How Mekin Maheshwari Is Bringing Change to Education in India

In the vast and complex landscape of Indian education, where systemic challenges often inhibit progress, individuals like Mekin Maheshwari are leading a quiet but powerful revolution. Known widely as the former Chief People Officer at Flipkart and a successful tech entrepreneur, Maheshwari has turned his focus to one of India’s most pressing issues, education. Through his initiatives, particularly Udhyam Learning Foundation, he is redefining how students across the country learn, think, and act.

Who Is Mekin Maheshwari?

Mekin Maheshwari is an Indian entrepreneur and angel investor. After building a distinguished career in the tech industry, including key leadership roles at Flipkart, he stepped away from the corporate world to pursue his passion for systemic change. His work now centers on empowering youth, reimagining education, and nurturing entrepreneurial mindsets.

He founded Udhyam Learning Foundation in 2017 to promote the idea of “Freedom through Entrepreneurship” among young Indians. The foundation works with schools, governments, and other partners to embed entrepreneurship into mainstream education.

The Problem: A Crisis in Conventional Education

India’s education system often emphasizes rote memorization and standardized tests, leaving little room for creativity, critical thinking, or self-agency. According to a report by the World Bank, less than half of Indian children in Grade 5 can read a Grade 2-level text.

Maheshwari realized that while access to education had expanded, the quality and relevance of learning had not kept pace. There was an urgent need to go beyond literacy and numeracy to build mindsets and competencies that would allow young people to thrive in an uncertain world.

Udhyam Learning Foundation: Reimagining Learning

At the heart of Maheshwari’s efforts is Udhyam Learning Foundation (https://www.udhyam.org), a non-profit organization that aims to drive mindset transformation in students. It operates two major programs:

1. Udhyam Shiksha

This initiative works with government school systems to integrate entrepreneurial mindsets into the curriculum. The idea is not just to teach business concepts but to help students learn through doing, taking initiatives, solving real problems, and building resilience.

  • Reach: Over 2 million students across multiple Indian states.
  • Implementation: In collaboration with state governments like Delhi, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, and Uttarakhand.
  • Approach: Real-world challenges, group-based problem-solving, storytelling, and reflective thinking.

2. Udhyam Vyapaar

This program supports nano and micro-entrepreneurs in India by providing mentorship, business development tools, and access to credit. It aligns with Maheshwari’s belief that entrepreneurship is a pathway to dignity and freedom.

  • Focus: Small business owners, especially from marginalized communities.
  • Impact: Empowering thousands of grassroots entrepreneurs to grow and sustain their businesses.

North Star: Mindset Transformation

Mekin’s vision goes beyond skill development. He advocates for a deep shift in mindset, from dependency to agency, from fear of failure to experimentation, from passivity to action. His work is based on the belief that when young people are trusted and challenged, they can drive their own learning and shape their own futures.

This philosophy aligns with modern pedagogical research, which emphasizes learner autonomy, experiential learning, and social-emotional development as key drivers of long-term success.

Collaborating with Government Systems

One of the standout features of Maheshwari’s approach is his focus on working within government systems, rather than around them. Udhyam collaborates directly with Departments of Education in multiple states to implement curriculum-aligned entrepreneurial programs at scale.

This systemic approach allows Maheshwari’s impact to go beyond pilot projects or elite schools—it reaches the heart of India’s public education infrastructure.

Tech + Human Values: A Unique Blend

As a technologist, Maheshwari brings a unique perspective to education reform. While he understands the potential of digital tools, he cautions against reducing education to app-based content delivery. Instead, he champions the role of human connection, mentorship, and lived experience.

For instance, Udhyam uses WhatsApp-based bots to support teachers with classroom delivery, while also investing deeply in teacher training, motivation, and mindset.

Stories of Impact

  • Ankita from Madhya Pradesh: A 16-year-old who overcame gender bias and community resistance to start a tailoring business in her village, after participating in Udhyam’s entrepreneurship curriculum.
  • Ashish from Delhi: Once a school dropout, Ashish found purpose and direction through Udhyam’s programs and now runs a successful snack business with two employees.

These stories are not exceptions—they are emerging patterns across Udhyam’s footprint.

Maheshwari’s Broader Vision

Beyond Udhyam, Maheshwari continues to mentor startups, invest in social enterprises, and participate in policy conversations around education and entrepreneurship. He believes in creating ecosystems, not just interventions.

He often speaks about the need for society to treat youth with respect and trust, and to create opportunities where they can fail, learn, and grow. His work is guided by a belief in dignity, agency, and purpose.

Recognition and Influence

In July 2025, Mekin Maheshwari was named a Senior Fellow by Ashoka, the world’s largest network of leading social entrepreneurs. This prestigious recognition was awarded for his pioneering work through Udhyam Learning Foundation in advancing mindset transformation and promoting entrepreneurship education across India. Joining the ranks of other globally recognized changemakers, Maheshwari’s fellowship reflects not only his personal commitment to systemic change but also the demonstrable impact Udhyam has had on millions of learners and micro-entrepreneurs.

Ashoka’s selection validates Udhyam’s mission of making Bharat entrepreneurial and recognizes its innovative model of working within government systems while championing learner agency, dignity, and purpose.

His work has also gained attention from global development organizations, state governments, and education reform networks. His approach is often cited as a model for how non-profits can scale impact through government partnerships.

While Maheshwari shuns the spotlight, his work has gained attention from global development organizations, state governments, and education reform networks. His approach is often cited as a model for how non-profits can scale impact through government partnerships.

How You Can Engage

  • For Educators: Partner with Udhyam to implement entrepreneurship curriculum in your school or district.
  • For Policymakers: Explore collaborations to embed mindset-based learning at scale.
  • For Funders: Support Udhyam’s expansion to more states and deeper interventions.
  • For Citizens: Volunteer, mentor, or simply spread the word about youth-led change.

FAQs

  1. What is Mekin Maheshwari’s background?
    He is a tech entrepreneur and former Chief People Officer at Flipkart who now focuses on education reform through Udhyam Learning Foundation.
  2. What does Udhyam Shiksha do?
    It works with schools and governments to embed entrepreneurial mindset development into mainstream education.
  3. How does Udhyam work with governments?
    Udhyam partners with Departments of Education to align its programs with state curriculum and deliver them at scale.
  4. What is Maheshwari’s core philosophy?
    He believes in mindset transformation, learner agency, and the power of youth to lead their own change.
  5. Can schools or individuals get involved?
    Yes, Udhyam welcomes collaborations with schools, educators, funders, and volunteers. Visit udhyam.org to learn more.

Conclusion

Mekin Maheshwari is not just an entrepreneur,he is an ecosystem builder, a systems thinker, and a catalyst for human potential. Through Udhyam Learning Foundation, he is demonstrating that large-scale change in education is possible when we start with trust, purpose, and belief in young people.

His journey is a testament to what’s possible when business acumen meets social intent. In a country of 250 million school-going children, Maheshwari’s work is a beacon of what education could and should look like.

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