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A prominent leader serves as a beacon of direction, inspiring trust, and guiding others toward a common vision. Under his leadership, he drives progress, fosters collaboration, and ensures goals are achieved with purpose and clarity.
Dr. Satyam Roychowdhury, the Founder and Managing Director, of the Techno India Group, and Chancellor of Sister Nivedita University and Techno India University, Tripura, is a personality behind the phenomenal transformations in the education sector in Eastern India through his mission "Edify to Empower." His exemplary efforts, as his entrepreneurship endeavors, have redefined education in Eastern India, through more than 100 knowledge bases that include six universities. He leads two national publishing houses and actively promotes entrepreneurship through various chambers of commerce.
Dr. Roychowdhury was awarded the ‘Visionary Educationist & Exemplary Leader’ award and the Techno India Group won the ‘Legacy Award for Educational Excellence and Societal Impact’ at the Asian Education Awards 2024, Bangkok, Thailand. He serves the larger goal of education by taking care of unprivileged children, developing education infrastructure in rural areas, and ensuring children have access to quality education to reduce social inequality and boost employability through his philanthropic arm, the Satyam Roychowdhury Foundation.
While speaking at the event, Dr. Roychowdhury elaborated on “Edupreneurship as a tool for economic development” at an EduTalk and shared insights while explaining how start-ups (especially in the education sector) play a crucial role in transforming and boosting the region's economy. Regions with a decent to well-performing economy have the financial resources to spend on quality education. Entrepreneurs can add to it by creating opportunities and adequate infrastructure, curating resources to support education, and connecting students to opportunities for studying.
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Recognized as one of India’s 100 Greatest Leaders, he continues to drive social change through accessible quality education. With an Honorary Doctorate from the University of South America and a strong commitment to global partnerships, Dr. Roychowdhury remains a cultural icon and advocate for education that empowers and uplifts society.
Asia Education Digest managed a brief conversation with the edupreneur and what transpired out of it was an insightful talk.
AED: Can you share your journey of becoming an edupreneur and what inspired you to focus on education as a tool for economic development?
Dr. Roychowdhury: Infusing entrepreneurship into education was something that I began doing quite early in life, as my journey began amidst an urgent situation in the education landscape of West Bengal. Forty years back, in the 1980s, a dearth of private engineering colleges in the state compelled meritorious students to relocate to other states for higher studies. This caused a massive brain drain, and we had to do something to save our state from losing its academic cream. Bengal was totally oblivious to computers at that time. My elder brother and I realized the immense potential of computer education as we could foresee that the professional life of the new generation would substantially be dependent on the application of computers. After immense toil, we could finally open the first computer training center in our hometown in Chinsurah, Hooghly, and that’s how the Institute of Computer Engineers, India (ICE [I]) was established in 1984.
When we started our journey in the education sector, all we had in mind was, an unbroken determination to make computer literacy accessible to the common man of Bengal. My grit was to be able to cater to the need of the hour, for the youth, for the nation, (and) for the society at large. The foremost factor that inspired me to focus on education as a tool for economic development is, the mission to bring social equality, (and) to ensure (the) upliftment of the socio-economically backward and marginalized communities through the spread of education among the masses. In fact, I believe Edupreneurship is not just a tool for economic development, but is a catalyst for socio-economic development. Edupreneurship addresses local challenges, creates sustainable jobs, and empowers communities on a large scale.
AED: How do you measure the impact of your educational ventures on both individual learners and the wider economy?
Dr. Roychowdhury: Every educational venture has two kinds of impacts – the micro and the macro. To measure the impact, a multi-faceted approach that evaluates both outcomes is necessary. On the micro level, to measure the impact of an educational venture on individual learners, the metrics include skill acquisition, job placement rates, entrepreneurial success, and improvements in career advancement. On the macro level, to measure the impact of an educational venture on the larger economy, the metrics are reductions in unemployment, growth in small businesses, and increased workforce productivity. Keeping in mind certain social indicators like equal access to education and economic disparities, I have always laid more emphasis on the growth of educational ventures in rural and semi-urban areas. Apart from empowering young minds to achieve academic excellence, our schools have contributed to the larger economy by helping the price of adjacent lands to shoot up exponentially and providing a livelihood to at least a thousand people in that particular area.
