Codevidhya: Preparing a new generation of young coders in schools

A rejection some 22 years ago for 'lacking interpersonal communication skills' at an interview for admission to a MBA course in Delhi, was a traumatic memory that Shivram Choudhary, founder of edutech startup, codevidhya.com and Euro International School, Sikar, never got over. So, after completing a PG in English Literature and training as a teacher and even working as a lecturer for a few years didn't erase that experience. He always thought about it and then reached a conclusion that right kind of schooling is key to preparing you for your dreams. Now, through his enterprise, he wants to help school children learn the coding language and other skills. Autar Nehru spoke with him:

It sounds very great that you could think of starting an important investment and idea from a place like Sikar. The region is traditionally a coaching hub, people usually get into that business, but not you?

Education has been an area of interest for me since long and I had realized that good schooling doesn't mean good academics alone. So, when I decided t quit my job and set up a franchise preschool in 2003, I started to feel confident that I can experiment. Finally, as we have become a K10 school with CBSE-affiliation, we started implementing skills alongside academics for our students. We are working on communication, interpersonal skills, coding and now we have introduced entrepreneurship. I am moving to create my 'ideal' school.

That is fantastic and a good cost track. Now how did codevidhya happen? It is an independent business?