Delhi Govt school alumnus builds learning, skill development platform; reaches 5,000 underserved students

For 22-year-old Abhishek Kumar Thakur, his belief that he could create a startup with the right opportunity has been shaped by his own journey, from a Delhi government school classroom to founding Padhai Vadhai. An education and skill development initiative, he says the platform now reaches nearly 5,000 students through online and offline programmes across four locations in the city.

Thakur said the idea for the platform grew out of his experiences with the Delhi government's Business Blasters programme – an entrepreneurship initiative implemented in partnership with Udhyam Learning Foundation, which works across 15 states and reaches close to 4.7 million students through government-led entrepreneurial learning programmes for schools launched by the previous AAP administration and later Teach For India, where he witnessed the educational challenges faced by students in underserved communities.

Today, Padhai Vadhai provides affordable academic support and skill-based learning to school students, particularly in low-income neighbourhoods.

Delhi Government schools expose harsh realities

"I grew up in a modest household where education was always seen as the most powerful tool for changing one's future," Thakur said.

Thakur lost his parents young. “Their values, resilience, and belief in education continue to inspire my work every day,” he said. They consistently encouraged him to make the most of educational opportunities and after them, his maternal uncle and aunt took on that role.

Studying in a Delhi government school exposed him to the realities faced by many students from underserved communities and shaped his belief that talent is widespread, even when opportunities are not. After school, he studied engineering at Netaji Subhas University of Technology (NSUT), Delhi.

He said, “My own educational journey, along with my experience working closely with students and educators, has shaped my vision of making quality, future-ready education accessible to all.”

Student entrepreneurship

Thakur first joined the Business Blasters programme while in school, initially seeing it as an extracurricular activity. That changed as he began working on real-world problems and practical solutions.

"The moment entrepreneurship became real for me was when I realised that an idea did not have to remain a school project," he said. "If it solved a genuine problem and created value for people, it could evolve into something much bigger."

He said the programme's mentorship, seed funding and opportunities to showcase ventures helped him understand entrepreneurship as a pathway for creating impact rather than simply a classroom exercise.

Entrepreneurship Ideas: Talent and opportunity

His experience with Teach For India further strengthened his commitment to education. "Many students were bright and eager to learn but lacked exposure, mentorship, digital resources and career guidance," Thakur said.

According to him, seeing students with significant potential but limited opportunities convinced him that education needed to extend beyond examinations and textbooks to include practical skills, confidence-building and career readiness.

He had built Padhai Vadhai from a student-led idea and began through small workshops and community-based learning sessions. “The startup is completely bootstrapped. We started and scaled the initiative through our own resources, reinvesting revenues and focusing on sustainable growth while maintaining accessibility for students.”

He said, “Today, our initiative has grown into a community of more than 5,000 members – around 50 teachers and 5,000 students online and offline – including students, teachers, mentors, industry experts, volunteers, and other stakeholders. The collective efforts of this ecosystem have been instrumental in helping us reach and support learners across different regions.”

Padhai Vadhai: What it does and how

The initiative focuses on helping students develop 21st-century skills. Along with strengthening subject knowledge, school students are introduced to coding and technology, problem-solving, critical thinking, communication, collaboration, creativity, digital literacy, entrepreneurship and project-based learning.

He added that the aim is to help students connect classroom concepts with real-world applications. For example, a Class 9 student may join to improve their mathematics skills but also learn coding and work on practical projects as part of the programme.

“We run structured learning programmes in both online and offline formats,” explained Thakur, “Our offline centres operate across Delhi, with a focus on supporting students from Tier 2 and Tier 3 communities. Beyond academics, we integrate hands-on projects, mentorship and skill development so that students gain practical exposure alongside conceptual understanding.”

One story that continues to stand out for Thakur comes from the organisation's Khichdipur centre, where students learn web development.

He recalled a student who, after learning the skill, began building websites for local businesses, making an income for the first time.

"More importantly, the experience transformed their confidence," Thakur said. "They began to see themselves not just as a learner but as someone capable of creating value and building a future through their skills." For him, such experiences represent the broader impact that skill-based learning can have on students' lives.

‘Proof’ govt school students can excel

Thakur said, “I went on to build Padhai Vadhai, the support continued well beyond the programme. Through mentorship, expert guidance, funding opportunities and Sarvodhyam, Udhyam’s alumni community platform, I was able to stay connected to a wider network of founders, mentors and peers who helped me navigate different stages of the journey. Even today, whenever I need advice, feedback or connections, the Udhyam ecosystem remains a valuable source of support. That continued engagement has played an important role in helping me grow both as a founder and in expanding the impact of Padhai Vadhai."

Thakur said young people can achieve far more than they are often given credit for when they receive the right support. "Talent is not limited by geography, income or school type," he said. "When students receive encouragement, practical exposure and access to resources, they can become innovators, leaders and entrepreneurs. My own journey is proof that government school students are capable of excelling when given access to opportunities and support.”