From School To Work: The Eka Fellowship Is Filling A Gap In Young India's Future

For many young people in India, the real turning point isn't landing a job; it's the moment they finish school. This is when options start to feel limited, confidence gets tested, and support often falls away. Exams may be over, but the future is anything but clear. For students from under-resourced backgrounds, this transition can shape an entire future, yet it is one of the least supported phases in our education ecosystem.

The Eka Fellowship strives to close this gap. It is a seven to eight-year program designed to support young children across stages of education: from school to college to the workforce.

Founded in 2022 by Bengaluru-based Suraj Moraje and Veeran Singh, the program has become a steady support system for students as they navigate academics, choices, and their first steps into the world of work.

Suraj, former Managing Director of Quess Corp and Senior Partner at McKinsey & Company, told SheThePeople, "The Eka Fellowship is about strengthening the village around the child by building them a network of people who can advise them, on call and as-needed."

Veeran, a graduate in Psychology from Delhi University and a Gandhi Fellow, works at the intersection of psychology, leadership, and understanding communities for holistic support and change.

Story of The Eka Fellowship

Before designing the Fellowship, the Eka team interviewed almost a hundred students and folks in the space to understand why the economic mobility ladder is broken.

Suraj recounted the story of a Class 9 girl, a class topper, who aspired to become a doctor, but thought she had to pursue Arts (Humanities) in high school. This made the gaps evident.

Stories like this made it clear that our society has optimised specific rungs of the ladder that lead upwards, but we have not put sufficient thought into how these rungs are connected, and to help children think two rungs ahead. -Suraj Moraje

Beyond Short-Term Support

India has no shortage of education non-profits. But many of them operate within tight timelines shaped by funding cycles and reporting requirements.

However, skills like communication, confidence, and self-belief don’t transform overnight. They require practice, reinforcement, and the safety to fail and try again.

Eka observes this blind spot. It asks what young people need across multiple transitions, from adolescence to early adulthood, and commits to staying with them through that journey.

At Eka, we don't have many rules, but one unspoken commitment guides everything we do: showing up consistently. We walk alongside our Fellows the way a caring adult or trusted friend would through exams, career decisions, and self-doubt. -Veeran Singh

Beyond visible milestones, they also guide students through invisible challenges like family pressures, emotional overwhelm, and the turbulence of adolescence. 

"This continuity matters," expressed Veeran. "When Fellows and their families see us present, especially during moments of struggle, they begin to trust. Over time, that sustained presence creates safety."

Making Room for Trust

The program's long-term commitment allows trust to be built gradually. This consistency creates a sense of reliability, which is crucial to both Fellows and their families.

One of the key challenges of the Eka team has been to navigate resistance and hesitation from some students and their families. Yet, this challenge only made their resolve stronger. 

"With girls, resistance often manifests upfront as parents' unwillingness to let their daughters go away for a residential camp. With boys, it is the pressure to start earning early," explained Suraj.

However, they are determined to change the narrative by working patiently with families and ensuring that students can access and confidently pursue opportunities, regardless of gender

Veeran shared, "We have learnt that resistance often isn’t opposition, but it’s fear shaped by lived constraints... We invite parents to be an equal part of the process to find a midway."

Working Upstream, Not at the End

Another way Eka stands apart is when it intervenes.

Many career-skilling programmes enter the picture when students are already close to employment. However, Eka works upstream, beginning in early adolescence, so that choices are shaped before paths narrow.

Fellows begin by strengthening their English, not just for exams, but to find their voice. They explore careers they may never have encountered through conversations, workshops, and hands-on activities.

Beyond conventional academics, courses like theatre, mindfulness, and life-skills sessions help Fellows build emotional resilience and self-awareness alongside academics.

Self-management is core to what we do. We do it through courses (theatre, breath work, Socratic Dialogue) and also by using real-life experiences to foster dialogue amongst our Fellows. -Suraj Moraje

Fellows are not just trained to pass exams or interviews, but to navigate real-life scenarios like rejection, freedom, accountability, decision-making, and self-doubt.

According to a recent assessment across 105 Eka Fellows by 60 Decibels (an impact-measurement organisation), 97% of the Fellows report that their quality of life has improved.

As many as 70% of the Fellows shared that their quality of life has ‘very much improved’ (vs 28% benchmark). The key areas noted are confidence, academic performance, and English proficiency.

What Impact Looks Like

The impact of Eka's approach shows up in quiet but powerful ways.

Students who once hesitated to speak begin leading discussions, first-generation board exam takers approach exams with confidence, and many Fellows go on to highly competitive institutions. 

The Eka team has made a deliberate choice to prioritise depth over scale. They work with small, carefully selected cohorts, allowing for personalised attention and long-term relationships. 

This approach has also shaped Eka’s growth. From a single cohort, it has expanded steadily over the years, now supporting multiple cohorts and extending its work beyond one city.

Why It Matters Now

As India speaks about its demographic dividend and future-ready workforce, Eka’s work offers an important reminder: Potential is everywhere; what’s missing is sustained support.

By staying with young people through the years when identity is formed and futures are shaped, the Eka Fellowship is redefining what effective education guidance can look like.

It is filling a gap that families themselves say they cannot find elsewhere, and showing that when young people are given holistic support, they don’t just perform better. They step into the world with confidence.