JEE Prep LIED to You: Here's Why You Need To BUILD a Career After JEE | Propelld CEO on BP2B S2 Ep.5

ℹ️ EPISODE INFO

Released

August 22, 2025

Duration

1h 4m

Channel

Best Place To Build

Watch on YouTube

▶ Open ↗

📝 EPISODE DESCRIPTION

Everyone says the end goal of IIT coaching is admission. But here’s the truth: cracking JEE is not the finish line. It’s only the beginning. In this episode of the Best Place to Build Podcast, Victor Senapaty (CEO & Co-Founder of Propelld) reveals the untold realities of the IIT journey, his path to building a Series D fintech startup, and how education loans are transforming opportunities for lakhs of students across India. From life after JEE to how to start a business in India, this episode connects student journeys with the rise of fintech in Digital India. What you’ll learn in this episode:

• Why IIT admission is not the end goal — the real journey begins after JEE
• The truth about IIT salaries and “highest package” myths
• How Propelld funds 2.5 lakh+ students every year with education loans without collateral
• The fintech model behind keeping NPAs at ~1% (vs 10% industry average)
• Scholarships, loan apps, and how to apply for an education loan after 12th
• Lessons on building a startup in India in the Digital India & Make in India wave
• Why persistence matters more than quick milestones in entrepreneurship
• Victor’s story is one of redefining success — from IIT Madras classrooms * to building a ₹1200+ crore fintech business that empowers students, parents, and India’s education system.

🚀 Whether you’re preparing for IIT, exploring fintech startups in India, or figuring out how to get an education loan without collateral, this episode has insights you won’t want to miss. Looking for the exact topic you want to know about? Here’s a breakdown: 00:00 Intro 00:47 Welcome to the Best Place to Build 01:43 What Does Propelld Do? 03:10 How Did Propelld Change Education Financing in India 09:05 Victor’s Entrepreneurship Journey 15:22 The Origin Story of Propelld 20:44 How Did Victor End Up At IIT Madras 23:52 Victor’s Insti Story 25:23 The Truth About IIT Coaching | Why “admission” is not the real end goal 31:09 Moving Past Stressful Times & Building Your Own Career At IIT Madras 32:37 Victor’s MBA Story & Introduction to Global Competitions in Finance 34:00 How Victor’s Impatience Led Him to a Life of Entrepreneurship 38:47 How Was Propelld Scaled Up? 41:40 How Did Propelld Evolve? 44:44 What Was the Pandemic Effect on Propelld? 51:44 The Byju’s Breakdown 57:00 Propelld Setting An Example 58:30 How Has FinTech Evolved as an Industry in India? 01:03:15 Closing Thoughts #bestplacetobuild #education #fintech #digitalindia #techpodcast #liferafterjee #jeepreparation #iitmadras #inpiration

🎤 SPEAKERS

• Victor Senapaty

  guest

🧾 EPISODE SUMMARY

In this episode of Best Place To Build, featuring Victor Senapaty, JEE Prep LIED to You: Here's Why You Need To BUILD a Career After JEE | Propelld CEO on BP2B S2 Ep.5 explores jEE is just a start; build careers and education-finance trust Propelld is an education-finance NBFC lending to ~2.5 lakh students annually with ~₹1200 crore AUM and ~1% NPAs, far below the ~10% industry average cited in the conversation.

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