Kraftshala, an online skilling platform founded by Varun Satia (Ex-Nestle) and Eshu Sharma (Ex-Unilever) in 2016, has emerged as India's largest marketing jobs-providing edtech platform, backed by investors including Doreswamy Nandkishore and the CEO of Performics. Varun Satia, Founder & CEO, Kraftshala, in an exclusive interview with Bizz Buzz, says through immersive, industry-led training and a commitment to placement accountability, Kraftshala ensures success for its students, boasting an impressive 94 per cent placement rate

How was Kraftshala conceptualised and what inspired its creation?

Kraftshala was conceptualised as an online skilling institution aimed at transforming the educational experience for Indian students on a large scale. Established in 2016, it has become India's largest edtech platform for marketing jobs. Kraftshala is addressing the long-standing issue of employability by emphasizing on practical learning over theoretical knowledge.

This approach is rooted in the belief that effective learning comes from hands-on experience guided by real practitioners. The inspiration for Kraftshala's creation comes from my personal experiences at a top business school in India, where I observed a significant difference between professors with real-world experience and those with purely theoretical backgrounds. This led to Kraftshala's commitment to having industry experts teach and mentor students, ensuring they are prepared to deliver on the jobs from Day 1.

How has Kraftshala evolved since its inception in 2016?

Since our inception in 2016, we have undergone significant evolution. Initially, we focused on training students from top B-schools like IIMs, but we expanded to include beyond the top 50 MBA colleges. However, we recognized that inadequate placement opportunities at the institute’s end didn’t allow students to get value from our programs as well. To rectify this, in 2020, we shifted to full-time Marketing Launchpad programmes where we owned the training as well as the placement process and included very clear placement tangibility.

This accountability-driven approach ensures students secure good jobs or get most of their fees back. With over 1,700 students trained and placed, we have 94 per cent placement rate. We’ve collaborated with major companies like Unilever, P&G, and Nestle for various kinds of initiatives including hiring. Notable investors, including Phanindra Sama (Founder and former CEO at Redbus), Doreswamy Nandkishore (Ex-Head of Asia, Oceania, Africa for Nestlé SA), and Amit Kumar Agarwal (Co-founder and CEO at Nobroker.com), support our growth and impact.

How do Kraftshala's product offerings differ from those of its competitors?

Kraftshala distinguishes itself from its competitors through several key facets. Firstly, it boasts the industry's highest placement record, surpassing larger institutions, and diligently publishes placement reports for all batches, underscoring its dedication to student success. Moreover, Kraftshala implements a selective admission process, prioritizing the employability of its students by turning away applicants deemed unfit for comprehensive training. This focus on placements ensures that all decisions we make in the programme is geared towards that - be it admissions, training, student support etc. Secondly, the programme emphasizes real-world skill development, focusing on both functional and behavioral competencies essential for ensuring our students are ready to deliver on their jobs from Day 1.

Lastly, by maintaining robust relationships with recruiters and adhering to stringent placement criteria, Kraftshala has garnered the trust and loyalty of top companies, who often plan their hiring calendars around Kraftshala graduates. This ensures that our students are getting opportunities from prime companies like GroupM, Publicis, and even brands like Nykaa, Google. In one of our programmes, salaries have touched 17.5L which is given by the world’s largest FMCG company.

In what ways is Kraftshala revolutionizing education through outcome-oriented learning?

Kraftshala has been focused on bridging the gap between degree attainment and employability. The primary job of any educational institution is to provide placements and improve career prospects of its students. Our intensive, specialized programmes, guided by industry practitioners, focus on practical skill development through real-world projects. This ensures graduates are not just knowledgeable but job-ready. Kraftshala's transparency and accountability, evident in published placement reports, set us apart in the industry.

By consistently producing job-ready graduates, we've earned the trust of top recruiters, fostering strong partnerships with prestigious companies. This practice not only enhances our credibility but also pressures competitors to take notice. Our focus on placements prompts students to demand similar results from other institutions. Our emphasis on practical skills and real-world application drives the entire educational ecosystem to meet the genuine demands of young India.

What is the impact of industry-aligned skilling programmes in bridging the gap between education and employability?

Our programmes are crafted with industry input, ensuring curriculum relevance and addressing emerging skill gaps. Without this alignment, educational offerings risk obsolescence, risking the career of its students.

As technology reshapes industries, the imperative for industry-aligned education intensifies. By integrating the latest industry trends, educational institutions can keep graduates competitive and responsive to workforce demands, bolstering economic efficiency and supporting overall growth. Thus, industry alignment isn't just beneficial—it's imperative for educational programs to remain viable and impactful.

