Innow8 Founder Awarded Top 30 Under 30

A first-generation entrepreneur, Deepak Garg was only 24 when he began his first venture.

With an initial investment of 20k, which Deepak borrowed from his father, Deepak set out to build his own startup in the ed tech sector and transformed his dreams into reality. Since building a startup from scratch is not a cakewalk, Deepak also had to leave his previous job to invest most of his time and effort into founding Innow8

What comes as a surprise is that in his 20s, while he was still studying Engineering, Deepak wasn’t even familiar with Entrepreneurship and yet a few years later, he found himself leading a transforming company in the edtech sector. Today, Deepak and his company stand tall with turnovers of more than 4 crores per annum.

What encouraged Deepak to follow the path of entrepreneurship?

Deepak began his career with an EdTech company where he instructed students on Robotics and Coding. It was after he won 1st position in the ATL Marathon organized by NITI Ayog that he got an opportunity to work with DELL EMC which fostered his dream to be an entrepreneur.

“Entrepreneurship doesn’t have an end destination because the world is constantly changing. Entrepreneurs are born with an eye for societal needs and trends. They see a gap between where things are and where they want them to be.”

What is Innow8 all about?

Innow8’s goal is to establish “Makers in India” labs and build an army of innovators by leveraging cutting-edge technologies like AI, machine learning, IoT, AR & VR, robotics, drones, etc.

To help realize the vision of Make in India, Digital India, and Skill India, they have the objective to establish 50 world-class community maker labs in each state of India, train 25 billion students, and hire 1 billion Innovators.

They observe India changing from a consumer to a creator mentality and wish to take part in this transition by facilitating technology manufacturing with the aid of 21st-century tech skills & equipment. From the rural areas to the most developed metropolis in India, they aim to alter how the world perceives India. 

 Achievements

Some of Deepak’ notable recognitions include:

• Entrepreneur of The Year Award by Mr. Piyush Goyal (Cabinet Minister of India) at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi on 7th Oct 2022.
• Honored as Most Distinguished Alumni of Punjabi University Patiala by Vice-Chancellor on 16^th January 2022
• Award of Appreciation by Dr. Kiran Bedi (Former Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry and IPS) In India’s First Tech-Startup Conclave & Awards Organized by AICRA on 17th Feb 2022.
• India 500 Best CEO Award and India 500 Best Start-Up Award at CIDCO Auditorium, Mumbai on 24th December 2022 by India 5000 Business Awards.
• Special Recognition for Efforts & Contributions in STEM Technology by India STEM Mission on 22nd June 2022.
• Best Robotics Lab Setup in Schools Awarded by All India Council of Robotics on 23rd June 2022.
• A TRUE INNOVATOR- by India Innovation Forum, Dell EMC, Bangalore.
• Catalyst in Accelerating Innovative Thinking in young minds- by LLF, AIM, and NITI Aayog.
• ATL YOUNG CHAMPIONS- by UNICEF, AIM, and NITI Aayog.
• TOP 6 INNOVATOR and 1st Position in ATAL Tinkering Marathon 2017-18.

Future plans

In the future, Deepak’s goal is to become the biggest job provider and create an Army of Innovators in the next 3-5 years. But right now, his main objective is to continue to learn and grow. He hopes that in 7 years his business would dominate the STEM education market and promote the concept of “consumer to creator.”

Lessons learned

A lesson Deepak has learned in his 20s is that starting something on your own will call for unwarranted advice on how risky it is. However, there is no point in getting stuck in a job if your heart is not there.

He also adds that India is on its way to become one of the most progressive and automated countries, which makes it easier for the youth to find opportunities here. Deepak further implores the parents to encourage their kids to try entrepreneurship and become creators instead of being consumers.