At BrilliantRead Media, we always strive to bring meaningful and powerful stories from India and around the world to empower and motivate our growing community. As part of this endeavour, we invited Nayantara Chatterjee for an exclusive interview with us. She is an Entrepreneur, Leader, Mentor, Consultant, Coach, Influencer and Change Enabler. Let’s learn more about her incredible journey, her background, and her advice for our growing community!
Excerpts from our exclusive interview with Nayantara:
We are aware of your contribution to the ecosystem, talk us through your background and your journey as a women entrepreneur, please;
I did my schooling from Sardar Patel Vidyalaya in Delhi. I am grateful that the school nurtured my innate interest in art, music and creativity apart from academics.
I did my graduation in leather design from NIFT Delhi. While I was in my final year in college, interning under a designer, learning the ways of the fashion industry, I had a strong urge to do something different.
I wanted to do something more meaningful, that involved working towards upliftment of the society. I wasn’t sure which direction to take, but I kept looking for alternate opportunities in the apparel, textile and leather industry.”
This was the time when I cleared the interview for a well-known firm in the skill development space who was then doing several projects for the Govt. such as the Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD), Ministry of Textiles etc.
I was hired to develop skill training modules as well as multimedia content for the footwear & garment industry. This was the first time I started to learn & work on outcome or competency-based training. My project involved training of the unemployed youth on industry specific skill sets, that would enable them to get jobs.
I spent the next 10 years working extensively in the vocational skill development space, upgrading my own knowledge and skill set in the process. My work took me to diverse regions of the Country, visiting training centres, industries, schools, Govt. and Private institutes implementing skill develop-ment programs, giving me a 360-degree view of the TVET (Technical Vocation Education & Training) sector in our Country.”
Amongst many learnings, I had the realization that capacity building of key stakeholders such as policymakers, master trainers, teachers, assessors and industry partners would be crucial, to develop and strengthen the skill eco-system in our nation. Another important aspect where I strongly felt I could contribute was the ‘attitude’ or ‘behavioural’ skill sets. This is often termed as ‘soft skills’ in the TVET language and is as important as any technical skill in the industry.
In 2020, I finally took the call to start my own start-up in the skill development and education space. I established Vidyadhara Consultancy to work on the expansive vision I gained through my work experience in training, assessment, research and occupational standards development.
I co-founded the Company with Ravi Sharma who is also a highly qualified & experienced professional in the apparel, skill development and competency-based training & assessment sector.
Overall, my journey so far as a woman entrepreneur has been both challenging as well as highly rewarding, enriching and satisfying.
What attracts you towards entrepreneurship instead of a corporate career?
I already gained the experience of having a stable corporate career and I felt it was time for me to try something new through which I could learn & grow further.
I also understood that entrepreneurship is not about fulfilling an individual’s personal dreams and desires, but rather about innovating and design solutions that support to achieve a larger goal for people.
There is often a danger of becoming egoic about one’s professional achievements being an entrepreneur, therefore I have to be mindful of it. Sometimes it is needed to project and highlight the Company’s achievements and founder’s experience etc. to showcase the startup’s credibility.”
I enjoy the process; it is like a Self-Awareness exercise each day at work. I cherish the freedom I have in decision making and it also means having greater responsibility towards every decision. I have to think as a whole, and not just ‘my part’, with clarity and focus. These skill sets I’m able to hone through entrepreneurship.
‘Vidyadhara Consultancy LLP’ is such a unique name; talk us through more about it, please. Our audience would also love to know what kind of problem you are solving?
In Sanskrit, ‘Vidya’ means knowledge and ‘Dhara’ means constant flow or stream. Thus, Vidyadhara means ‘A stream of Knowledge’.
True to its name, Vidyadhara provides new-age learning & assessment solutions in the skills and education sector.
Vidyadhara’s innovative training delivery method ensures that the participants not only achieve the predefined learning outcomes but also create a learning habit, be more self-reliant and continue to grow in the chosen profession. This kind of attitudinal training in-grained and embedded in each of Vidyadhara’s services is the key innovation that is being provided. The testimonials and feedback of the learners post-training workshops is the evidence of success of Vidyadhara’s unique training pedagogy.
Another uniqueness and innovation of Vidyadhara’s services is how it makes use of India’s ancient learning heritage such as the learning frameworks which have been followed in the ancient universities of Taxila and Nalanda. Vidyadhara makes use of this vast body of knowledge and teaching-learning methods for the contemporary audience – teachers, students and professionals. Thus, also supporting our Country to become a knowledge & skill Capital of the world through its services.
