One of the leading Online Higher Education Companies in India, engaged in making Online Degrees Mainstream.

Siddharth Banerjee, CEO, UNIVO Education, is driving India’s online higher education revolution. With a rich global leadership background, he is making online degrees mainstream, accessible, and industry-aligned.

In this conversation with The CEO Magazine, he shares UNIVO’s journey, his leadership philosophy, and how the company is shaping the future of higher education in India and beyond.

TCM: Could you give us an overview of UNIVO Education’s journey so far and the role it is playing in shaping India’s higher education ecosystem?

Mr. Banerjee: UNIVO’s mission is to democratize online higher education by breaking socio-economic and geographic barriers through technology and partnerships. At UNIVO, we partner with the leading universities to responsibly scale their online degree programs, providing end-to-end advisory and facilitative services across program planning, academic support, industry alignment, technology enablement, and content development, so institutions can deliver high-quality, industry and career-relevant online degree programs for learners and professionals worldwide. We also facilitate collaborations between industry leaders (such as HCLTech, TCS iON, and KPMG) and partner universities, creating specialised degree programs in emerging fields like AI, Cyber Security, Data Analytics, ML, and many more, ensuring learners graduate with degrees and real-world, industry-aligned skills. Our rigorous approach includes real-world projects, capstone projects, industry visits, mentorship, and employability skills. Innovations remain our strength. India’s first Virtual AI Professor, built on OpenAI architecture for our anchor university partner, set a new standard in personalized learner engagements & academic support. Building a positive force in the higher education ecosystem, UNIVO has grown from INR 50 Crs in FY23 to INR 250+ Crs in FY25, demonstrating our ability to scale responsibly while driving impact and enabling partner universities to enroll 1.6 Lacs+ learners from 115+ countries. Recent Milestone – we were ranked 4th in TIME World’s Top Ed-tech Rising Stars 2025 and continue to be a positive force in the Indian education ecosystem.

TCM: You’ve led global roles across Unilever, Vodafone, Facebook, Pearson, and Games24x7 before taking charge at UNIVO. What motivated you to step into the online higher education space?

Mr. Banerjee: Across my 25 years of consumer tech experience, I have been deeply immersed in how technology and innovation can reshape industries and unlock new business opportunities. My role at Univo allows me to accomplish 3 key themes – firstly, contribute to Nation Building - at present, India’s Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) in Higher Education is around 28% where the Government has articulated a goal of 50% GER by 2035 to support the 2047 "Viksit Bharat" vision. I believe that online education, and UNIVO in particular, will play a major role in achieving this. Secondly, leading UNIVO is about making a meaningful difference to learners and empowering working professionals, first-gen graduates, women, and entrepreneurs to get career-ready and high-quality learning experiences via Online Degrees from our Partner Universities. And thirdly, it is my shared ambition with my UNIVO team, to build one of India’s most sustainable and respected Online Higher Education companies in the Indian Education Ecosystem.

TCM: Having spearheaded digital transformations across industries, what parallels do you see between your past experiences and the transformation you are leading at UNIVO?

Mr. Banerjee: I have had the opportunity to work across diverse industries in renowned organizations with exceptional leaders and colleagues across India and emerging markets. My career has connected three core strengths: consumer technology, category leadership, and building winning teams. My role at UNIVO allows me to leverage these strengths to help build India’s most sustainable and respected online higher education company. Over the past three years, we have made significant strides in our mission, and today, UNIVO is one of the leading online higher education companies in India with possibly one of India’s best teams , dedicated to helping lifelong learners.

TCM: In your view, what are the biggest challenges facing online higher education in India today, and how is UNIVO addressing them?

Mr. Banerjee: Access to quality education remains the biggest challenge in Higher Education in India. Learners increasingly seek not just theory but practical and problem-solving skills through experiential learning to build knowledge and be employable. UNIVO addresses these challenges through partnerships with top universities to offer accredited, flexible, affordable, and industry-aligned Online Degree programs. At UNIVO, our mission is to democratize online higher education by enabling leading universities to offer online degrees, which provide quality outcomes alongside flexibility, convenience, and affordability.

TCM: As the former Chairman of the CII Education Committee, how do you think government, universities, and companies like UNIVO can collaborate more effectively to strengthen higher education in India?

