Mayank Kumar

From education consultant to co-founder of upGrad, and now building a new venture to take skilled Indian talent abroad.

Country: India
Known for: Co-founding upGrad
Industry: EdTech, talent mobility
Education: B.Tech, IIT Delhi; MBA, Indian School of Business

Early career in education

Before upGrad, Mayank Kumar spent his career in education strategy. He worked at the Tata Strategic Management Group, then as a Senior Principal at The Parthenon Group, where he advised education clients on market entry, growth and investment decisions. He later became Vice President of Education at Bertelsmann, the European media and education group, overseeing its education strategy and investments in India and serving on the board of iNurture. By his own account, he was involved in education deals that brought more than a billion dollars into the sector.

Co-founding upGrad

In 2015, Mayank co-founded upGrad with serial entrepreneur Ronnie Screwvala, Phalgun Kompalli and Ravijot Chugh. The idea was to offer working professionals online programmes they could complete without leaving their jobs. As Managing Director, he focused on learning design, university partnerships and finding new areas of growth.

Building credibility for online learning

In a 2017 interview, Mayank named two early hurdles: finding people with experience in a brand-new category, and convincing customers that online education could be credible and engaging. His answer was partnerships with established institutions. By then upGrad had tied up with MICA, IIIT Bangalore, BITS Pilani and the University of Cambridge, and had begun selling to companies as well as individuals. It was aiming to grow from about 2,000 students in four programmes to around 6,000 in ten.

Stepping back from the MD role

In late September 2024, Mayank stepped down as Managing Director of upGrad. He and Chairman Ronnie Screwvala swapped roles, with Screwvala taking a more hands-on position. Mayank said he would stay on as co-founder, director and shareholder, remain active in strategy and continue to represent upGrad at industry forums. Media reports put his stake at about 8% and said it did not change.

A new venture

Alongside his upGrad role, Mayank has been building a new startup focused on helping skilled Indian workers find jobs abroad, starting with healthcare professionals heading to Europe. Reports at the time described him as speaking with investors about the project. He also chairs the FICCI New Education Providers Sub-Committee.

Timeline

2015Co-founds upGrad with Ronnie Screwvala, Phalgun Kompalli and Ravijot Chugh.
2017Named Achiever of the Year at BW Disrupt's 40 Under 40; upGrad reports having raised about $16M.
2020Named a BW Education 40 Under 40 Achiever, as listed by upGrad.
2021upGrad is reported to raise $120M and $210M in funding rounds.
Sept 2024Steps down as Managing Director and swaps roles with Ronnie Screwvala; stays on as co-founder and director.
Oct 2024Reports say he is raising capital for a new venture placing skilled Indian workers abroad.

Recognition

Achiever of the Year, BW Disrupt 40 Under 40 (2017)
BW Education 40 Under 40 Achiever, BusinessWorld (2020)
Chair, FICCI New Education Providers Sub-Committee

The takeaway: in education, partnerships open doors and outcomes keep them open. Mayank's path also shows a founder knowing his strengths: he built upGrad around learning design and alliances, then handed over the operating role to put his energy where it counts most.

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Sources

Written from public information, including Board Stewardship, the upGrad blog, YourStory and BW Disrupt. Further reading: The Times of India and Equilar ExecAtlas. Funding figures and stake sizes are as reported in those sources.