Roman Saini: From youngest IAS officer to edtech visionary | Fusion - WeRIndia

Roman Saini’s journey is a remarkable narrative of transcending traditional career paths to embrace innovation and entrepreneurship.

At a mere 16, Saini made headlines by becoming the youngest individual to clear the AIIMS admission exam.

His early achievements did not stop there; by 18, he was already contributing to the medical field with a research paper in a prestigious journal.

The zenith of his early career was cracking the UPSC Civil Services Exam at 22, securing a position as an IAS officer in Madhya Pradesh.

However, Saini’s aspirations went beyond public service. In 2015, with a vision to revolutionize the education sector, he, along with Gaurav Munjal and Hemesh Singh, founded Unacademy.

Starting as a modest YouTube channel, Unacademy has now become a leading player in the ed-tech industry.

Its inception was aimed at making quality education accessible and affordable, particularly for UPSC aspirants, through an innovative online platform.

Under Saini’s guidance and leadership, Unacademy achieved rapid growth, reaching a valuation of ₹26,000 crore.

This growth is a testament to Saini’s vision of leveraging technology to democratize education across India.

His role at Unacademy, coupled with his unique background as an IAS officer and a medical professional, has been pivotal in understanding and addressing the educational needs of students across the country.

As of 2022, the leadership at Unacademy, including CEO Gaurav Munjal, Hemesh Singh, and Saini himself, drew salaries reflecting their contributions to the company’s success.

Munjal earned ₹1.58 crore, Singh received ₹1.19 crore, and Saini took home ₹88 lakh.

These figures not only highlight the financial rewards of their entrepreneurial venture but also underscore the impact they have made in the ed-tech sector.

Roman Saini’s transition from a civil servant to an ed-tech entrepreneur is inspiring. It showcases how vision, innovation, and leadership can transform the educational landscape, making learning accessible to all.

Image by Alan Levine from Pxhere (Free for commercial use / CC0 Public Domain)

Image Reference: https://pxhere.com/en/photo/197097