Mr. Banerjee: Effective collaboration between the government, universities, and companies like UNIVO is essential to strengthening higher education ecosystem in India to realize the GER Goal of 50%. The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 provides a framework for collaboration, where it introduces valuable reforms and emphasizes career preparation and employability to meet the demands of the global knowledge economy. At UNIVO, we work deeply with universities to help design industry-relevant, accredited courses and use technology to make learning hyper-personalized and accessible to learners throughout the country. From the government, we require continued positive policy measures to make learning accessible to all. By combining technology and industry innovation with the academic expertise of universities and the positive policies of the government, we aim to democratize higher education via high quality Online Degrees and create millions of career ready learners over the next few decades, working with our University Partners.

TCM: You’ve worked extensively across the globe from Asia and Africa to Latin America. How has this global exposure shaped your leadership philosophy at UNIVO?

Mr. Banerjee: Well, my global experiences have provided me with a rich exposure to countries, categories and consumers, enabling me to see connections and business opportunities across cultures and categories. In India, making online degrees mainstream is a significant opportunity that many industry players have overlooked, given that Online Degrees are a well-accepted category in many countries globally. This pioneering approach is central to UNIVO’s strategy, and our growth playbook is now among the best in the country. This approach has led to fruitful partnerships with forward-thinking universities like Amity University Online, and collaborations with leading corporate organizations to build employability pathways for learners. I am delighted that our energizing mission and sustained efforts are yielding results with learners, clients, and the wider world. Finally, my global experience has taught me a leadership approach that prioritizes teamwork, creativity, and diversity, allowing UNIVO to not just democratize online higher education in India but also equip learners with the tools and technologies to succeed in a world that is becoming more and more connected.

TCM: Technology like AI is rapidly entering the education sector. How do you see it redefining the student learning experience in the next decade?

Mr. Banerjee: AI is transforming education and will redefine student learning in the next decade. UNIVO is building an AI-ready ecosystem to make learning adaptive, personalized, immersive, and career-focused. A key innovation is Professor AMI, India’s first AI-powered 24/7 virtual assistant, launched in 2023 and now upgraded to Prof. AMI 2.0, a Socratic Virtual Assistant offering personalized course-specific support, working closely with our key University Partner. UNIVO has also worked with our University Partner and key digital partners to co-build an AI-powered Career Services Platform with about 100,000 job listings, intelligent resume builder, and simulated interviews. As technology evolves, we continue to build AI use cases across the entire value chain at Univo.

TCM: Looking ahead, what is your long-term vision for UNIVO Education and its impact on learners and universities by 2030?

Mr. Banerjee: As India emerges as one of the top three global economies, our growing young population will require high-quality education and employability solutions. UNIVO Education's vision is to become a transformative force in the higher education ecosystem by bridging the gap between quality and access. Our long-term goal is to democratize online higher education and make it accessible, affordable and aligned with industry needs. In higher education, we must focus on increasing our Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) from the current 28% to 50% by 2035 to support our journey towards “Viksit Bharat”. In partnership with future-ready universities, our mission is to democratize online higher education by enabling universities to offer online degrees, which provide quality outcomes alongside flexibility, convenience, and affordability. 

TCM: Finally, what advice would you share with young professionals who aspire to build careers that span multiple industries, as you have?

Mr. Banerjee: Three words – DISRUPT YOURSELF CONTINUOUSLY. The advice I will share with young professionals is to embrace curiosity, adaptability and a learning mindset. Having worked across diverse industries, I have learnt that every industry and market has something to offer and has its own unique dynamics, and success comes when you observe consumers closely, listen actively and are willing to learn continuously. Focus on building strong skill-sets that are transferable, such as problem-solving or understanding of business levers. Be willing to step out of your comfort zone to explore roles and careers that challenge your perspective. Building a strong professional network and learning from your mentors across industries will provide you with valuable insights and compound your learnings. Finally, take advantage of each opportunity you experience with purpose and a long-term mindset. In my experience with UNIVO, I have found that when you create a connection between your professional skills and being mission-driven rather than solely seeking titles or money, you create can create positive outcomes and long-term impact.