How is Kraftshala's Sales and Business Leadership programme transforming sales management education in India?

This programme revolutionises sales management education in India with two significant impacts. Firstly, it elevates the perception of sales as an impactful career, challenging stereotypes and encouraging young professionals to consider it as a rewarding path. Secondly, the programme's practical, hands-on approach, developed in collaboration with leading recruiters like Nestle and Turbohire, immerses students in real-world sales environments.

Unlike traditional classroom-based programmes, participants actively drive sales for major companies, honing practical skills in solving real-time sales and business challenges. This innovative structure and strong industry partnerships result in graduates highly regarded by employers, distinguishing them from conventionally trained peers. Employers value Kraftshala's graduates for their unique and practical experience, making them highly sought after in the job market.

What is Kraftshala's approach to ensuring job placements and restoring trust in the edtech sector?

We rebuild trust in edtech by prioritizing job placements. We enroll students whom we think have a high chance of success, and not anyone and everyone. This builds trust and confidence among students and their families. Moreover, our rigorous programs, coupled with high completion rates, attest to the effectiveness of our curriculum and support systems.

With a clear focus on tangible career outcomes, we underscore our commitment to practical, career-oriented education, ensuring every student is equipped for success in the workforce. Lastly, we build trust through transparency by publishing all our placement reports online. These reports detail the companies that are recruiting our graduates and the salaries they offer. By making this information publicly available, we ensure that all stakeholders, including students, parents, and recruiters, can see the real results of our programs.

How are Kraftshala's programmes crafted with input from top marketing experts to ensure alignment with industry needs?

At Kraftshala, our programs are meticulously crafted with inputs from top marketing experts, ensuring alignment with industry needs. Firstly, our academic teams, boasting extensive industry experience, design the programs, leveraging firsthand knowledge of the marketing landscape. Secondly, we integrate coaching from external experts actively working in sales and marketing roles, providing practical insights and ensuring relevant and updated insights.

Lastly, our recruiting partners, who consistently hire our graduates, offer invaluable feedback on hiring criteria and job requirements. This collaborative approach enables us to swiftly adapt our programs to evolving industry trends, equipping our graduates with the sought-after skills and knowledge.

How is Kraftshala's Hindi Digital Marketing course breaking language barriers for Hindi-speaking job seekers and creating job opportunities for them?

Our first-of-its-kind Digital Marketing Course, Marketing Launchpad - Emerging Talent program, breaks barriers by offering instruction in both Hindi and English. This innovative approach expands job opportunities previously limited to English-proficient individuals, particularly benefiting those in Tier-1 and Tier-2 cities. By empowering non-English speakers with modern digital marketing skills, we aim to instill confidence for success in corporate settings.

Our unique placement accountability feature ensures students' investment aligns with their career outcomes. Unlike conventional courses conducted solely in English, our program levels the playing field, enabling millions of job-seekers to pursue opportunities previously inaccessible due to language barriers. At Kraftshala, we believe in removing obstacles and fostering talent, ensuring everyone has the chance to attain the jobs they deserve, regardless of linguistic proficiency.

What is the vision of Kraftshala's founders, and what are the company's growth prospects?

Our vision at Kraftshala is clear: we want to empower every graduate and working professional to fast-track their career, irrespective of their educational background or institute. Our primary goal is to become the largest institution for placements, starting from India and eventually expanding globally. We've made great progress in marketing and are one of the largest, if not the largest, in terms of placements.

While other institutions may enroll more students, our focus on quality and outcomes sets us apart. We have started our sales program recently and we hope to create a similar kind of impact with that as well. Through these programs and other domains that we launch in the future, we want to become the largest employability driving skilling institution in the world.

Can you share success stories of Kraftshala alumni and their journey from education to high-paying careers in top companies?

Kraftshala's Sales and Business Leadership program transformed Abhishek Nimawat's career trajectory. Despite a background in biology and biotechnology, he ventured into the fitness industry and entrepreneurship but sought a more accelerated path. Opting for Kraftshala over an MBA proved fruitful when he secured a Sales Executive trainee role at Nestle with CTC of 17 LPA. The program's focus on customer-centric solutions and hands-on B2B SaaS & FMCG projects honed Abhishek's skills, enabling him to land the job of his dreams.

Similarly, Badruljamali's journey with Kraftshala's marketing program led to rapid career growth. Dropping out of CA and navigating entrepreneurship during the Covid-19 pandemic, he joined Kraftshala's MLP7 program, mastering digital marketing platforms and human skills. This comprehensive training propelled him to secure a role at Merkle Sokrati, where he quickly realised the value of the training as his understanding of the platforms and ability to strategize surpassed that of his colleagues who had been with the company for 6 months.