Not every day do three leaders from distinct worlds come together to tackle a macro challenge. But that’s exactly how upGrad was born – an India-origin Edtech that has since grown into one of Asia’s largest skilling companies and is now betting big on the UK.
In less than a decade, the company has matured from a bold idea into a global force, helping professionals navigate career shifts and redefining what higher education looks like in the digital age.
From its earliest days, upGrad carved a niche by focusing on real-world skills, mentorship, and practical learning. Today, it connects learners with world-class universities, guides them through life-changing projects, and ensures that professional growth doesn’t require putting life on pause. And through it all, upGrad has maintained one simple ethos: every decision starts with the learner.
Turning ambition into action
Co-founded by Ronnie Screwvala – the first-generation entrepreneur best known for building and later selling media giant UTV to Disney – alongside Mayank Kumar and Phalgun Kompalli, upGrad was born with a singular ambition: to disrupt higher education and ‘forever learning.’ It started with a fully online entrepreneurship course, which dovetailed neatly into India’s Start-up India movement and drew more than 300,000 learners. From there, the company expanded into a university-led portfolio covering everything from data science and product management to digital marketing and the early days of machine learning.
“Since inception, upGrad has remained deeply committed to delivering career outcomes, not just credentials. We’ve learned that strong human handholding makes a measurable difference. Today, we have a dedicated pool of over 5,000 coaches, mentors, and student buddies who actively support learners throughout their journey,” – Harsh Kayathwal, Growth MEA, upGrad.
Today, that seed has grown into a global suite of online / hybrid courses designed for anyone aged 18 to 60+, powered by upGrad’s proprietary tech platform and immersive learning system. What sets the company apart isn’t just its scale – but its ethos. The result is a company with 10 million learners globally that anticipated shifts in the jobs of tomorrow long before they hit the mainstream.
From the very beginning, every learner has been supported by mentors and student buddies, ensuring the right guidance for both academic and non-academic needs. Building on this human-first approach, upGrad also introduced ‘mAI-ask’ – an AI-powered support bot that went live in January 2025 after months of testing. It now handles hundreds of learner interactions daily across courses, providing real-time academic and administrative assistance. With most learners studying late nights or weekends, ‘mAI-ask’ ensures 24/7 continuity and momentum, with around 60% of queries related to coursework and the rest to non-academic needs.
Every course, every mentor interaction, and every alumni engagement is designed to strengthen the learner’s professional ecosystem. This approach reinforced the company’s core belief: education is most effective when it combines knowledge, practice, and relationships.
From India to the world
From the very beginning, upGrad recognised that the need for high-quality, career-focused education was not confined to India. Working professionals everywhere face similar challenges: balancing career growth with learning, gaining skills that matter in fast-evolving industries, and earning credentials that employers respect. Meeting this demand meant thinking beyond borders.
Among international markets, the UK quickly emerged as a strategic priority. With a strong base of working professionals seeking career progression through globally recognised degrees, the UK presented both an opportunity and a challenge: courses had to meet local accreditation standards, align with employer expectations, and suit the schedules of busy learners.
Partnerships with universities like Liverpool Business School enabled learners globally to earn UK-recognised qualifications, while localised curricula and cohort-based delivery ensured the courses remained practical and accessible. Establishing a UK board and hiring local expertise reinforced the commitment to providing education that was truly grounded in the UK professional context, not just an offshore offering. For learners, this meant access to courses that combined global credibility with local relevance, offering a pathway to career advancement without disruption. For upGrad, it was a confirmation that listening closely to learners and adapting to their needs is a formula that works anywhere: whether in India, Vietnam, Middle East, Singapore, the UK, or beyond.
Innovating & evolving every step of the way
Building on this strong B2C / Consumer foundation, the brand is now accelerating Enterprise skilling – equipping global organisations / Fortune 500 brands with future-ready capabilities. Its AI-focused portfolio includes training in Gen AI for software professionals, senior leadership, data storytelling, coding agents, and quality engineering, all delivered through personalised labs and real-world simulations. While B2C democratises access and builds grassroots brand affinity, Enterprise brings high-impact, long-cycle partnerships that anchor our international growth. As the brand continues to expand in Eastern Europe and the UK, Enterprise will be a key lever in deepening industry ties and strengthening our global footprint.
upGrad’s learning platform is a carefully crafted learning ecosystem designed to make the experience seamless, engaging, and practical for working professionals. Every element reflects a deep understanding of what it takes to balance work, life, and study. Asynchronous lectures let learners engage with content on their own schedules, while live sessions create real-time connections with instructors and industry experts. Forums, discussions, and peer reviews maintain a vibrant community even across time zones, ensuring that learners never feel isolated in their journey.
What sets upGrad apart is the constant evolution of the platform. Feedback loops from learners drive continuous improvements, whether it’s new tools for collaboration, better interface design, or smarter ways to track progress. Technology allows reach, but human attention provides depth. Mentors, industry practitioners, and support teams ensure each learner feels seen, guided, and supported throughout.
Microsoft: Closing the AI Skills Gap
Recognising a critical gap in AI skills for working professionals, upGrad sought a partner that could deliver both credibility and cutting-edge expertise. The result: collaborations with industry leaders like Microsoft and AWS to co-create curricula that mirror market shifts. For example, the brand unveiled U&AI Certification with Microsoft helps professionals across domains master prompt engineering and interact effectively with AI tools. In a matter of about 3 months of launch, it recorded over 100,000 paid sign-ups – moving the needle in a big way.
Designed for immediacy and depth, these courses combine hands-on AI projects with mentorship from seasoned industry practitioners. Learners gain skills they can apply immediately, while building confidence to navigate emerging technology roles.
The vision for lifelong learning
upGrad envisions lifelong learning as a continuous process, where education evolves alongside careers, technologies, and industries. The company is expanding its offerings in emerging domains: Artificial Intelligence, FinTech, and Sustainability to anticipate future skill demands. The emphasis remains consistent: learning that is practical, applied, and career transformative. By combining technology, pedagogy, mentorship, and global partnerships, upGrad seeks to empower learners to navigate uncertainty with confidence, agility, and purpose. Higher-ed & skilling, as upGrad’s story demonstrates, is more than knowledge transfer, it is a force for transformation.