“You need to be restless, because you don’t have a choice”.

Those are words you expect to hear from a 30-something tech founder building a ChatGPT-powered neo startup.

But Ronnie Screwvala, whose voice you just heard, is 67. And trust me when I say this, I haven’t seen many 30-something founders who are as restless, ambitious and driven as he is.

Ronnie is the chairperson and co-founder of upGrad, an online higher education company last valued at over $2.2 billion. He insists, emphatically, that upGrad is neither a startup nor an edtech.

“Edtech”, he says, was “a parlance invented by people who wanted to go out raise money, and VCs who liked the word Tech as it was the flavour for the last five years to invest in.”

Instead, he says, he tells the 5000+ employees who work at upGrad to have faith that they’re going to build something really valuable over the next 5-10 years. And that you cannot have report cards on companies measured over six months or a year.

But that’s not all Screwvala does.

He co-founded Swades Foundation, a philanthropic organisation that works across 2000 villages in Maharashtra.

He runs RSVP Movies, a film production company. And much more.

Stay with me for a wonderful conversation with Ronnie Screwvala about ambition, organisation building, online education and long-term thinking.

Full Episode Transcript:

(02:53)

Rohin Dharmakumar

Ronnie, it’s very hard for me to put an easy definition around everything that you’re involved with. There’s upGrad, Unilazer Ventures, Swades, RSVP, which is a media production house, and there’s other things as well.

So I will ask you to tell me what all are the areas where Ronnie Screwvala, the entrepreneur, is involved in.

Ronnie Screwvala

Two common themes since you’re looking for a common theme and a hook. 

One is impact. Second is enjoyment and joy at work. And third is just a deep penetration and being involved. I want to roll up my sleeves and do that.

So to simplify that, I think I don’t normally break up my day and you say, “ What does a typical day look like?” It doesn’t.

But, ‘What does a typical week look like?’ I think a fair part of my time right now is to push the envelope, open the market, and disrupt the learning, skilling, and workforce development market around the world.

Swades, for people who actually think this has only been the last 10 years, I started the foundation along with my wife in my 20s.