With Deepak Mehrotra joining Byju's group firm Aakash Educational Services Ltd as its managing director and chief executive officer, the company will now address the need of new learners who are more of digital natives.
Unlike digital immigrants who grew up in a world dominated by print and TV, a digital native is someone who has grown up with the internet and other modern technologies. Mehrotra told PTI that his company will look at reaching out to digital natives in the language of their choice by increasing the component of digital in the system at AESL.
However, he said digital alone is not enough to address the requirement of students preparing for high stake examinations. "If a learner that you are talking to is preparing to pick up premiere Indian institutions, be it medical or engineering, it needs long learning. I am completely convinced it cannot be done digitally alone," PTI quoted Mehrotra as saying.
Aakash gets CEO after 7 months
The CEO's position at AESL has been vacant ever since Abhishek Maheshwari left the company in September 2023.
Byju's Founder and Chairman Byju Raveendran said, "As we enter the next phase of growth, it's our pleasure to welcome Deepak to lead Aakash Educational Services Ltd. In his role as CEO, he will be responsible to deliver on our aggressive growth plan and to build on the significant momentum the company is currently experiencing.”
"His business acumen and stellar record as the Managing Director for Pearson India will be pivotal in leading Aakash BYJU'S into its next phase of growth and impact," he added.
Who is Deepak Mehrotra?
Mehrotra who has more than 35 years of served in executive roles has experience across FMCG, telecom and education sectors. Before joining the Byju's firm, he served as the managing director at Ashirvad Pipes. He also held various positions at Pearson India, Bharti Airtel, Coca-Cola, and Asian Paints.
He completed his bachelors in electrical engineering from IIT Roorkee before pursuing an executive program from The Wharton School in Philadelphia.
"I am honoured to join AESL, a pioneer in the education sector, and look forward to working closely with the talented team to deliver quality education and empower students to achieve their full potential," Mehrotra said.
