Sachin Deshmukh
Sachin Deshmukh is the Pune-based CEO and managing director of ProTeen (estb. 2015), a career technology platform that provides AI-powered solutions for students to enable them to make informed academic and career decisions. ProTeen is a constituent of the Singapore headquartered UNIDEL Group with interests in industrial, buildings and energy automation, agritech, wealthtech and careertech.
Till date, ProTeen has provided career guidance to over 70,000 students and parents, partnered with 30 premier schools and ten higher education institutions and worked with over 20 counsellors and educators.
Newspeg. In June, ProTeen launched HERO, an AI-powered, 24×7 student assistant that provides personalised support, helps students explore career options and complements the role of parents, teachers and career counsellors. “This makes ProTeen one of India’s differentiated career guidance platforms, combining technology with human expertise to make career guidance more accessible and engaging,” says Deshmukh.
History. An electronics engineering and business management alum of Veermata Jijabai Technological Institute and S.P. Jain Institute of Management & Research – both in Mumbai, Deshmukh acquired over two decades of experience in the tech industry, having held senior leadership roles at Zensar Technologies and Cybage Software prior to signing up with the UNIDEL Group in 2021.
Direct talk. “At the core of ProTeen is our 3D Awareness Engine, built around three interconnected dimensions: Awareness of Self, Awareness of the Career Landscape and Awareness of the Right Fit. The first dimension focuses on the individual. Through psychometric assessments covering aptitude, multiple intelligences, personality and interests, we help students develop a clear picture of their strengths, preferences and potential. The second dimension is focused on understanding the world of work. Most students are familiar with a limited range of professions, often influenced by their immediate surroundings. ProTeen introduces them to a wider career landscape and helps them understand available opportunities. The third dimension brings these insights together, helping students explore how their individual profiles might align with different academic and career pathways. What makes this approach important is that career guidance should not be reduced to a test score or a list of recommended professions but should help students understand themselves, discover possibilities and evaluate their choices. ProTeen combines psychometric frameworks, career intelligence, technology and human counselling to support this process,” says Deshmukh.
“We partner with schools, colleges, NGOs and counsellors to integrate career guidance more systematically into the educational journey. Our objective is not to predict a student’s future, but to equip them with the awareness and confidence to make informed choices,” he adds.
Future plans. Deshmukh has ambitious future plans. “Our goal is to launch the Young Achievers Scholarship Programme with scholarships worth ₹10 lakh for 40 deserving students, deepen partnerships with schools, colleges, NGOs, coaching centres and CSR programmes to reach students across different socio-economic backgrounds and geographies, introducing career competitions, quizzes and interactive activities that encourage students to explore careers early, discover new interests and engage with career guidance beyond a formal assessment. Simultaneously we will continue to enhance our AI-powered assistant HERO, expand language support and strengthen career intelligence to make guidance more personalised, accessible and relevant to the dynamic world of work. We want to ensure that a young person’s future is shaped by their potential, not limited by their exposure or circumstances,” says Deshmukh.
Add comment