AED: What role do skills development and workforce readiness play in your approach to edupreneurship, especially in terms of youth employment and local entrepreneurship?
Dr. Roychowdhury: My approach to Edupreneurship consists of a philosophy based on (the) empowerment of youth being the utmost priority, and that is why skill development and workforce readiness, particularly for addressing youth employment and fostering local entrepreneurship, accurately align with it. The backbone of the edu-preneurial philosophy is bridging the skill gap. In all our institutions, the youth is equipped with industry-relevant skills, along with critical thinking and practical training that prepare them for the constantly emerging global job markets. Integration of skill-focused curricula with industry-ready practical learning not only enhances their employability but also cultivates an entrepreneurial mindset. A workforce readiness approach is particularly crucial for fostering local entrepreneurship for the youth, as it empowers them to create new opportunities, driving economic growth within communities.
AED: As an edupreneur, how do you balance the social mission of empowering learners with the need for financial sustainability in your initiatives?
Dr. Roychowdhury: A value-driven innovation, where the social mission of empowering students balances with financial stability in our initiatives works out best. A harmonious equilibrium between the purpose and profitability of an initiative, ensuring both long-term impact and sustainability is always a win-win. By leveraging diversified revenue streams like tiered pricing, partnerships and collaborations, grants, and social impact investments, it is possible to maintain financial stability while keeping education inclusive.
AED: How do you envision the future of edupreneurship in driving long-term economic change in developing countries?
Dr. Roychowdhury: I envision a system that has the power to ignite a movement strong enough to re-imagine education, which in turn will fuel an economic transformation in developing countries. The future of Edupreneurship in driving long-term economic change in developing countries lies in its ability to create a sustainable educational ecosystem that empowers our youth to excel and to envision a world where learning is a lifelong pursuit. Through the integration of technology, innovative pedagogy, and industry-aligned skill development, we will be able to create an ecosystem where the empowered youth become primary agents of economic change.
AED: What motivates you personally to continue your work in edupreneurship, and how do you maintain your passion for education and economic development?
Dr. Roychowdhury: There is no greater joy than getting to see thousands of students passing out of institutions under Techno India Group with flying colors every year, all prepared to chase their vibrant dreams. There have been several instances when I have traveled to many parts of the world, and the alumni of our schools and colleges who have excelled in organizations of global repute, have come up to me, seeking my blessings. I have always believed in a people-centric approach to Edupreneurship. What mattered to me the most forty years ago was people, and even today what matters to me the most is people. What motivates me the most is the transformative power of education to change millions of lives. Every single student has the immense potential to achieve excellence in some field, every student is a ray of hope. Keeping myself surrounded by passionate educators and change-makers, and most importantly young people, energizes me to work on myself as an Edupreneur.
AED: Looking ahead, what are your future goals for your ventures in edupreneurship, and how do you plan to scale the impact on both education and the economy?
Dr. Roychowdhury: Relentless in our pursuit of excellence, Techno India Group is already a name shining bright on the world map. With overseas collaborations, exchange programs, and organizational cross-functioning, there is an array of future plans for expanding the group’s impact on both education and the economy. The educational scenario is constantly changing worldwide, and the evolving industry demands reflect the rapid changes in technology, globalization, and societal needs. We are constantly growing, and unstoppably evolving. The newest feather in the cap of Techno India Group is the Skill Knowledge and Fashion University, Siliguri all set to commence its journey, which happens to be India’s first fashion university, and the first private university in North Bengal. Netaji Subhash University of Sports and Entrepreneurship, one of the newest ventures of the iconic Techno India Group coming up in Hooghly, has been planned to become a full-fledged and systematically equipped Sports University Complex of international standard, the first of its kind in the country. Techno India Group continues to mark its global footprints, empowering young minds to excel.