On a transformative Saturday, April 26, 2025, the elegant halls of The Westin
Goregaon, Mumbai, echoed with bold conversations and groundbreaking ideas as
Expify brought together more than 30 visionary principals and educators from top
schools across Mumbai and Pune. The occasion?
The much-anticipated Expify Principals’ Conclave, a pioneering effort to co-create
India’s first white paper on Experiential Counseling – a revolutionary model poised
to redefine how students explore and choose careers. The agenda was as ambitious
as it was necessary: addressing the wide chasm between traditional career guidance
and the lived realities of professional life.
Anchoring the panel discussion, titled “Reimagining Career Readiness through
Experiential Counseling”, was Mukti Bajaria, a seasoned public speaker and
corporate trainer affiliated with the Indo-American Society. The discussion quickly
gained momentum as a trio of distinguished panelists shared insights drawn from
their years at the intersection of education, industry, and mentorship.
Dr. Rishi S. Kapal, a LinkedIn Top Voice, author, and former CXO at corporate titans
like Sony, Qualcomm, and Ericsson, set the tone. “One who hasn’t experienced a
career shouldn’t guide students,” he asserted, making a strong case for
practitioner-led guidance. He was joined by Pooja Gupta, a well-known career coach
and founder of Media Mentor, who highlighted how students often lack mentorship
from professionals who’ve walked the paths they aspire to. Completing the trio was
Anuradha Sinha, principal of Manav Mandir High School, whose dual roles as
educator and social worker grounded the conversation in the everyday challenges
schools face.
The conclave wasn’t just about thought leadership. It was about action. The round
table segment buzzed with energetic discourse on the current limitations of
school-based career counseling, the overwhelming influence of parental
expectations, and the general lack of immersive and mentorship-driven programs.
Key questions guided the discussion: Why do most students make career decisions
based on hearsay? What prevents schools from integrating industry mentorship into
their curriculum? What does a truly experiential career readiness model look like?
Answers to these questions, emerging organically from the minds of 30+ educational
leaders, were meticulously documented. These insights will form the foundation of
India’s first white paper on Experiential Counseling, an initiative that promises to
influence not just policy but also practice across the country.
As the dialogue-rich afternoon transitioned into a showcase, Vedant Bajaria,
Co-founder and Director of Expify, stepped up to present how Expify is already
addressing the gaps identified. Through its trio of offerings – Mentor Fair,
Experiential Counseling, and Outstation Experience – Expify provides students
aged 13-18 with authentic career exposure that transcends traditional classroom
guidance.
Students can attend Mentor Fairs and interact directly with professionals in careers
they’re considering. With Experiential Counseling, they dive into hands-on activities
tailored to specific fields, from design to medicine to engineering, all while supported
by expert mentors. The Outstation Experience takes it a notch higher, sending
students on week-long immersive visits to institutions like MIT Manipal, where they
live like college students and explore over 20 different engineering domains. All of
this is accessible to schools starting at just ₹600 per student, making career
exploration not just impactful but inclusive.
Backed by collaborations with premier institutions like MIT Manipal, Ecole Intuit Lab,
and KRVIA, Expify’s vision is firmly rooted in building a future where every student
gets the chance to explore before committing. Based in Mumbai, and co-founded by
Bajaria alongside Tanay Makhecha and Mihir Rambhiya, Expify is quickly emerging
as a leader in the experiential education movement.
The Principals’ Conclave wasn’t merely an event; it was a clarion call. As the final
notes of discussion faded and networking continued into the evening, it was clear
that a new chapter in Indian education had begun. With a soon-to-be-launched white
paper and a growing network of committed stakeholders, experiential counseling is
no longer an idea for the future—it is a necessity of the present.
For more about Expify and its innovative career readiness programs, visit
www.expify.in, follow them on Instagram or LinkedIn, or reach out directly at
info@expify.in or +91 7977179874
The event, expertly curated by T. Aswini Patro of Sanaj Ventures reachable at
aswini@sanajventures.com, served as a fertile ground for idea exchange, research,
and dialogue.
