In today’s fast-paced world, technology is far more than just a tool, it’s a gateway to opportunity, offering young minds the chance to carve out future-ready careers. Yet, for countless children, especially those from underserved communities, this door remains locked, constrained by a lack of resources and mentorship.

What if we could change that? What if we could use technology not just to teach, but to improve creativity in every child and help them build their future?

Driven by these questions, Meenal Majumder, 53, walked away from her successful corporate career, and made it her mission to ensure that every child could benefit from the digital world.

‘Simply providing laptops wasn’t enough’

After completing engineering, Meenal went on to pursue an MBA from IIM Calcutta. Upon entering the workforce, she joined ICICI Securities, where she quickly made her mark, rising to the position of a senior vice president.

“I always thought I was going to be a lifelong banker, as I really enjoyed that. But something happened that changed my outlook,” she tells The Better India. The ‘something’ came when her daughter, a class 8 student at the time, developed an interest in joining the school’s robotics team.

“My daughter was the only girl in a group of 40 boys. While she was passionate about robotics, she faced challenges not only with the technical aspects but also with fitting into a team where she often felt like an outsider,” Meenal recalls.

With a background in engineering, she instinctively stepped in to provide the technical guidance her daughter needed.

“I realised that hands-on, project-based learning does more than just teach technical skills. It cultivates self-confidence and promotes a problem-solving mindset. I saw this firsthand when my daughter’s team designed a robot to sort and recycle waste, pitching their idea to municipal authorities,” she says. “They were addressing real-world issues and creating meaningful solutions.”

This experience opened her eyes to the potential of experiential learning. Meenal recognised that technology, when taught in the right way, could be a revolutionary asset, especially for young learners in fields like STEM, AI, and robotics.

A humanitarian at heart, Meenal had another strong realisation during the COVID-19 pandemic. As the world shut down, schools shifted to online learning, but many children, especially those from underserved communities, were left behind due to a lack of resources.

Working closely with the Salaam Bombay Foundation, in 2020, she helped raise Rs 18 lakh to provide laptops to children who needed them to continue their education.

“I’m incredibly grateful for the strong network I built at IIM Calcutta, which played a key role in helping me raise the funds I needed. During the pandemic, we organised an online singing programme as a fundraiser, and it was through the support of my network that we were able to make it a success,” she explains.

But seeing children without access to digital tools, knowing........

© The Better India