IIT Delhi has produced a number of outstanding students, who have proved their mettle using. their technical skills and specialized knowledge. Rohit Pande, an Indian entrepreneur and Co- Founder/CEO of Classteacher Learning Systems, completed his B.Tech degree from IIT Delhi. But his academic journey didn’t stop there. Realizing that hardcore engineering is not his forte, Rohit secured an MBA degree from IIM Calcutta too.
As a part of its special series, Careers360 brings here insights from alumni of the IIT’s and other prestigious Engineering colleges, who have reached heights of success after passing from their alma mater.
Rohit Pande runs his entrepreneurial venture “Classteacher”. Careers360 presents his success journey from being an IITian to the CEO of a business venture in this special story. His journey is a source of inspiration to lakhs of engineering aspirants, who want to do something different and out of league.
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Insights from Rohit:
Why I went to IIT Delhi?
I went to IIT Delhi just because my father thought it was a good place to study and succeed in life. I was a confident self-driven learner and had done well in school, but IIT was an eye-opener as I found that almost everyone was as sharp, if not sharper, in Maths and Science and also ready to work very hard. Life was fun there as I made a lot of friends. I think I made my most enduring friendships in the IIT HOSTEL. One of my friends later became the co-founder of classteacher.com with me. Our batch of 1995 was an entrepreneurial one. A number of students from IIT Delhi of this batch have built strong companies and start-ups. Some of them have taken these public also.
My Life at IIT Delhi
I had a great time during that stint. The rigor competitiveness, late night conversations and activities, sports, and constant buzz of activity throughout the four years, everything was great. One thing I remember the most is the competitive spirit at IIT Delhi. It made us drill every problem to the core and taught us not be complacent even after that. I remember the convocation and how each one of us graduated with dreams as well as confidence to conquer the world. It will
stay with me throughout the journey of my life.
How “Classteacher” was born?
I soon realized that hardcore engineering was not my passion. So I joined IIM Calcutta for pursuing MBA. After the completion of my management programme, I worked in a management consulting company in Europe. But there was always a desire to make an impact and to do something of my own. So I returned to India and set up classteacher.com in the year 2000 with the vision of changing the way students learn through the internet.
What I am doing at present?
At present, we are working on a social platform to connect learners and educators. I have worked on a number of projects in the last 14 years at Classteacher including personalized learning. simulations in learning, game based learning and school-home communication. We launched “classpad” a couple of years back. We also launched “Chifro”, which creates different mobile apps for learning.
Having First-Hand Experience is the key
No amount of academic training can prepare one for successful entrepreneurship. Lessons can only be learnt by experiencing it first hand and by making mistakes. The thrill of the first client, the passion of building products that can change the world, the trial and error of building a team can only be experienced by doing something practically. RAISING MONEY and building business plans come after that. A lot of mistakes have been made by me, but my overall journey has been very thrilling. I would not trade this experience for anything else in the world.
Passion to Create is the Success Mantra
IIT Delhi is known for providing excellent education in India. Although the skills which are taught are limited to science and engineering, but the whole atmosphere that faculty and peers create, offers a memorable experience for life. I would encourage all science students, who have an aptitude and interest in Science and Mathematics, to give a shot at the competitive JEE exam. But there is absolutely no reason to get disheartened if one is not able to make it to the IITs. Some of the greatest products in this world are made by the passion to create, and not by degrees alone. In fact, many of the world’s biggest inventions have been driven by creative people, who were college drop-outs.
Enjoy the Journey & Work Hard!
I believe that future of the world lies in the hands of young people. They have the passion and imagination to envision a new world and work towards making their dreams come true. There are humongous opportunities that young people have in life today. Only the most capable and courageous shall win. So, the trick lies in enjoying the journey and working very hard to gain
success in this competitive world.
