Imran Khan Mewati Delivers Powerful Talk at NDTV Education Summit

Imran Khan Mewati, a top 10 finalist for the 2025 Gems Education Global Teacher Prize, delivered a powerful address at the NDTV Education Conclave, where he showcased how technology, innovation and teacher-led solutions are transforming rural education in India.

Held under the theme of India’s Road Ahead as part of the country’s vision for Viksit Bharat, the NDTV Education Conclave brought together leading policymakers, educators and innovators to explore the future of learning in India. Core questions posed at the summit included: Is AI in education a boon or a bane? Should schools prioritise skills or academic foundations? And how can education become truly inclusive?

In this context, Imran's story stood out as a shining example of grassroots impact. Speaking about his work as the only teacher in a government school for 180 students in rural Rajasthan, Imran described how he used technology to overcome severe resource constraints. He has personally developed over 100 free educational apps, covering subjects from mathematics and science to health and digital literacy, which are now used by millions of learners across 50 countries.

“Technology can be a great equaliser, but only when teachers are empowered to use it effectively,” Imran said during his presentation. “The real challenge is not AI itself, but whether we are training our teachers to guide students in this new learning environment.”

He shared deeply personal stories of impact, including rural girls from Dungarpur who used his apps to pass competitive exams and are now training as police officers, teachers, accountants, and civil servants. “Over 100 of my former students have gone on to build successful careers,” he noted. “That’s the real return on investment in education.”

Imran also made a strong case for inclusive and personalised learning, urging policy-makers to rethink one-size-fits-all approaches. “We must adapt the system to meet the needs of every child, not expect every child to fit the system,” he said.

Echoing the conclave’s broader goals, Khan called for greater investment in teachers as the key to building a future-ready, confident, and employable India. “If we want to create global leaders in innovation and research, we must begin by supporting those who inspire them, our teachers,” he concluded.

With his address, Khan exemplified the Conclave’s mission: to reimagine education as the foundation of a thinking, productive India, and to place educators at the heart of the nation’s development journey.

Watch Imran Khan Mewati at the NDTV Education Conclave

Learn more about Global Teacher Prize Ambassador Imran Khan Mewati