In a fast-evolving educational landscape where many EdTech ventures chase scale at the cost of quality, Kraftshala has emerged as a rare exception—rooted in outcomes, empathy, and integrity. Founded by Varun Satia, a marketing professional turned entrepreneur, Kraftshala’s mission is simple yet bold: deliver real-world success for learners. Drawing from his own experiences in corporate marketing and entrepreneurial initiatives, Varun has built Kraftshala into a platform that doesn’t just teach but transforms. With industry partnerships, practitioner-led teaching, and an unwavering focus on placement accountability, the platform is reshaping how India thinks about employability. In this candid and insightful conversation, Varun shares the journey, challenges, and the core philosophies that guide Kraftshala’s impact.
Q. Your journey began in marketing at Nestlé and evolved into entrepreneurship. What inspired you to transition from a corporate role to founding Kraftshala?
I started my career at Nestlé through campus placement from FMS. I spent about four years there, primarily working on the KitKat and MAGGI brands. It was a great experience—structured, rigorous, and deeply formative. But I always had the drive to build something of my own, right from my engineering days.
At BITS, I co-founded and led the Centre for Entrepreneurial Leadership and worked with Harvard graduates to launch StudentBusinesses.com in India, which was later acquired by the Kauffman Foundation. That gave me an early taste of creating something from scratch, and the desire to do more of that never left.
My first venture was in the test prep space, but I quickly realised it wasn’t something I deeply resonated with. Kraftshala came from a more personal space. I had seen how practical learning from industry practitioners outshone academic theory, and I saw a glaring gap in employability. That became the foundation of Kraftshala—to build something impactful, not just for the top 1%, but at scale.
Q. What were some of the early learnings at Expertizo that helped shape Kraftshala’s vision and model?
One key lesson was that even a decent product won’t survive if it doesn’t solve a problem you care about deeply. Our early work under Expertizo focused on test prep, which had market demand, but I didn’t feel emotionally connected to the problem.
With Kraftshala, we started from scratch—by asking how people actually learn. We conducted workshops, pilots, and corporate training to understand what worked. That phase was not only useful for product refinement but also crucial for building something sustainable and personally meaningful. It taught us that conviction is a prerequisite.
Q. You often speak about the misalignment of incentives in traditional education. What fundamental changes do you believe are necessary to realign institutions with student success?
The core issue is that institutions are rarely accountable for what happens after the course ends. Their incentive ends at enrolment or completion—not employment. This results in a system that values completion over learning, and enrolment over outcomes.
We need a shift where institutions are judged by how many students succeed after the course. At Kraftshala, we take full ownership of outcomes. Every programme has placement accountability, which drives continuous improvement across the journey.
Q. Many EdTech startups scaled rapidly but struggled with sustainable outcomes. How can the industry move beyond a ‘growth-at-all-costs’ approach to a more impact-driven model?
The ‘growth-at-all-costs’ mindset dilutes quality and erodes trust. In EdTech, you can’t fake outcomes. Selling employability without delivering jobs leads to disillusionment.
The sustainable path is slower but more robust. It involves rigorous selection, personalised support, transparent placement reports, and real employer feedback. You must increase the lifetime value of trust—when your outcomes speak for themselves, growth follows.
Q. Employability remains a major concern in India’s higher education sector. How does Kraftshala ensure it truly bridges the skill gap rather than just selling courses?
At Kraftshala, we own the full lifecycle—from admissions to training to placement. We’re selective about who we admit, and we train them in practical, industry-relevant skills. Students run real campaigns, solve actual business problems, and get daily feedback from experts.
Our placement engine is tightly integrated with trusted companies. We call this scaling with soul—we measure ourselves by outcomes, not just revenue.
Q. With recent layoffs and shutdowns in the EdTech space, what does a sustainable business model in this industry look like?
A sustainable EdTech model rests on three things: strong student outcomes, operational efficiency, and high trust. No pricing or funding strategy can save a model that doesn’t deliver value.
The model requires deep empathy and operational rigour. But once built, it becomes defensible. Our alumni advocate for us, and hiring managers return because of real success stories.
Q. How do you see employer partnerships evolving in the coming years? Are companies becoming more receptive to hiring through EdTech platforms instead of traditional college placements?
The shift is already happening. Companies don’t wake up wanting to hire from colleges—they want job-ready talent. Colleges have been proxies for capability, but when those proxies fail, employers look elsewhere.
