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The art of setting things right

From a child who was goaded to excel, to an entrepreneur who initiated e-learning, a person with interests in instruments, to a philanthropist who does his bit towards society, Karthik KS, Founder & CEO, 24x7 Learning, in conversation with Renuka Vembu

‘It is all about setting things right. Rate everything and try and better it’—this is the philosophy Karthik KS learnt from his father—one of the most important principles of life, which has helped him right through the course of his career as well. Motivation, inspiration and encouragement to perform to the best of his capability, coupled with strict disciplinarian guidelines were some of his father’s virtues, which were drilled into him. These helped him excel in studies as also balance it out and be a champion of all competitions. Karthik was born in the steel city of Durgapur, where his father was a public servant with SAIL.

Starting off his schooling in the convent medium, St Xavier’s School, Durgapur, mechanical engineering from the presently renamed National Institute of Technology, Kurukshetra, Haryana and then Business Management from Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, New Delhi, Karthik’s journey has been simplistic enough, but the creative sparks that translated into remarkable achievements speak of his indigenous potent and talent.

The birth of an entrepreneur

Karthik’s career path took the designed route map as campus placement took him to a manufacturing setup company called PCL-Altos. But soon enough he realized that business fascinated him more than the machine sounds and oil smells. Doing the same job day in and day out without scope for any ingenious impetus did not sustain the interest in him long enough.

Nine months later, in 1988, Karthik joined HCL Hewlett Packard with a cut in pay due to a change in the line of pursuance. Later, with over a decade of combined experience as a senior sales executive in Toyota, Oman, and then as a Geo Head, South India, for the Education Services Division in Microland, ESD, Chennai, Karthik was finally fully ready and geared up to take charge of his dream of becoming an entrepreneur.

Success in e-learning space

On his career learnings, he stated, “From then on, I gained experience in business development, operations, and strategy. I was sure that I would be an entrepreneur some day. The flow of life delayed the process however I definitely got into it when the stars got aligned.” In lines of pursuing his entrepreneurial dreams, in 2002, he started an e-learning company called 24x7 Learning and holds the stupendous credit of training over five lakh people across 25 countries. His ambition lies in making it the largest education company from the present largest e-learning implementation company in India.

But ask Karthik on how the idea germinated and his answer sounds simplistic enough just as the person he is, “Entrepreneurship is in me. So I am not sure how I can answer that. If not entrepreneurship in some other circumstances I could have been hawking pav bhaji, but then still I would have been an entrepreneur. Why e-learning? That is how life took a turn. In my last employment I was the Geo Head in an education company and I saw this opportunity unfolding in India in the area of technology enabled learning. Also, I did foresee that education was the future wave in India.”

He now leads the company’s efforts to capitalizing on long-term growth and strengthening its presence in key markets ranging from enterprises to vertical industries. A keen eye for talent, a motivator and good leader, a team builder and an active participant, a person with an exceptional ability to make others visualize as well, uncompromising on productivity and quality, a passionate employee, and a perfect boss, are the various qualities that his peers, colleagues and subordinates find worthy in him.

Karthik stays in a large family with his parents and niece. His 12-year-old daughter Ruchya, meaning “graceful”, indeed dances gracefully. Kanishth, his younger son, aged eight, Karthik feels is the young shy scientist. During his schooling days, he was involved in playing football, the tabla and in dramatics. He took this interest forward and Karthik is now a diploma holder in tabla from Prayag University. He plays all percussion instruments and also writes business articles. He, along with his friends, has also set up Tvesha, an NGO, with an objective to educate children who otherwise would not get quality education. He spends his time on weekends and becomes a trainer there. He has also appointed some of his old students there in Tvesha as teachers who in turn teach the younger children. Currently, the NGO has about 120 children enrolled.

renuka.vembu@expressindia.com