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Amitabh Kant joins upGrad board to drive global growth
MUMBAI: upGrad has added heavyweight strategic muscle to its leadership with the appointment of Amitabh Kant as independent non-executive director. The former G20 Sherpa and ex-CEO of Niti Aayog joins the board as the company gears up for an ambitious phase of global expansion and deeper alignment with India’s Viksit Bharat skilling mission.
One of the country’s most respected reformers, Kant has been instrumental in shaping national initiatives such as Make in India, Startup India, Incredible India and the Delhi–Mumbai Industrial Corridor. During India’s G20 presidency, he played a central role in building global consensus on key economic and developmental priorities. His decades-long experience across digital governance, sustainability, innovation and public–private partnerships is expected to give upGrad’s global push a sharp strategic edge.
Kant said India must power ahead with modern skilling. He noted that upGrad’s work with universities and companies is creating a strong talent pipeline for both employment and entrepreneurship, adding that he looks forward to supporting this mission as part of the Board.
upGrad co-founder and chairperson Ronnie Screwvala, said the organisation is being built with discipline, strong governance and long-term thinking. He added that Kant’s independent judgement and strategic clarity will be invaluable as upGrad strengthens its global footprint and continues developing a profitable, globally relevant learning ecosystem.
In the last two years, upGrad has expanded across the Middle East, Africa, Southeast Asia and the US, while also partnering with top universities in the UK, Europe, Australia and North America. Investments in campuses, AI-led learning systems and personalised content have positioned the company to support global mobility and contribute to India’s Viksit Bharat 2047 vision of a future-ready, highly skilled workforce.
As upGrad pushes into new markets, it is broadening its board with seasoned leaders who can steer long-term strategy and sharpen governance. Kant’s addition signals confidence in the company’s mission and strengthens its ability to meet rising international demand for skilled talent.
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Beep App launches Gen-Z career platform, clocks 30,000 plus placements
Pune startup turns scrolling into career action with learn-explore-earn model
PUNE: Beep App has rolled out its newly positioned career-focused app aimed at Gen-Z users, as it looks to bridge what it calls a growing gap between exposure and employability among young Indians.
Formerly known as EventBeep, the platform is built around a simple but timely idea: turning everyday scrolling into meaningful career action. The app targets students and early professionals, offering a unified space to explore career options, learn relevant skills and access internships and job opportunities.
At a time when short-form content dominates screen time, Beep is attempting to flip the script by embedding structured, career-oriented insights within a familiar scroll-based interface. The idea is not to disrupt user behaviour, but to redirect it.
The platform spans a wide range of fields, including artificial intelligence, product management, design and data analytics. It provides users with insights into role expectations, required skills and step-by-step career pathways, supported by inputs from industry practitioners.
At the heart of the offering is a “learn, explore, earn” model that integrates discovery, skill-building and hiring into one ecosystem. The company says this closed-loop approach is already gaining traction, with over 30,000 placements facilitated so far.
“Gen-Z does not lack ambition; what they often lack is structured direction,” said Beep App founder and CEO Saurabh Mangrulkar. “The Beep App is designed to organise that exposure into actionable pathways so users can move from intent to execution with greater confidence.”
The launch comes amid a broader shift in India’s job market towards skills-first hiring, where practical experience and demonstrable capabilities are increasingly valued alongside academic qualifications.
Founded in 2021, Beep App has grown steadily within the student ecosystem, connecting over 6.5 million users with opportunities across more than 1,500 colleges and 7,800 hiring companies.
Looking ahead, the company plans to deepen its content across emerging sectors, expand its hiring network and build more personalised career pathways tailored to user behaviour.
As Gen-Z continues to navigate a complex and fast-evolving job market, platforms that can turn curiosity into clarity may well shape the next wave of career discovery.
