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Byju Raveendran, founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of embattled ed-tech company BYJU'S, has spoken about his love for teaching, calling it the biggest satisfaction and an "unfinished" dream for him and his wife, Divya Gokulnath, who is the co-founder of the company.
In an interview with ANI, Raveendran referred to pressure to shut down BYJU'S when the company suffered losses and highlighted how a good teacher will never leave his students halfway through. "Suddenly when all investors who were asking us grow, grow, grow, overnight they told that markets are changing, now cut and shut down businesses. I didn't agree for that. The teacher in me stood up and we didn't shut down the businesses. We had to complete the course," he said. Raveendran further shared his and his wife's love for teaching. "I see that even today. My 78-year-old father, when any student asks him something then I can see his eyes lighting up. And that's true for me and for Divya. Teaching is one of the most satisfying jobs and that's where it's an unfinished dream for us." He further noted that education is one segment in which students are "hungry" to learn and the parents are willing to sacrifice "everything" to ensure their kid's education "This is one segment which we should own because students are hungry to learn. Parents want their kids to learn. They'll go to any length, sacrifice everything else to make sure that their kids learn," he said. Speaking about the recent decline of BYJU'S due to financial problems, regulatory issues, and legal battles, Raveendran said that the last two years has strengthened him. "Businesses can fail. Business mistakes can be made. But entrepreneurs, true entrepreneurs, they never fail," Raveendran said. Byju Raveendran also revealed what will be next for his company, Byju's 3.0--with a message rooted in purpose over profit. Raveendran said his focus remains resolutely on students, teachers, and the transformative power of learning. "About Byju's 3.0. I am so excited to talk to you about it because we both don't belong in courtrooms. We belong in classrooms. That's where we belong. And these classrooms, being based out of India, are our biggest advantage. It's a country where there is so much respect for teachers, so much respect for learning." He dispelled notions of personal gain. "I never saw the money come. I never saw it go. We invested everything we had in one mission--BYJU'S. We've invested only in one place in only one mission. We have no other investments. My entire investment is in BYJU'S." Despite setbacks, Raveendran said he believes the responsibility to rebuild lies with him. "The reason why we are not giving up on BYJU'S is because we owe it to the students, teachers, and employees who trusted us. That's why we're not giving up. BYJU's 3.0 will stay true to our original mission," he said. (ANI)
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