“It’s like having a career coach at your fingertips” NextLeap

Founded in 2021, NextLeap is an AI-powered, outcome-driven learning platform offering fellowships in Product Management, UX Design, and Software Engineering. With over 1,000 successful job placements and a thriving alumni network of 16,000+, the company combines hands-on learning, mentorship, and behavioral science to cultivate lasting learner habits.

India Business & Trade (IBT) caught up with Arindam Mukherjee, Co-Founder and CEO of NextLeap, to explore how AI is transforming career readiness, what differentiates NextLeap’s innovative model, and how personalized, affordable education can help unlock India’s demographic dividend and shape the future of its workforce.

IBT: What inspired you to start NextLeap, and what key gaps in the ed-tech industry were you aiming to address?

Arindam Mukherjee: Mohammad Yasir and I were in leadership roles at Flipkart and Myntra, where we experienced first-hand the challenges of hiring good talent to build our teams. It became evident that academia hadn’t kept pace with the rapid evolution of the technology sector. Even candidates from top institutes often lacked the skills required for emerging roles such as Product Management, UX Design, Data Science, and Mobile Engineering.

We were deeply motivated to address this issue, fully aware of the impact it could have on a growing economy like ours. Our research highlighted several key gaps in the current ed-tech landscape. Most courses prioritized teaching and content delivery over actual student learning, resulting in limited real-world outcomes. Additionally, many programs were prohibitively expensive, further restricting their accessibility and impact.

NextLeap was founded with a sharp focus on improving learning outcomes and ensuring affordability, aiming to make meaningful, career-ready education accessible to more people.

IBT: NextLeap’s AI-driven, learning approach makes education more accessible. How does this enhance engagement and outcomes for students?

Arindam Mukherjee: At NextLeap, AI is seamlessly integrated into the learning experience, bringing us closer to truly personalized education. Learners can test their understanding of concepts with an AI tutor, debug code using our AI Coding CoPilot, enhance their resumes with the AI Resume Analyser, and even practice mock interviews with our AI Interviewer. Beyond these tools, we leverage AI to analyze learner activity and identify areas where they may be struggling—allowing us to deliver targeted interventions that improve learning outcomes. Additionally, many operational tasks, such as personalized learner communications, are automated through AI, enabling us to run efficiently with a lean team.

IBT: Your fellowships in Product Management, UX Design, and Software Engineering have helped early professionals land roles in top tech firms. What makes your training model so effective?

Arindam Mukherjee: Learning is not the result of teaching alone—it stems from the active engagement of the learner. Traditional edtech has primarily focused on delivering theoretical knowledge through curated content. However, the outcomes have often fallen short due to a lack of emphasis on the actual learning experience and learner activity. At NextLeap, we’ve designed our programs with a deep understanding of how adults learn—combining hands-on, practical learning with peer interaction and ongoing mentorship. This learner-first approach has led to over 1,000 success stories, with our students securing roles in Product Management, UX Design, and Data Analytics.

IBT: You’ve introduced AI-powered tools like a generative resume builder. How do you see AI shaping the future of career preparation and job placements?

Arindam Mukherjee: One of the most transformative impacts AI is expected to have in this space is providing on-demand guidance and feedback—something that was often out of reach for candidates in the past. Whether it’s exploring career paths, crafting tailored resumes, practicing mock interviews, or researching companies before interviews, AI can offer personalized support at every step. It’s like having a career coach at your fingertips—one that understands your context and offers relevant, timely guidance.

IBT: Since launching in 2021 2023, what have been the biggest challenges and milestones in your journey to revolutionize personalized learning?

Arindam Mukherjee: Learning is fundamentally a motivation problem. To drive real impact in this space, it’s essential to deeply understand behavioural science—because changing learner habits and mindsets is no different from encouraging healthier lifestyles. As with health, the biggest challenge lies in helping individuals build and sustain good habits. At NextLeap, we’re committed to this journey—making learning not just effective, but enjoyable by fostering those habits over time.

Over the past four years, we’ve achieved several meaningful milestones, but two stand out. The first was crossing 1,000 student placements in early 2024—a clear validation of the positive impact we’re making in the ecosystem. The second came just last month, when we completed one full year of being net profitable. This was particularly significant, as it reinforced our belief that—unlike much of the edtech narrative so far—it is possible to build a scalable, impactful, and profitable business in this space.

IBT: NextLeap was named one of the Top 100 EdTech Startups in South Asia, with strong job placements at leading companies. What differentiates your curriculum and mentorship in driving such successful career transitions?

Arindam Mukherjee: More than just the curriculum or mentorship, we believe our impact lies in how we’ve designed the entire learning experience—right from enrollment to graduation. Our approach intentionally pushes students out of their comfort zones and into the learning zone, using a hands-on, socially driven pedagogy. This helps them actively develop critical thinking and collaboration skills.

What truly reinforces this journey is the strong feedback and support system that surrounds every learner. Students receive ongoing input from mentors, peers, and our vibrant community of over 16,000 NextLeap alumni. Together, this ecosystem builds their confidence, sharpens their skills, and empowers them to grow.

IBT: How do you see government policies and initiatives in India impacting the growth of ed-tech companies, and what role can the government play in further fostering innovation in this space?

Arindam Mukherjee: First, there is value in developing a skills taxonomy for new-age roles to establish a baseline of standardization in skills training. Second, the government should actively promote stronger collaboration between industry and academia to help bridge the growing gap in college education. Third, to truly harness the potential of India’s demographic dividend, our investment in education must move closer to the target of 6–7% of GDP, up from the current ~3%. Education is a long-term investment, and it’s crucial that we approach it with that perspective.