Ira Skills convocation
In a city where careers are increasingly shaped by automation, rising living costs and shifting job roles, skilling is no longer a long-term aspiration-it has become an immediate necessity. This reality was on full display at Rebuild Your Life - Ira Skills Convocation, the first-ever skills convocation hosted by Ira Skills on January 11 at The Westin Mumbai Garden City.
The full-day event brought together over 140 working professionals from across India, many of whom were navigating mid-career transitions, income stagnation or the pressure to remain relevant in an AI-driven workplace. Hosted at a five-star venue in Goregaon, the convocation marked a departure from traditional certificate ceremonies-reframing skilling not as remediation, but as achievement.
Participants represented a wide cross-section of Mumbai's professional landscape: IT and non-IT employees, mid-level managers, freelancers, consultants and individuals building second-income streams alongside full-time jobs. For many, the convocation was less about completion and more about recognition-of effort, risk-taking and reinvention.
Unlike academic convocations rooted in degrees and grades, the Ira Skills event focused on outcomes. The agenda combined keynote sessions, expert talks and learner success stories with awards recognising tangible progress such as role changes, income growth and practical application of skills. Speakers including Ira Skills' esteemed trainers like Akshita Jasolis, Sanjay Kathuria, Gajendra Kothari and Raj Singh addressed themes ranging from leadership and wealth mindset to the everyday use of Excel automation and AI tools in the workplace.
Founder and CEO Deven U Pandey said the idea behind the convocation was to celebrate progress rather than perfection. "Skilling should feel aspirational, not intimidating," he said. "This event is about recognising professionals who've taken ownership of their careers-often while juggling full-time jobs, families and financial responsibilities."
Deven's perspective on skilling is shaped by his own professional journey. Trained as an interior designer, he spent over four years working closely with engineers, architects and technical professionals. Despite strong academic credentials, he repeatedly saw capable individuals struggle to translate education into career mobility. "The problem wasn't talent or ambition," he said. "It was relevance. There was a clear gap between what people were taught and what the workplace demanded."
That observation led to the founding of Ira Skills in 2020, with a focus on practical, outcome-driven learning for working professionals rather than fresh graduates. The platform's emphasis on Hindi-led instruction and real-world application was a deliberate attempt to make skilling accessible to India's vast mid-career workforce, many of whom are excluded by English-heavy or theory-first models.
The convocation also highlighted the role of community in career transformation. Several participants shared personal journeys of moving into new roles, negotiating better pay, or building freelance income streams using newly acquired skills. Applause often followed peer stories-underscoring a collective shift in how professionals view growth: not as a solo pursuit, but a shared experience.
Founded in 2020, Ira Skills has trained over five lakh paid learners nationwide and currently holds a 4.8-star Google rating based on more than 55,000 reviews. With its first convocation in Mumbai, the platform signalled a broader ambition-to redefine skilling as something to be celebrated publicly, much like academic milestones once were.
As Mumbai's workforce continues to evolve, events like this point to a changing definition of success-one shaped less by degrees and designations, and more by adaptability, practical skills and the confidence to rebuild when required.