Problems/Pain points Vidyadhara is addressing:
– Industries consistently pointing out the employability skills gap in graduates, however, educational institutions are not prepared to bridge the gap.
– Consistent need for upskilling & re-skilling. More than 1 billion people to be reskilled by 2030 to meet the talent demands of Industrial Revolution 4.0 (source: wef 2020)
– Lack of trained teachers/trainers to execute outcome-based learning as per NEP 2020. Most of the Educational Institutes are still following input-based learning methodology.
Government & a few CSR skill initiatives are trying to address the above points, however the same are not enough to cover India’s large demographic dividend.
In addition to the above Vidyadhara is also focusing on developing future skills such as creative & critical thinking, listening skills, value-based leadership and advanced communication skills.
What does your company specialise in?
Vidyadhara specializes in providing outcome or competency-based training and assessments for skilling, reskilling and up-skilling.
Some of the services provided by Vidyadhara include:
• Industry Training – Technical & Soft Skills, Professional Skills
• Training of Teachers, Trainers and Assessors in the TVET sector
• Training of Corporates – Middle & Senior Management Upskilling
• Training in Schools – Leadership, Entrepreneurship & Future Skills
• Skill Assessments – Online and Offline
Vidyadhara’s programmes have already been accessed by students and professionals from more than 15 Countries and within India, 20 states. Considering the registrations for upcoming programmes as well as the expansion of Vidyadhara’s trainers pool, more than 2.5 million people are expected to be up-skilled by Vidyadhara’s knowledge training and assessment initiatives.
Vidyadhara has a clear strategy when it comes to scaling up with quality – it is not only through technology but also through its strong trainers pool and in-depth knowledge bank.
Vidyadhara’s programs are 100% experiential learning focused and are also aligned with the NSQF (National Skills Qualifications Framework).
How do you manage to keep going despite the challenges? What drives you?
When I see that the work being done through Vidyadhara is helping employers, employees, students and teachers to achieve greater heights in their respective fields, it re-inspires me to stay steady in my entrepreneurial journey.
I meditate regularly, which helps me to stay calm and think clearly during challenging times. It also offers me intuitive direction in terms of micro and macro-level decisions.”
Any new initiative will have ups and downs and many unforeseen challenges, but I take that as a learning curve; an opportunity offered by life to mature in my profession and be an example that I would like to see.
What are some of the strategies that you believe have helped you grow as a person?
Listing below my top strategies that have helped me grow as a person:
1) Meditation & Yoga
2) Listening deeply & with empathy
3) Working with clarity, sincerity and truthfulness
4) Reading inspiring books such as the ‘Autobiography of a Yogi’
5) Accepting changes with a positive attitude
6) Being with inspiring people
In your opinion what are the keys to success?
Before sharing the ‘keys’, I would like to share that it’s important for us to first understand what true success means.
I believe true success is about complete well-being – physical, mental and spiritual. It is about finding freedom & joy within and living an inspiring life.
Here are some of the important keys to success:
1) Have a clear goal basis your life purpose
2) Be as simple as you can be
3) Work with joy
4) Do everything with deep relaxation, focus & concentration
5) Differentiate between knowledge & wisdom. Wisdom is more important.
6) Try to relate to the realities of others
7) Be open to learning & growing – there’s no failure, only more learning!
What advice would you give students and young professionals who want to have a successful career?
Introspect first on what value can you add with your current skill set and expertise. Where do you think can you truly contribute? It’s important to be very truthful here in order to avoid taking up whatever comes your way, rather than making conscious and informed career choices.
Keep upgrading your skill sets, not to compete, but to excel. Having a good attitude is very important. All long-lasting professional relationships will be largely based on the way you treat people. Be truthful and sincere, people will know you then for who you are. Your work will speak for itself.
Last but not least, what are the three most important lessons you have learned in your life?
1) Life can be experienced, not always ‘grasped’. Be open to it and be grateful for it.
2) “Yato Dharma Tato Jaya” (from the Bhagavad Gita) – where there is righteousness, there is victory
BrilliantRead is committed to bringing stories from the startup ecosystem, stories that reshape our perspective, add value to our community and be a constant source of motivation not just for our community but also for the whole ecosystem of entrepreneurs and aspiring individuals.
Note: If you have a similar story to share with our audience and would like to be featured on our online magazine, then please write to us at [email protected], we will review your story and extend an invitation to feature if it is worth publishing.
