Best printers for Home

Best Mixer Grinder

Best wired Earphones

Best 43 Inch TV in India

Best Wi Fi Routers

Best Home Theatre in India

Smart Watch under 5000

Best Laptops for Education

Best Laptop for Students

He’s a 30-year-old Stanford graduate who gave up the American dream (basically a big fat package) from <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=McKinsey">McKinsey</a> after four years in New York. The prospect of marrying social impact with business value was his call. 
 
He moved back to India in 2011, chanced upon his ‘big idea’, and a year later in March 2012, he started <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=Epoch+Elder+Care">Epoch Elder Care</a>, a company that provides professional home care to the elderly in Indian cities. 
 
Cut to the present, he says assures he has an ‘extremely capable’ CEO in place, and has moved on to become the India Manager for <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=Coursera">Coursera</a>. Meet <keyword id="3287918" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Kabir-Chadha">Kabir Chadha</keyword>. Girls, if the cover picture set your li’l hearts aflutter, don’t bother. I checked, he’s married. 
 
Business Insider sat down with Kabir to discuss <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=entrepreneurship">entrepreneurship</a>, education and where <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=Coursera">Coursera</a> fits in. 
 
Which age bracket uses Coursera the most? 
The main user group for India is a 22-28 year old, a mid-career builder, it’s male skewed, and the main intention is to get ahead in their careers. 
 
Are you worried that the Indian education system doesn’t recognize certificate programmes? 
I’m not worried because we’re planning a long game. For us to win, we need to teach skills that people need to succeed in their careers, and teach ‘em well. Whether people recognize a certificate and to what degree to me, is a secondary question. 
 
However, going ahead it’s onto us to ensure that at least the companies recognize these certificates, and skills. Already, 90% of Indian <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=Coursera">Coursera</a> users guarantee they got some career edge, and 30% say they got a tangible benefit. That means a job, promotion, raise or launching a startup. 
 
Similarly, universities across the country and abroad are toying with the idea of setting these courses as pre-requisite for admission, even offering credits for the same. We’ll dig deeper, and get back to you with exact names sometime soon. 
 
What’s the effective completion rate? 
If people have paid for the course, the completion rates are to the tune of over 70%. If they haven’t, the rates are much lower. 
 
Does the self-taught and self-paced system work for a country with rigorous classroom-based taught programmes? 
The fact that someone’s taken time out to enroll shows their drive. Some may have completed the course, some may not. That’s secondary. 
We’re working on some augmented learning solutions. Just like in a gym, people may need personal trainers, we’ll be rolling out personalized learning experiences over the next few years. Nothing’s decided yet. 
 
Will the augmented reality support extend onto the free courses? 
The moment you introduce human contact, the price goes up. 
 
If you have a human being doing something, you have to pay that human being. That’s the reality of it unfortunately. However, the good thing is that you’ll get a <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=Stanford">Stanford</a> certificate after a 2 months course for Rs. 2000. Where are you going to get that value? 
 
What’s the Male-Female ratio like? 
The male-female ratio is approximately 70:30, and it’s something I’d love to change over time. 
 
Why this disparity, even for online courses? 
Like everywhere else, we’re not doing everything we can as a country to create opportunities for women in business, technology and data science. 
 
However, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=Coursera">Coursera</a> is more female-skewed than what the industry numbers show. 
 
Why should I enroll in an online course? 
In college you’re enrolled into a certain course, but here you have the ability to explore. 
 
You can play around with Data Science, Poetry and Chemistry at the same time, test the water, and go back to what you really want. All of that at zero cost. Second is quality. Many of our Professors are noble prize winners. They use data to ensure the questions they ask lead to tangible outcomes. Also, you have the freedom to learn anywhere, anytime, on any device. 
 
Will Coursera be available in regional languages? 
Currently our focus in on English. There are 50 million people in India who know English well enough to learn in English. The skill gap there is tremendous, and we’ve only tapped into 1.4 million of them. The opportunity to grow there is so large, it will be diluting our efforts to offer courses in vernacular languages. 
 
Where does the majority of your user-base lie? 
It’s usually Bangalore, Delhi and Bombay in that order. 
 
How can a startup founder benefit from Coursera? He/she can take courses to understand <keyword id="6359301" type="POSITION" weightage="80" keywordseo="Entrepreneur">entrepreneur</keyword>ship. The biggest mistake an entrepreneur makes is that they never realize there’s a right way to be an <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=entrepreneur">entrepreneur</a>. They typically figure it out as they go. <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=entrepreneurship">Entrepreneurship</a> courses are helpful to cut down the cycle time. 
 
Also, they can train their teams cheap using <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=Coursera">Coursera</a>. Startups may not always find the perfect fit for a job.

