Adetya V N Chopra - Founder's Insights June 2025 Edition #22

At 18, Adetya discovered how well-designed learning interventions could lift productivity and business outcomes. Over the next twenty-three years he wore many hats—Chief Learning Officer at Motilal Oswal, CEO at Veritas Human Capital Consulting, AVP at NIIT and SVP at Expertrons Technologies—building businesses and high-performing teams from scratch into multi-million-dollar enterprises. Yet his deepest passion has always been nurturing learning cultures that spark curiosity and drive innovation.

The idea for HOAG began with a single question: why should Indian students have to look westward for top-tier summer programs? He envisioned an Ivy-grade experience at home, blending the legacy of IITs and IIMs with an immersive, future-focused curriculum. That vision became HOAG Summer School, created to give Indian children the confidence and global perspective he once wished for himself.

“Mistakes are the best teachers, as long as you’re willing to listen,” he likes to say. Early in his entrepreneurial life he sometimes played the short game when patience was needed—and vice-versa. The lesson shaped his belief in environments where it is safe to fail, learn and pivot, because the market remains the ultimate feedback loop.

He views business as a long-distance race, not a dash. Sustained effort, constant learning and reinvention matter far more than speed, and people are always the greatest asset. Trust and transparency, he insists, are non-negotiable foundations for creating lasting value.

His family has been an anchor throughout, believing in his ability even when they did not understand every decision. He urges parents to encourage curiosity over compliance and to let children take risks. Simple words—“I believe in you”—can fuel an entrepreneurial spirit.

Resources were scarce at the outset, but resourcefulness, lean operations and strong networks carried him forward. A pivotal alliance with iHUB DivyaSampark, IIT Roorkee supplied credibility, facilities and academic rigour. For him, strategic partnerships and relentless value creation still outweigh deep pockets.

The biggest challenge they faced was skepticism. When they pitched the idea of an Ivy-grade summer school in India, many responded with, “That’s not how things are done here.” Parents were accustomed to traditional camps or sending their children abroad for summer programs. They overcame this by focusing on outcomes, demonstrating how immersive, experiential learning could develop real skills such as critical thinking, leadership, and emotional intelligence. They brought in top 1% faculty, partnered with iHUB DivyaSampark, IIT Roorkee, and designed a curriculum that was both rigorous and fun.

Today, the flagship five-day residential program is India's first Ivy-grade, immersive summer learning experience designed for students aged 11 to 17. It seamlessly combines rigorous academic exposure with adventure-based activities, creativity workshops, and real-world problem solving.

The curriculum is centered around emerging areas like artificial intelligence, design thinking, leadership, and emotional intelligence. But it doesn’t stop there—it’s about giving students the confidence to voice their ideas, collaborate across differences, and view challenges as opportunities. The learning environment is intentionally built to be inclusive, inspiring, and transformational, encouraging kids to become not just smarter, but wiser, more empathetic, and more self-aware.

The broader goal is to help every participant return home not just with new knowledge, but with a new mindset—one rooted in possibility, purpose, and courage. HOAG aims to redefine summer learning in India by breaking free from rote education and nurturing holistic development. It is about preparing students for a rapidly changing world where curiosity, adaptability, and emotional resilience are just as vital as academic credentials.

“Business is a marathon, not a sprint,” he shares. And when it comes to growth, he says “Progress, not perfection, is the real goal.”

Today, his mission is to inspire the next generation of thinkers, doers, and leaders by making world-class learning accessible, relevant, and deeply human.