Rocket Learning’s Origin Story
Left to Right: Azeez Gupta, Namya Mahajan, Siddhant Sachdeva, Utsav Kheria, Vishal Sunil
India, a booming nation of 1.4 billion, faces a big challenge and a massive opportunity: stimulating and educating children from birth to 6 years of age. If children lack stimulation in the early years, their brains and bodies are left stunted for life.
Five passionate changemakers who believe in the potential of every child, regardless of background, and know education is the key to unlocking opportunity, founded Rocket Learning in 2020. Together, we created a theory of change that is sustainable, community-driven, and centered around people with lived experiences.
Their diverse paths converged on a common purpose: revolutionizing early childhood development. Vishal, a tech wizard, believed in digital solutions for real-world problems. Siddhant, inspired by his mother’s Early Childhood Education Centre, brought data-driven impact and systems thinking. Utsav realized the need for foundational skills and that early intervention was vital. Namya and Azeez, both social sector leaders, saw the power of nurturing adults from the community as the first teachers.
Collaboration was their compass in searching for the best solution. Video conferencing was prevalent in privileged circles but wouldn’t reach their target audience. They needed something accessible, familiar, and impactful to create collaborative system-wide change. So, they embraced a “bias for action” approach, leveraging the system to create bite-sized learning nuggets delivered on the ubiquitous WhatsApp platform. They follow data over dogma: Every experiment, every tweak, gets laid bare, fostering trust and collaboration internally and with our partners.
They also knew that tech would work best when rooted in a real-world community. They needed partners with deep roots in the community. Enter India’s Anganwadi network, the world’s most extensive publically-funded preschool system. They have become Rocket Learning’s first-line ambassadors, weaving a proactive network of early childhood education, ensuring every child in their care has the chance to thrive.
Diversity is their secret weapon. They don’t just work in communities but are a part of them. They sit with parents in their homes, huddle with Anganwadi workers, and trade data-driven stories with policymakers. Their insights ensure that the model never feels imposed but woven into the very fabric of the communities we serve.
Rocket Learning makes parents and frontline workers early education champions by giving them tools, resources, and most importantly, a voice. They are not just recipients but co-creators, shaping their children’s learning journey with their hands.
Today, over 2.5 million children across ten states are experiencing Rocket Learning’s transformative impact. Their scores are soaring; their potential is igniting. And this is just the beginning of Rocket Learning’s story. With strategic innovation, action, and an unwavering belief in the power of communities, they are collectively building a brighter future for India, one child, one shared learning experience at a time.