Leaders

Edtech is crucial in reshaping education by making learning more accessible, personalized, and efficient. It bridges gaps in traditional education systems, especially in underserved areas, by providing digital resources and tools that enhance teaching and learning experiences. Edtech leaders play a pivotal role in driving this transformation, as they are the visionaries who design and implement innovative solutions to meet the diverse needs of learners. Bhagya Rangachar, Founder of CLT India (Regd. Name: Children’s LoveCastles Trust), has demonstrated outstanding leadership by diligently introducing appropriate low-cost technology to government schools in underserved communities, most of which being in rural. At CLT India, the belief is that every child, regardless of their circumstances, deserves access to a vibrant educational environment to help them build a life based on their dreams and aspirations. This conviction drives their mission.

In a personal interview, Bhagya shared some profound insights from her life and shed light on how the industry operates.

Can you walk us through your professional experience in CSR and edtech? What are some of the key skills and areas of expertise you've developed throughout your career?

We’ve leveraged both traditional philanthropy and CSR to create impactful initiatives. Our journey didn’t start with e-learning for the first 10 years. Some of the programs that came along the way are -A village Computer Learning Center, hosting the only Intel Computer Clubhouse in India with partnerships with Intel and MIT Media Lab– an after-school technology and mentor-driven program for the youth in under-served communities to build on their own ideas with robotics, coding, and community videos. The learning for us was children effectively absorb technology when there is peer-peer, collaborative learning environment and connects them to a wider world. Subsequently, in partnership with Cisco for Distance-education program we connected with 45 village schools for live, interactive lessons from our teachers. Because of internet dependencies, high-cost and lack of collaborations, the program was discontinued. CLT, organically, was ready to launch e-Patashale – a replicable, scalable and sustainable model that develops quality digital STEM resources in regional languages with low-cost technology delivery models. Every experience helped us shape our approach to building sustainable, tech-driven education models. Positioning of technology in each context, affordability and appropriate technology helped us scale in the rural sector.

What inspired you to establish Children’s LoveCastles? Can you share the core idea behind the venture and highlight its key areas of expertise?

CLT India began as a support system for children in government schools, with the first organization to launch midday meals in Karnataka, before venturing into technology driven initiatives. Our journey from introducing the first midday meal program to pioneering a scalable, low-cost digital education model for underserved communities was driven by the need to address severe teacher shortages, lack of subject-matter expertise, particularly in rural areas for STEM subjects. Technology seemed like a good option to strengthen and support the existing teachers.

We developed the e-patashale model, where ‘Master Teachers’ would create quality pedagogy for STEM for ‘Remote Practitioners’ that is delivered via offline Android applications. To make the eco-system stronger, we did CSR partnerships for infrastructure support and solar. With many CSR partnerships, we’ve reached over 5,000 village schools, trained close to 85,000 teachers. CLT is a hybrid model with the recent incorporation of SINTL Private Limited, aiming to broaden our reach across more states and languages.

Can you share the roles and responsibilities you manage as the Founder of CLT India? What are your main focus areas for driving the company's growth?

As the Founder, the main responsibility I have taken is to see our work is always aligned with our vision – Giving Access to Quality Education for All. This means the Board, senior leadership, team and our partners. CLT has built strong partnerships over the years. Collaborations with CSR partners and government bodies is crucial for scaling our program across India. Innovation has been key to our success, as we have had to continuously keep up with changes in technology, community needs, curricula upgrade etc. We have taken up a tremendous responsibility to bring awareness to the challenges that confront us and to bring in collaborations to help us deliver.

What do you consider to be the most significant challenges you face in your current role, and how do you address these obstacles to overcome them?

Initially, till we gained momentum, getting the buy-in from teachers, headmasters, and the community was a challenge as most of them were first generation technology users. Since e-Patashale is a during-school intervention, we had to get certified by the Department of Education. On another front, CSR partners often expect quick impact studies within three months, but in education, tangible results take time due to numerous variables and metrics. Making the curricula very relevant and aligned to what they need to be doing and making technology very light was a key factor to the success of the program.

Can you share some of the key milestones you’ve accomplished in your professional journey? Additionally, what has been your guiding principle for success over the years?

Many have taken up to designing e-learning mostly for the English-speaking private schools in India. A major milestone for me is the study that went into understanding the challenges of our target group- the teachers and students in the villages, customizing e-Patashale with a repository of digital STEM content in regional languages for grades 5-10 with affordable, technology delivery models and data analytics Two Millennium Alliance Awards for low-cost e-learning by FICCI and USAID, Digital India award, BRICS award.

Bhagya Rangachar, Founder, CLT India

Bhagya, with the support of highly qualified Board and a dedicated team has led CLT for over 24 years as a CEO, and a Managing Trustee for 27 years. CLT’s flagship initiative, e-Patashale, has reached over 2.8 million students across Indian states.