India’s education system produces millions of graduates every year, yet academic qualifications do not always translate into workplace readiness. Many students struggle to access meaningful internships, practical projects, and professional mentorship, particularly those studying outside the country’s major metropolitan centers. MentorMind, co-founded by Luvieen Alva, is working to address this gap through an online platform that connects students with real-world projects, industry professionals, and structured evaluations. The company aims to help students apply theoretical knowledge, develop practical skills, and prepare more effectively for employment.

Discovering the Education-Industry Gap

Luvieen’s interest in education and employability began while he was studying mechanical engineering. Through his involvement with AIESEC, a student-led organisation, he gained early exposure to professional environments and worked with approximately 8,000 to 10,000 students across India. This experience revealed a recurring gap between classroom education and industry expectations. Many students possessed theoretical knowledge but had limited opportunities to apply it to practical business and technical challenges.

The observation led Luvieen to launch Learned, a venture focused on career discovery. He later founded Tested Healthcare, which addressed the difficulty of accessing diagnostic testing for terminally ill patients at home. These earlier ventures gave him experience in customer retention, financial management, business ethics, process design, and risk management. They also showed him that entrepreneurship requires more than a promising idea. It demands the ability to build sustainable systems, respond to market conditions, and deliver consistent value.

The Problem with Traditional Internships

Traditional internships do not always provide students with structured learning or meaningful responsibilities. Some interns are assigned routine work, while others receive limited guidance or feedback from experienced professionals. The competition for internships is also significant. In some cases, thousands of students may compete for a single opportunity. Geography creates an additional disadvantage, as students outside major cities may not have access to the same companies, mentors, or professional networks. Technical education presents a similar challenge. College laboratories may focus on observation rather than the practical application required in fields such as manufacturing, engineering, technology, and business operations. MentorMind was created to address these issues by giving students access to practical projects through an online model.

A Mentorship-Led Learning Model

MentorMind refers to its programmes as “menternships” because they are designed to offer more than task assignments. Students work on projects connected to real business requirements and choose opportunities based on their interests and career goals. Each project includes guidance from industry professionals with at least three years of experience. Mentoring may take place through group sessions or one-on-one interactions, depending on the project. The platform also uses a three-round evaluation process. Students submit their work, receive feedback, improve their deliverables, and resubmit them. This approach encourages learning through iteration and helps participants understand professional expectations. The aim is to develop practical capability rather than simply provide a certificate.

Learning Through Real Projects

Projects connected to organisations such as Uber and Blue Yonder give participants exposure to real-world business and technical requirements. The platform focuses on helping students build evidence of their capabilities. Instead of relying only on academic qualifications, participants can demonstrate what they have worked on, how they approached a problem, how they responded to feedback, and how their final output improved. This creates a stronger link between education and employability. Students can develop portfolios of completed work and enter the job market with a clearer understanding of their strengths.

The Meaning Behind MentorMind

The name MentorMind reflects the company’s belief that professional guidance and practical work can sharpen a student’s thinking. MentorMind is designed to help students learn from industry professionals while also developing the ability to evaluate and improve their own work. The model encourages students to apply concepts, solve problems, accept feedback, and understand how organisations operate. At a broader level, the name represents the company’s objective of making professional development available to students regardless of their college tier or geographic location.

A B2B Approach to Skill Development

Rather than operating only as a direct-to-consumer education platform, MentorMind follows a B2B model and partners with institutions and education providers. This allows practical learning to be integrated into existing programmes. The company has partnered with organisations such as upGrad and Imarticus, enabling it to reach larger student communities through institutional relationships. The model also creates value for employers. Organisations can access a talent pool that has worked on practical projects and undergone structured evaluation. This can help identify candidates who are more prepared to contribute from the beginning of their careers.

Removing Geographic Barriers

Online delivery allows students to participate without relocating. A student outside a major metropolitan city can work on industry-linked projects and interact with experienced professionals from anywhere. The platform has reached students in India as well as regions such as Oman and the wider Gulf Cooperation Council. Its approach is based on the belief that a student’s location should not determine the quality of professional opportunity available to them. However, accessibility is meaningful only when combined with quality. The focus therefore remains on structured projects, experienced mentors, ongoing feedback, and evaluations rather than simply offering online content.

Building the Business

MentorMind initially raised ₹10 lakh from friends and family, which was used primarily for product development and building the first version of the platform. The company later raised an angel round of approximately $100,000 to take the product to market and develop partnerships with colleges and educational institutions. The COVID-19 period accelerated demand for online education and remote professional experiences. MentorMind subsequently raised a seed round of approximately $300,000, supporting the expansion of its platform, team, partnerships, and market reach. The funding journey enabled the company to move from developing a product to building a wider ecosystem involving students, mentors, institutions, and companies.

The Shift from Degrees to Skills

Luvieen believes India is gradually moving from a degree-focused education model towards a skill-oriented approach. Degrees will continue to remain important, but employers increasingly want candidates who can demonstrate practical abilities. Students need opportunities to apply what they learn, solve realistic problems, and receive feedback from professionals. MentorMind aims to support this shift by helping students explore careers, build relevant skills, develop portfolios, and gain confidence before entering the workplace.

The company’s approach reflects a broader movement towards assessing candidates not only by where they studied but also by what they can do.

Building an Equal Playing Field

MentorMind’s long-term ambition is to become a primary platform through which students move from theoretical education to practical career preparation. Its vision is to create an equal playing field where college prestige and geographic location do not determine access to professional opportunities. Students should be able to demonstrate their capabilities through projects, feedback, and measurable outcomes. For Luvieen, MentorMind is more than an internship platform. It is an effort to make the transition from education to employment more practical, inclusive, and merit driven. By combining real-world projects, experienced mentors, structured evaluation, and institutional partnerships, MentorMind is working to ensure that students are not only qualified on paper but also prepared to contribute meaningfully to the workplace.

Interview By: Sejal Thakur