Ajay Gupta, despite being diagnosed with 70% locomotive disability at just nine months old, has defied all odds to become a successful serial entrepreneur and a prominent advocate for disability rights. The 53-year-old’s resilience, determination, and unwavering commitment to his aspirations have propelled him towards remarkable achievements.
He established his organisation S.K. Educations Private Limited in the year 1999. He is the founder of ‘Bachpan’ play schools and ‘Academic Heights Public School’ chain, and co-founded Rishihood University and Must and More Diagnostic Centre.
Ajay Gupta is also the co-founder of Prismart Productions. It must be stated that all his successes, forward-thinking, and innovation are not limited to education and technology. He also ventured into health-care with Must & More Diagnostic Centre.
Today, he not only manages thriving businesses across various sectors but has also founded ‘HHK’ (Hum Honge Kamyab), an NGO to empower those facing disabilities and promote inclusivity within society.
Education
Unlike other children, Gupta went to school for the first time at the age of six years. Gupta’s family never came across any school that ran exclusively for the specially-abled. So Gupta went on to complete his primary education at Rajkiya Madhyamik Bal Vidyalaya in Delhi.
He moved to Ramjas School for his senior secondary studies after years of painstaking routine. From childhood through adolescence, Gupta closely observed the educational and awareness deficits in society. The challenges he discovered as a student became an inspiration for him and he later executed the plans through his ventures like Rishihood University and ‘Hum Honge Kamyab’.
Entrepreneurial success
Gupta’s entrepreneurial journey has been marked by triumphs across various sectors, with notable ventures in education, technology, and healthcare. His astute business acumen and innovative mindset have earned him recognition as a serial entrepreneur. It all began in 2004 with the establishment of Bachpan, a play school wing that rapidly expanded into a chain of 1100+ franchises.
In 2009, Gupta went on to establish AHPS (Academic Heights Public School), a formal school chain with a modern K-12 curriculum and over 100+ franchises. Demonstrating his commitment to holistic education, Gupta recently inaugurated Rishihood University, which focuses on areas such as healthcare, creativity, design, art, and education.
Alongside his educational ventures, Gupta founded Prismart, a company that develops smart education tools catering to the needs of students at Bachpan, AHPS, and beyond.
In 2013, Gupta started ‘Must & More’, a multi-speciality diagnostic centre with two active centres in Delhi, providing quality diagnostics and expert pathologists.
While talking about the pivotal experience that motivated him to establish a diverse range of ventures in education, technology, and healthcare, Gupta said, “When I was looking for a pre-primary school for my daughter, I came face to face with the gap that existed in the segment. There was not a single pre-primary school that had a systematic curriculum and used modern methods of teaching and learning to fulfil these aspirations for our youngest generation. So, that was a moment of realisation for me, which ultimately led me to establish ‘Bachpan’ play school (in 2004).
“One thing led me to another, expanding upon the objective that ‘Bachpan’ set out with and setting the whole path for students that took care of their overall well-being,” he told Patriot.
Founding HHK
With a deep-rooted commitment to benefiting society and creating a more inclusive world, Gupta founded the NGO ‘HHK’. This organisation is dedicated to empowering disability rights and fostering an environment of inclusivity for people with disabilities. Through HHK, Gupta seeks to break down barriers, amplify voices of the disabled, and work towards eradicating the stigma and discrimination faced by individuals with disabilities.
““Being a person with a disability my self (70% locomotive disability, to be precise), I am intimately familiar with the challenges that PwDs (people with disabilities) face in this society that is yet to be accessible and inclusive. So, instead of complaining about it, I felt it to be my duty to do whatever I could do in my power and bridge the gap for PwDs in India. That’s the reason I founded Hum Honge Kamyab Foundation,” Gupta said.
Gupta’s enduring vision is to transform society into one that embraces diversity and empowers individuals of all abilities. Through his entrepreneurial endeavours, involvement with HHK, and unwavering determination, he serves as an inspiration to many, proving that one’s physical condition should never limit their potential for success.
Accolades and recognition
Known for his modesty and reluctance to seek public recognition, Gupta has recently begun to receive accolades for his achievements.
Over the past two years, he has been honoured with two awards. In 2019, Gupta was bestowed with the Kailashpat Singhania Award, recognising his contributions and accomplishments. More recently, in 2021, he was honoured as the Edupreneur of the Year at the Global Choice Awards, a testament to his innovative and transformative impact in the field of education. These awards serve as symbols of recognition for Gupta’s outstanding work and inspire him to continue making a positive difference in the lives of others.
Journey as an author
With the thought of giving back to society for what he learned in his 36 years of business experience, Gupta wrote a book named Decoding Business Minds. He has tried to cover all his experiences and learning and present it to budding entrepreneurs for guidance and motivation.
Decoding Business Minds became Amazon’s bestseller on the day of its release on January 5,2021.
Gupta believes that rather than hindering the entrepreneurial journey, his disability has continuously catalysed his growth.
“It has equipped me with a different perspective and made me resilient enough to keep moving towards my goals. I would advise every individual facing such challenges to embrace their uniqueness in place of fighting against their own selves, since when they do so, their disabilities do not remain disabilities but become stepping stones,” Gupta said.