Kabir Chadha, a Stanford Grad left a plump American job to build Indian dreams

A decade ago, not many Indians were willing to take the risk of taking up <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=entrepreneurship">entrepreneurship</a>. However, as the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=startup+revolution">startup revolution</a> rocked the country, India currently ranks third among the global <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=start-up+ecosystem">start-up ecosystem</a>, after the US and UK. A report by Microsoft Ventures and Venture Intelligence expected Indian startups to reach 11,500 by 2020. 
 
Considering the rising interest and inclination towards <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=entrepreneurship">entrepreneurship</a> as a career path and the soaring fierce competition, it has become imperative to hone and refine your skills before starting out on your <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=entrepreneurship">entrepreneurial journey</a>. 
 
<a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=Online+education">Online education</a> portal Coursera has nearly 18 million users globally, with India accounting for a whopping 1.4 million, the second largest learner market after US. With over 1800 courses and 140 partner institutions, it offers <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=certificate+courses">certificate courses</a> from reputed institutions at affordable rates: 
 
Business Insider sat down with <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=Coursera+India">Coursera India</a> Manager Kabir Chadha to discuss the most coveted online <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=certificate+courses">course certificates</a> in India: 
 
1. <a href="https://www.coursera.org/specializations/jhudatascience">Data Science</a> - <keyword id="177427" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="80" keywordseo="Johns-Hopkins">Johns Hopkins</keyword> University 
 
In this course you will get an introduction to the main tools and ideas in the data scientist's toolbox. 
 
There are two components to this course. The first is a conceptual introduction to the ideas behind turning data into actionable knowledge. The second is a practical introduction to the tools that will be used in the program like version control, markdown, git, GitHub, R, and RStudio. 
 
2. <a href="https://www.coursera.org/specializations/project-management">Introduction to Project Management Principles and Practices</a> - University of California, Irvine 
 
In this course, you’ll learn the key roles and responsibilities of the project manager and project team. You’ll also learn to answer some key questions upfront to help you meet project objectives. 
 
3. <a href="https://www.coursera.org/specializations/social-media-marketing">Social Media Marketing</a> - Northwestern University 
 
This course has been designed to give you the tools, insights, knowledge, and skills to immediately impact your organization. The course will also help you network with thought leaders in social. 
 
4. <a href="https://www.coursera.org/specializations/business-analytics">Business Analytics</a> - University of Pennsylvania 
 
This Specialization provides an introduction to big data analytics for all business professionals, including those with no prior analytics experience. 
 
You’ll learn how data analysts describe, predict, and inform business decisions in the specific areas of marketing, human resources, finance, and operations, and you’ll develop basic data literacy and an analytic mindset that will help you make strategic decisions based on data. 
 
5. <a href="https://www.coursera.org/specializations/big-data">Big Data</a> - University of California, San Diego 
 
This course is for those new to data science and interested in understanding why the Big Data Era has come to be. It is for those who want to become conversant with the terminology and the core concepts behind big data problems, applications, and systems. 
 
It is for those who want to start thinking about how Big Data might be useful in their business or career. 
 
6. <a href="https://www.coursera.org/specializations/strategic-management">Strategic Management and Innovation</a> - Copenhagen <keyword id="107736" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="80" keywordseo="Business-school">Business School</keyword> 
 
This course prepares you to think strategically in an age when companies like Apple, Google, and Microsoft have become more valuable (in market cap terms) than companies like Exxon. 
 
7. <a href="https://www.coursera.org/specializations/iot">An Introduction to Programming the Internet of Things (IOT)</a> - University of California, Irvine 
 
The explosive growth of the “Internet of Things” is changing our world and the rapid drop in price for typical IoT components is allowing people to innovate new designs and products at home. 
 
You will learn the importance of IoT in society, the current components of typical IoT devices and trends for the future. IoT design considerations, constraints and interfacing between the physical world and your device will also be covered. 
 
You will also learn how to make design trade-offs between hardware and software. We'll also cover key components of networking to ensure that students understand how to connect their device to the Internet. 
 
8. <a href="https://www.coursera.org/specializations/machine-learning">Machine Learning</a> - University of Washington 
 
This Specialization provides a case-based introduction to the exciting, high-demand field of machine learning. 
 
You’ll learn to analyze large and complex datasets, build applications that can make predictions from data, and create systems that adapt and improve over time. 
 
9. <a href="https://www.coursera.org/specializations/product-management">Software Product Management</a> - University of Alberta 
 
In this specialization you will master Agile software practices to lead a team of developers and interact with clients. 
 
Image Credit: Indiatimes

You Searched For "Kabir Chadha" and got 2 results

Kabir Chadha, a Stanford Grad left a plump American job to build Indian dreams

Saikat Pyne

9 Online Courses Young India is drooling over

Saikat Pyne

Popular Keywords

Buying Guides