, and future-ready learning experiences for Indian and international learners.
Q. What are some key policy shifts or reforms you believe are essential for India’s education system? Also, with the rise of micro-credentials and short-term certifications, how do you see traditional degrees staying relevant in a rapidly shifting job market?
India’s education system has evolved significantly, particularly under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. While this policy introduces valuable reforms, greater emphasis is needed on career preparation and employability to meet the demands of the global knowledge economy. India must integrate more industry-aligned curricula into higher education. With the rise of micro-credentials and short-term certifications, learners are increasingly choosing targeted, flexible options for specific skills development. These formats offer rapid pathways to employment and continuous upskilling. Additionally, lifelong learning pathways must be institutionalised to help graduates remain agile in an ever-changing job market.
Q. How has your leadership philosophy evolved over the past 25 years, especially as more Gen Z enters the workforce?
I have had the privilege of leading teams in large, multinational Fortune 500 companies and high-growth start-ups within India’s internet ecosystem. Despite differing contexts, three key principles have guided my leadership across teams of millennials and Gen Z. First, creating and communicating a compelling mission and purpose fosters emotional connection and energises execution, inspiring creative thinking, especially in challenging times. Second, clarity in defining roles and expectations is critical—beyond placing the right person in the right role, leaders must articulate deliverables with SMART KPIs and provide support. Third, collaboration and care are essential. Success is a team effort, so I encourage my teams to work cohesively, keeping individual egos in check, while ensuring we support each other and celebrate milestones.
Q. What advice would you offer to young entrepreneurs in the EdTech space today?
My goal in mentoring tech founders is to share my experience while learning from some of India’s best innovators. Based on a decade of engaging with founders in media, D2C FMCG, travel, fashion, technology, and innovation, I have identified recurring challenges and opportunities. One piece of advice I share is for young entrepreneurs to understand the DNA of their brand—both their business and their personal brand. When resources are limited, this clarity saves money, reduces pain, and enables a growth through organic channels, strong word-of-mouth, and authentic referrals.
Q. You’ve authored books and are invited extensively across APAC as a thought leader and keynote speaker. What is one insight from your journey that you think every professional, educator, or learner must reflect on today?
While I could share several insights, two pieces of advice I consistently emphasise to young professionals are to cultivate a mindset of lifelong learning and to master the superpower of effective communication. As a dedicated lifelong learner, I ensure daily learning through on-the-job experiences, online courses, executive education, books, blogs, forums, discussions, conversations with mentors, and interactions with industry leaders. As a public speaker, I co-authored Speechless with Roshan Abbas, highlighting the importance of communication skills in both professional and personal life. Keep learning, keep growing.
Siddarth Banerjee’s leadership at UNIVO Education is steering India’s EdTech sector towards a future where online degrees are mainstream, accessible, and aligned with industry needs. His insights on AI-driven learning, global best practices, and lifelong learning offer a compelling vision for educators, policymakers, and learners to embrace a dynamic, inclusive education ecosystem that prepares India for its “Viksit Bharat” journey by 2035.