We’ve seen this ourselves. Many of our partner companies plan hiring calendars around our cohorts. They trust that our students will deliver from Day 1. As EdTech platforms prove consistent quality, academic credentials will be increasingly bypassed.
Q. Kraftshala’s approach is centred around practical, job-focused learning. How do you ensure that your courses remain relevant and aligned with industry demands?
Since we own the placement process, we receive real-time feedback from employers. Every interaction informs our academic loop. If a recruiter highlights a skill gap—say in programmatic advertising—it’s updated in the curriculum swiftly.
We also rely heavily on practitioners who are actively working in the field. Their insights and experience ensure our training stays industry-aligned and current.
Q. Your platform boasts a 94% placement rate and a 95% Advocacy Score—exceptional numbers in the EdTech space. What factors contribute to this success?
It boils down to two core things: first, we admit only those who we believe can succeed. We prioritise outcomes over volume. Second, we train for real-world readiness—communication, structured thinking, live projects, and daily feedback.
Our placement system is transparent and deeply integrated with recruiters. When something works, people talk about it. That drives our Advocacy Score.
Q. Beyond student placements, Kraftshala has trained industry leaders across major brands. How do you tailor your programmes for both early-career professionals and seasoned executives?
Early-career professionals need structured learning—how to think, communicate, and execute. For experienced professionals, it’s about unlearning, exploring emerging practices, and challenging their assumptions.
Our practitioner-led model works well for both, but the format differs. Executive sessions are shorter, strategic, and tailored to their business context. They are collaborative and grounded in real-time challenges.
Q. AI is transforming education at a rapid pace. How is Kraftshala leveraging AI in its learning experiences?
We see AI as an enabler of scale and personalisation, not a replacement for human coaching. For instance, we track where students drop off in the placement funnel—resumes, assignments, or interviews—and deploy AI-powered nudges to help them improve.
We’re also piloting AI-driven mock interviews to help students practise repeatedly. These tools build muscle memory efficiently, while human feedback remains central to deep learning.
Q. With hybrid learning models gaining traction, how do you see the balance between online and offline education evolving over the next decade?
The notion that online learning is inferior has been debunked. The pandemic forced adoption, and many realised that outcomes depend on the system, not the format.
We’ve been online from Day 1, and our placement record proves the model works. Hybrid will have its place—especially in labs, networking, or peer learning—but for skill-based, outcome-driven education, online offers unmatched access and affordability.
Q. India’s EdTech space has attracted significant investor interest in the past, but confidence has waned due to unsustainable growth models. What will it take to restore investor confidence in the industry?
The answer is simple: deliver outcomes. Investors lost faith because many platforms promised careers but didn’t deliver. If you’re charging lakhs for a course, there must be a tangible outcome.
Restoring confidence means embracing transparency—publish placement reports, showcase alumni journeys, and build systems that withstand scrutiny. EdTech can be India’s biggest contribution to global education, but only if credibility takes precedence over speed.
Q. ‘Scaling with Soul’ is a core philosophy at Kraftshala. How do you maintain a strong focus on student outcomes while managing the pressures of scaling a business?
Scaling with soul means we never compromise on student outcomes, even at the cost of short-term growth. We turn away applicants if we’re not confident we can help them succeed.
We invest in unscalable things—daily expert feedback, human coaching, placement support—and then work to scale them without compromising quality. It’s slower, but it builds trust. And in education, trust is the only true moat.
Q. As someone who has mentored and trained at premier institutions like IIMs and ISB, what advice would you give to young entrepreneurs looking to create meaningful impact in the education sector?
Start with the learner, not the market. Ask yourself—if this didn’t exist, would I want to build it anyway? If yes, you’ll have the conviction to push through tough times.
Second, obsess over outcomes. It’s not enough for people to ‘like’ your course. They must get somewhere because of it. And finally, build systems that can evolve. Education is dynamic—if your product doesn’t evolve with learners, it will fade.
Kraftshala is more than an EdTech platform—it’s a mission-driven ecosystem fuelled by empathy, outcomes, and a refusal to settle for the status quo. Under Varun Satia’s leadership, it continues to challenge conventional education norms by placing student success at the centre of every decision. As the sector grapples with questions of scale, credibility, and impact, Kraftshala offers a compelling blueprint—one built not just to grow, but to last. It is proof that in education, heart-led models backed by real outcomes are not just viable—they’re vital.
