ET Startup Awards 2022: Lead’s Smita Deorah wins the Woman Ahead award

As the discussion evolved, education as a theme took centrestage for the jury members, who highlighted the significance of the sector.

Lead provides an integrated,
tech-enabled solution to schools with a focus on learning outcomes through a hybrid model (classroom and digital). The Mumbai-based company ties up with schools instead of going directly to children. Its integrated system connects students, school owners, parents, teachers and other academic coordinators.

The startup’s offerings are designed for each stakeholder and includes grading for teachers, content and curriculum, workbooks for students, and a host of services for academic and school administration.

“Education is at the base of solving all our problems, and the kind type of education that Lead is trying to impart would be something that really makes a big difference.. in fact, in every village you go to you find the moment a family’s income levels go up even a little bit they are putting them in private schools, even though sometimes it’s quite unaffordable. So in order to make it affordable and give the right kind of quality education…that is an absolute need of the hour in India,” remarked a jury member.

Deorah started the venture with husband Sumeet Mehta to deliver quality education in smaller towns. What started out as a school in a remote village in Gujarat in 2012 has now evolved into a startup that has adopted an education-as-service model.

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Lead’s network spans 3,000 schools and 1.2 million students in 400 towns and cities across the country.

Earlier this year, the company became a unicorn—a startup with a valuation of $1 billion or more. In the last five years, it has added more grades, subjects and boards to its product offerings and expanded across India.

“I am delighted and honoured for Lead to be recognised for the depth and scale of its impact in building strong skills in these students, and make them confident to succeed in their life,” Deorah told ET. “Our aspiration is to reach 60,000 schools serving 25 million students over the next five years, and for that we will continue to expand our product portfolio and our reach to the deepest parts of the country.”

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Saroja Yeramilli, Founder CEO, Mellora

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