Ajay Gupta: Building India's Largest Play School Chain While Converting Sympathy into Empathy
For Ajay Gupta, entrepreneurship was never just a career choice—it was a necessity driven by a fierce independence and a refusal to let physical limitations define his path. Afflicted by polio at nine months and wheelchair-bound for the last six years, Ajay has built one of India's most recognized educational empires: Bachpan Play School. With over 1,200 branches, a formal school chain, and a social-impact university, Ajay's journey is a masterclass in turning adversity into an instrument for national change.
As the Founder and CEO of Bachpan, Ajay oversees the education of over 150,000 students. But his mission extends beyond the classroom. Through the Hum Honge Kamyab (HHK) Foundation, he works tirelessly to convert society's sympathy for the disabled into empathy, advocating for true inclusion and accessibility.
The Scale of the Education Empire
- Bachpan Play School: 1,200+ branches teaching toddlers and pre-primary students nationwide.
- Academic Heights Public School: 110+ formal schools with a focus on CBSE affiliation.
- Rishihood University: India's first social-impact university in Sonipat, NCR.
- Total Reach: Over 150,000 students from play school to post-graduation.
The 16-Year-Old Entrepreneur: Roots in Chawri Bazar
Ajay's business journey began at the age of 16, long before he entered the education sector. Coming from a family of entrepreneurs—his grandfather ran a sweet shop and his father had an export business—Ajay was immersed in trade from the word go. "I started my first business when I was 16. Out of my 52 years of life, 36 years have been filled with business stories," he notes.
His childhood was marked by the daily struggle of mobility, being carried to school by domestic help until he began using calipers and crutches at 13. This early resilience forged a "Ground Zero" mindset that would later allow him to build a massive franchise network by understanding the pulse of every district in India.
Identifying the Gap: From Doctor to Play School Pioneer
The idea for Bachpan wasn't born in a boardroom, but in a father's search for his daughter's education. Ajay noticed that early childhood education in India lacked a formal curriculum, standardization, or even a basic sense of identity for the kids. Play schools were often just "babysitting" centers where children waited to be old enough for formal school.
The "Gap identification" Strategy
Ajay realized that the formative years (ages 2 to 8) were being wasted. He spent 1.5 years at home designing a complete curriculum, including specialized books (Speak-O-Pen), dresses, and teacher training modules, before launching a single school. Solve the problem first, then scale.
The 100% Franchise Success Model
Unlike many education brands, Bachpan operates on a 100% franchise model. Remarkably, the company does not own a single school itself. "Running our own school was never in our DNA," Ajay says. Instead, they focus on being the ultimate support system for their 1,200+ partners.
This success relies on a rigorous 300-person corporate team that is constantly "on the move"—dispatching over 50,000 shipments a year, conducting teacher trainings in five-star hotels for thousands of candidates, and evaluating fee structures to ensure "justice for the parent's pocket" in every specific region.
The "Shoe-Lace" Operational Philosophy
- Always Be Ready: A team culture of sleeping with "boot laces tied," ready to travel at a moment's notice to any district.
- Regional Customization: Recognizing that a parent in Mumbai wants something different from a parent in Punjab or a rural town in UP.
- Standardized Training: Centralized training in Delhi twice a year for principals, counselors, and staff to maintain quality.
- Ground-Level Feedback: Continuous field visits to evaluate break-even points and local infrastructure needs.
The "Maggie Analogy" for Startups
One of Ajay's most unique business lessons is what he calls the "Maggie Analogy." He believes entrepreneurs must be like instant noodles—universally acceptable, yet capable of gelling with local "ingredients" without losing their core identity.
"Maggie gels well with any problem, any state, or any stakeholder," Ajay explains. "In Rajasthan, it's one flavor; in Haryana, it's another. As entrepreneurs, we must gel with our franchisees to bring them to break-even quickly, while ensuring the safety and education of the kids remains our core 'noodle' identity."
Entrepreneurship as National Duty
For Ajay, profit is only the fifth or sixth item on an entrepreneur's checklist. He defines true entrepreneurship through four hierarchical responsibilities:
- Country First: What contribution are you making to the nation?
- Society Second: What change are you bringing to the community?
- Family Third: Does the business support those you love?
- Self Fourth: Are you happy and associated with the purpose of the business?
— Ajay Gupta, Founder, Bachpan Play School
Today, through Rishihood University and his HHK Foundation, Ajay is building a legacy of accessibility. He doesn't want sympathy; he wants a society where disabled entrepreneurs are given the tools to be "Saksham" (capable). From the sweet shops of Chawri Bazar to the boardrooms of a national education giant, Ajay Gupta's life is a testament that while the body may be on wheels, the spirit can fly.
About the Guest
Ajay Gupta is the Founder and CEO of Bachpan Play School and Academic Heights Public School. A serial entrepreneur with over 36 years of experience, he is a pioneer in the Indian franchise education sector. He is the co-founder of Rishihood University and the author of the bestseller Decoding Business Minds. Despite facing severe locomotor disability from polio, he has scaled his operations to 1,200+ schools and is a leading advocate for disability rights through his Hum Honge Kamyab Foundation.