Born in Hyderabad, studied in Delhi, and currently in the US, Phalgun Kompalli is an Indian young turk who boasts of being co-founder of a company that recently shook hands with Microsoft for upscaling the Indian industry leaders. upGrad has added a Certification Course to its portfolio in GenAI for leaders with Microsoft and IIIT Bangalore. This unique four-month course is designed with applied learning concepts to train mid-career and seasoned professionals with core AI competencies, positioning them as formidable forces within the tech field.
“Upskilling will always be the key going forward,” feels Phalgun. “Both from a traditional education standpoint and from an upscaling standpoint, everyone will have to upskill. People who are in software development, people who are looking at data science, everybody needs to learn and upskill if they want to remain relevant.”
After a three-year stint with Parthenon in Mumbai, Phalgun launched upGrad, an academic institution with a difference that concentrated on educating leaders of the industry or mid-management executives to upskill themselves and keep up with the continuously developing scenario. After making a mark in India, upGrad decided to spread its wings in Europe and the US, making New York their international headquarters. Phalgun shifted to the US, while his partner Mayank stayed in India.
Why did they choose the US as a market when the model already existed there? “I think one of the major things we realised was that the problem that we’re trying to solve of high-quality education focused on outcomes, which delivers at a scale, is a global problem. It’s not necessarily an India problem,” observes Phalgun. “What upGrad brings to the table is that we are a transformation partner across multiple things. We can help get in-campus students — domestic and international. We can create a global platform where we can take these programs to people sitting in India or Vietnam, Africa, Indonesia, and Middle East. That’s what upGrad is known for. We create an online portfolio which is relevant in the US and globally.”
Which is a better market? “Emerging economies like India, Southeast Asia, and Africa,” he promptly replies. Phalgun adds, after a thought, that Europe too is his market. “Purely from a macro standpoint, I think there’s somewhere between India and Western Europe from a demographic standpoint, from an economy standpoint, from various other. So I think Western Europe is a more immediate opportunity because there is a larger need for trained professionals — be it nurses, doctors, engineers, etc. And I include UK in Western Europe.”
What’s that one commitment upGrad makes? “There’s no single commitment,” Phalgun reiterates. “upGrad learner is not somebody from a college campus. These are people who have work experience of 10/15/20 years. What we offer is grooming for them to take themselves to the next level. Some do the course because they want to do better in their existing jobs and progress. We give them that extra — a CV workshop, interview preparation etc. and a tangible career outcome.”
What made you launch upGrad in India? “When Mayank and I were consulting, we realized that a great education system based on the right world-class education system is missing in India. There should be a certain educational institution that you can go to, you have access to and which is affordable. That’s where it all started…”
After working with government organisations like Niti Ayog and creating niche modules in India, they moved to US targeting not just US, but an international community at large.
Phalgun admits that it has not been a easy ride. They have had their share of challenges in India and abroad. What is the major difference in the working culture of India and the US? “I think the biggest difference that I have seen is that. Here, in the US, people are much more independent. Both from a thought standpoint and an execution standpoint. They want to do their thing. They want to be left alone. They have a life outside work and after a point, they’re comfortable with a confrontation and saying ‘no’. In India, I feel like people are much more hard-working. People will definitely go the extra mile. So that’s good. But what I think we should develop is just that ability to say no, the ability to be independent thinkers and not be as compliant as we are.”
Phalgun, despite his international status, remains a Hyderabadi at heart. “It’s my home. you can take me out of Hyderabad, but not Hyderabad out of me. My family is still in Hyderabad. Most of my friends — in India and US — are from Hyderabad. I still enjoy Telugu films and music. Aakali Rajyam remains to be my favourite album.”
And what about Mumbai, which he calls his second home? “It is my second home. My wife comes from Mumbai, I spent a good 10 years of my professional life there.”
And New York? And Delhi where he studied? “Delhi was just fun and frolic of college days. New York, I am loving it here, especially the after-work life with its sports infrastructure etc. NY
is like Mumbai on steroids! Just a cleaner version.”
Favourite Actor – Allu Arjun
Favourite Actress – Anushka Shetty
Favourite Food – Food at large, but if you zero down, then homefood at Hyderabad – daal, sablzi achaar, the works
Favourite Unwinding thing – cooking and tennis
Favourite director – K. Vishwanath
Which is a better biiryani – Hyderabadi
Which is a better Panipuri - Hyderabadi
