From Bicycle Rides to a ₹10 Crore Turnover: How Himanshu Sekhar Panda Built a Thriving EdTech Startup

Odisha’s Himanshu Sekhar Panda started an edtech venture with just ₹30,000 and has transformed it into a company generating ₹10 crore in annual revenue. Founded in 2018, Skyy Skill Academy aims to bridge the skill gap among Indian youth and has trained over 2 lakh students in modern fields such as EV technology, AI, and robotics.

Leaving a Corporate Career Behind

Hailing from Mayurbhanj, Odisha, Himanshu grew up in a family of a government employee father and a teacher mother. Bright and academically inclined, his passion lay in mentoring and training. After completing college, he joined a corporate job with a lucrative package earning ₹7–8 lakh annually. However, the entrepreneurial dream kept calling him.

To leave his contractual corporate job, Himanshu had to pay ₹3 lakh as bond settlement. Determined to save every rupee, he switched from a bike to a bicycle, cycling 10 km daily. In 2018, with just ₹30,000–40,000 in investment, he started Sky Rider Institutions, which later evolved into Skyy Skill Academy.

Overcoming Early Challenges

Himanshu’s journey was far from smooth. In 2019, Cyclone Fani caused ₹10 lakh in infrastructure damage. Later, the COVID-19 pandemic halted all physical training. Undeterred, he retained his 18-member team, covering their expenses from personal savings. Quickly adapting, he introduced live online classes, stabilizing the business and expanding its reach nationwide.

Innovative Learning Modules

Understanding that students cannot learn effectively from recorded videos alone, Himanshu developed a combination of live online, hybrid, and full-time offline programs. Students gain hands-on experience with EV batteries, robotics, and solar tools. Courses range from ₹2,000 to ₹1.5 lakh, with a strong focus on placements. Graduates now work at top companies like Ola Electric and Tata Technologies.

Scaling to ₹10 Crore Revenue

Without any external investors, Himanshu has scaled Skyy Skill Academy to a ₹10 crore annual turnover. He has established over 60 Centers of Excellence (CoEs) across colleges in India. His next goal is to reach ₹25 crore revenue by 2025 and create a dedicated “Skill University” where companies hire students directly based on their skills, ensuring that every young Indian becomes truly job-ready.