Growing up in Ahmedabad, Aakash Sethi had the unique privilege of being surrounded by social workers who served as his early role models. As a young student, he often found his true energy outside the formal classroom setup, deeply engaging in co-curricular activities and hands-on projects.
His turning point arrived in college when he joined a youth organisation. By the age of 19, Aakash was running a local chapter with 60 to 70 volunteers, facilitating international internships, and managing everything from human resources to fundraising. This immersive, project-based leadership experience taught him the immense value of real-world skills. It gave him a profound sense of purpose, laying the foundation for a 25-year journey in the social sector to ensure that young people have the agency to actively design their own futures.
In an exclusive interview, Aakash Sethi outlines how the organisation Quest Alliance, where is he CEO, has spent nearly two decades transforming education and employability for 2.9 million young Indians. By partnering with local NGOs, state governments, and vocational centres, Quest Alliance embeds future skills, such as problem-solving, social-emotional learning, and digital literacy, into traditional curriculums. Looking ahead, the NGO is preparing youth for a rapidly evolving world by introducing Artificial Intelligence and sustainability skills, while fostering supportive communities for educators and championing a culture of shared leadership.
Bridging The Digital Divide
Aakash’s vision was heavily shaped during his time managing corporate social responsibility programmes for Microsoft Middle East and Asia, based out of Istanbul. During a site visit to Alexandria, Egypt, he witnessed local furniture makers learn to build their own websites – an intervention that ultimately helped them sell five times more furniture across the region. Recognising early on that the digital divide would only amplify existing global inequities, he felt a strong pull to return to India. He realised that technology, if introduced thoughtfully, could act as a massive opportunity creator for communities that lacked access to the expanding digital economy.
Thriving Through Future Skills
Quest Alliance operates on the belief that traditional subjects like math and science must be paired with “future skills” to ensure lifelong success. The organisation intentionally focuses on communication, relationship management, social-emotional learning, and career readiness, which are crucial competencies especially for learners from underserved communities. Furthermore, Aakash emphasises that students must be active creators in the digital space rather than passive users.
“Learners get a space to learn skills on technology in a manner where they don’t feel judged… they can create projects, they can create solutions using technology, not just consume technology, which is not just content consumers, they are creators of solutions.”
Overcoming Cultural and Systemic Hurdles
Modernising educational practices comes with its own unique set of cultural hurdles. Years ago, Aakash’s team would visit rural schools only to find newly installed computers locked away, or adorned and worshipped as sacred objects out of fear they would get dirty or spoiled. Deep-seated gender divides also meant boys naturally had more access to technology at home than girls. To create genuine change without causing “training fatigue” among educators, Quest Alliance encourages teachers to self-nominate for upskilling programmes, ensuring they work with individuals who genuinely possess an open and eager mindset.
Guide On The Side
A core philosophy at Quest Alliance is redefining the teacher’s role within the classroom. Aakash and his team train educators to step away from rote lecturing and focus instead on building genuine, caring relationships with their learners.
“How do you make that change in the teaching learning process where our role is not to deliver, standing in front of students,” Aakash explains. “Our role is to also coach them… to transform them from what we say the sage on the stage to the guide on the side.” By making this shift, classrooms become environments of mutual trust and collaborative learning.
Uniting Isolated Grassroots Educators
Rather than opening its own schools, Quest Alliance scales its impact strictly through partnerships. Aakash recognises that working at the grassroots level can be deeply isolating for teachers and social workers. To combat this, the organisation actively builds collaborative networks where NGOs and educators can meet, share solutions, and celebrate their grassroots successes. By creating these safe spaces, educators realise they are not alone in their struggles, which fosters deep trust and shared motivation across the entire sector.
Practicing Authentic Shared Leadership
Reflecting on his personal journey of leading an organisation for over two decades, Aakash is candid about the emotional investment required. He highlights the challenge of staying continually invested in a growing team, actively listening to their challenges, and building an authentic culture. He champions the concept of “shared leadership” – a stark contrast to traditional, individual-driven leadership models.
“Not to take yourself too seriously and not to give yourself too much importance, but also to look at how you create the container of the vehicle that will help you get to your destination… different people may be having access to the steering wheel.”
Shaping A Resilient Tomorrow
The scale of this collaborative intervention is massive; just this year, Quest Alliance reached over 7.5 lakh students. Looking toward the next five years, Aakash is steering the organisation to focus on ultimate resilience. The foundation of a thriving career is developed to ensure that even traditional individuals in traditional trades, like electricians, understand how to apply AI and green sustainability to their work. Furthermore, Quest Alliance aims to bring youth voices and imagination directly to global decision-making tables for critical issues like climate action.
Reflecting on leadership and longevity in the social sector, Aakash offers powerful advice:
“In this kind of work, you need to love the problem and not always love the solution because the solution can come and go, but the problem is going to persist… come in with a certain amount of humility and not necessarily a know-it-all attitude, but maybe a learn-it-all attitude.”
The Logical Indian’s Perspective
Aakash Sethi’s journey highlights that true empowerment in education lies in cultivating autonomy, curiosity, and resilience. By transforming classrooms into spaces of self-discovery, building supportive networks for isolated educators, and actively choosing shared leadership over individual ego, Quest Alliance is dismantling systemic barriers for India’s youth.
His philosophy of falling in love with the problem rather than the solution serves as a masterclass in driving sustainable social impact.
In our own communities and workplaces, how can we foster a “learn-it-all” culture that empowers every individual to become an active creator of their own future?
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