Widhya: How Rahul Arulkumaran is Gamifying Industrial Experience for Millions of Students

In the hyper-competitive world of Indian education, a high GPA is often the only ticket to a prestigious internship. But what happens to the thousands of students who have the skills but lack the "cutoff" grades? Rahul Arulkumaran, Co-founder of Widhya, is breaking these barriers. By creating a gamified platform where students solve real-world "missions" from actual companies, Widhya is ensuring that industrial exposure is no longer a privilege of the top 1%, but an accessible right for every learner. This is the story of how a recent graduate is using his own frustration to build a "career launchpad" for Bharat.

Rahul Arulkumaran’s journey is a classic story of "founder-market fit." While studying Computer Science at Mahindra University, Rahul found himself in a frustrating paradox: he had the technical knowledge, but he couldn't secure the internships he wanted because his grades didn't meet the "90% percentile" cutoffs. Realizing that his roommate, Rishab Singh, was facing the same struggle, the duo decided to build the solution they wished they had. In 2020, they launched Widhya. Today, Widhya has scaled to over 10,000 users and 5 lakh project hours, proving that when you gamify experience, you unlock potential.

The Problem: The "Cutoff" Barrier to Experience

According to surveys, nearly 33% of technical graduates in India remain unemployed. The reason isn't a lack of certificates, but a lack of context. Most students spend four years in a "theoretical vacuum," only to find that the industry requires a completely different set of skills. Compounding this is the "Selection Bias" of internships—where companies only look at GPAs, ignoring millions of capable students who might have a lower grade but a higher execution capability. This results in a massive talent waste and a demotivated workforce.

"I struggled for months despite being confident in my technical knowledge," Rahul explains. "As a student, your job should be to learn, not to spend hours on applications that get rejected because of a single number. We wanted to build a platform that focuses purely on the learner's ability to solve a task."

The Solution: Gamified Missions for Real-World Skill

Widhya acts as an experiential bridge. They partner with startups and corporations to take real-time projects and break them down into gamified, progressive "Missions" that any student can attempt.

Scaling Through the Pandemic: From 600 to 10,000 Users

Widhya’s growth story is a testament to the "Power of the Pivot." After 14 months of slow ideation and trials, the founders were close to shutting shop in October 2020. However, the lockdown became their catalyst. They realized that students were more hungry than ever for digital, practical experience. By focusing on a "Lean MVP" and listening relentlessly to user feedback, they grew their user base by 1,500% in just four months. Today, the platform isn't just about learning; it's a community of 10,000 active learners solving for the future.

"We almost shut shop because we weren't getting traction," Rahul reflects. "But we decided to give it one last try with a quick MVP. We realized that you don't need a perfect design or a complex backend to start. You just need to solve a problem. Once we got users on board, the product began to build itself through their feedback."

Lessons in Leadership: Complimentarity & Speed

Rahul emphasizes that the secret to their survival was the "Roommate Bond." As co-founders, he and Rishab knew exactly how the other would react to stress. They balanced their skills—Rahul handling the deep tech and Rishab focusing on the non-technical aspects. He advises founders to find partners who "complement" rather than "duplicate" their skills. He also stresses the importance of generating revenue through complementary services like workshops to stay afloat before seeking VC funding.

"Get your product out as soon as possible," he advises student entrepreneurs. "There's no point in spending time on a product if people aren't going to use it. If you have an idea, build it, get it to market, and see what people have to say. Listen to your users—they are your best mentors."

The Future: A Global Talent Marketplace

Rahul’s vision for Widhya is to become the "Default Destination" for any student looking to enter the industry. He sees a future where a student's Widhya "Mission Score" is more valuable than their college GPA. By continuing to gamify learning and integrating more diverse industrial tasks, he aims to ensure that no student is ever deprived of experience due to a grade cutoff. For Rahul, the ultimate victory is building a world where skills are the only currency that matters.

Widhya is proving that the next generation of edtech giants won't be built on video libraries, but on "Execution Engines." By giving students the tools to prove themselves through action, Rahul Arulkumaran and his team are ensuring that for the future of Bharat's workforce, the win is finally practical.

About the Guest

Rahul Arulkumaran is the Co-founder of Widhya. A recent Computer Science graduate from Mahindra University, Rahul is a product-first founder who is passionate about bridging the skill gap in India. Under his leadership, Widhya has emerged as a premier gamified learning platform, securing thousands of users and helping students gain real-world industrial exposure. He is a recognized voice in the "student-founder" ecosystem and a vocal advocate for MVP-driven growth and task-based pedagogy. He is also a hardcore gamer and foodie, bringing a unique perspective to the world of educational software.

Widhya is an edtech startup that makes industrial experiences accessible and affordable. By partnering with companies to host real-world projects as gamified "missions," the platform allows students to gain practical exposure, build credible professional profiles, and discover career opportunities based on their execution capabilities rather than just academic grades.