Beyond Engineering Dreams: How Divya Joshi is Expanding Dehradun’s Career Horizons
- 6 days ago
- 6 min read
An HR veteran who trained 1 lakh students for IIMs brings India’s premier law and management coaching to the hills.
On a crisp January morning in Dehradun, as the winter sun painted Mussoorie’s distant peaks in shades of gold, Mr.Divya Joshi unlocked the doors to something the city had long been missing—a space where students could explore diverse career pathways beyond the traditional routes of engineering and medicine.
January 25, 2026, marked the inauguration of Toprankers in Dehradun, India’s leading platform for CLAT, IPMAT, CAT, CUET, and design entrance coaching. For Mr. Joshi, a seasoned HR professional and leadership coach who has trained over 1 lakh students for IIMs and 50,000 teachers for professional development, this represents more than a business venture—it’s a homecoming to the hills he discovered through the writings of Ruskin Bond.
“I have read Ruskin Bond extensively and fell in love with Mussoorie through his pages,” Mr. Joshi reflects. “Moving to Dehradun felt natural because I appreciate the hills, the people, and the pace of life here. Business is about people, and whether in Dehradun or Delhi, success lies where your heart is.”
From Corporate Leadership to Educational Innovation
Mr. Divya Joshi’s professional journey offers valuable insights into career evolution. With an MBA in HR and a bachelor’s in Humanities (Linguistics and Literature Honours), he built his experience across senior and middle management roles at VFS Global, Vodafone, Tata Communications, Dulux Paints, and TIME.
His expertise spans team development, corporate sales, and HR consulting, with a specialization in Learning & Organizational Development. Over time, Mr. Joshi recognized that his greatest impact could come from guiding students at pivotal moments in their educational journeys.
“Working with 1 lakh students preparing for IIMs and 50,000 teachers taught me that the gap often isn’t in intelligence or potential—it’s in awareness and access to quality guidance,” he observes.
When the opportunity arose to bring Toprankers—India’s established test preparation platform for careers beyond engineering and medicine—to Dehradun, Mr. Joshi saw alignment with his professional mission.
Addressing an Educational Gap
Dehradun, home to prestigious institutions including Doon School, Welham Girls’, and The Asian School, has cultivated a strong academic culture. However, specialized coaching for competitive exams beyond JEE and NEET has been limited.
“While the coaching market here has maintained steady performance, there’s potential for fresh approaches and expanded offerings,” Mr. Joshi notes. “The city deserves more options, and I believe we can contribute meaningfully to that landscape.”
While metropolitan areas like Delhi, Mumbai, and Bangalore have seen significant growth in specialized coaching for law (CLAT), management (IPMAT, CAT), design (NIFT, NID), and humanities (CUET), Dehradun’s coaching ecosystem has remained focused primarily on traditional engineering and medical entrance exams.
Students aspiring to careers in law, management, or design have typically faced limited local options: settling for generalist coaching centers or relocating to metropolitan areas. Toprankers offers an alternative approach.
The Toprankers Platform
Founded in 2016, Toprankers has established itself as a comprehensive platform for careers beyond engineering and medicine. The company provides specialized coaching for multiple competitive examinations through dedicated brands:
LegalEdge focuses on law entrance exams, SuperGrads addresses management preparation, Judiciary Gold serves judicial service aspirants, and Creative Edge supports design education pathways. The platform emphasizes experienced faculty, interactive learning environments, comprehensive test series, and individualized mentoring.
The Dehradun center, located at Das Road, Rippon Road, above UTI Mutual Funds near Astley Hall, brings this comprehensive educational ecosystem to Uttarakhand’s capital.
Adapting to Local Context
Establishing a new venture brings predictable challenges in logistics and infrastructure, but Mr. Joshi found his most valuable learning came from understanding local business culture.
“Adapting to the professional rhythms and relationship-building approaches in Dehradun required recalibration,” he acknowledges.
Coming from fast-paced corporate environments in Mumbai and Delhi, where decisions and execution often move rapidly, Mr. Joshi adjusted his approach to align with Dehradun’s more relationship-focused business culture.
“The deliberate pace that initially attracted me to this region also shaped how business relationships develop here,” he explains. “Trust builds gradually. People value connection before commitment. This approach ultimately creates more meaningful relationships with students, parents, and partners.”
This observation reflects a broader insight for entrepreneurs expanding to Tier II cities: what may appear as slower adoption often reflects different relationship-building norms rather than resistance.
A Student-Centered Philosophy
Joshi’s approach reflects his professional background in HR and leadership development. Rather than focusing solely on enrollment metrics, he emphasizes long-term educational guidance.
“Our goal is to help students develop awareness about diverse career paths and provide sound guidance from their first interaction with us,” he emphasizes. “Whether or not they enroll, I hope students and families feel they’ve gained valuable perspective and know they can reach out for career advice.”
This philosophy contrasts with more transactional coaching models and reflects Joshi’s belief that investing in people’s development creates sustainable outcomes.
“I want students and parents to feel they’ve found clarity and direction, not just another coaching option,” he says.
This student-centered approach extends to Toprankers’ pedagogical model, which emphasizes holistic preparation including subject mastery, analytical skill development, time management strategies, and interview preparation. For Dehradun’s students, this means access to comprehensive coaching comparable to metropolitan offerings without relocating.
Building Community Connections
Looking ahead, Mr. Joshi articulates both practical and aspirational goals for Toprankers Dehradun.
“Over the coming year, we hope to build strong relationships within Dehradun’s youth and family community, as well as with local schools. We aim to establish ourselves as a valuable resource in the CLAT, IPMAT, and CUET preparation space and contribute to expanding educational options here.”
These focus areas are strategically aligned. CLAT and IPMAT attract academically strong students seeking alternatives to traditional paths—a demographic well-represented in Dehradun’s schools. CUET, being relatively recent (launched in 2022), represents an area where quality coaching can make significant impact.
“I hope Dehradun’s students increasingly recognize that success takes many forms beyond engineering or medicine,” he reflects. “Careers in law, management, design, and humanities offer equally fulfilling paths. Our society benefits from diversity in professional expertise—we need skilled lawyers, thoughtful managers, creative designers, and insightful writers alongside engineers.”
This perspective resonates particularly well as India’s professional landscape continues to evolve and diverse career paths gain recognition.
Insights for Education Entrepreneurs
When asked about guidance for aspiring education entrepreneurs, Mr. Joshi draws on philosophical principles rather than tactical business advice.
“Consider the concept of ‘Achyut’—one whose influence grows through investing in others,” he suggests. “I encourage entrepreneurs to share knowledge generously and build networks openly. When we collectively share expertise, we elevate entire ecosystems.”
This advice emerges from his career trajectory—from corporate roles through HR consulting to teacher training and now coaching center leadership—all built on knowledge-sharing and relationship development.
“The 50,000 teachers I trained? Many now lead successful educational initiatives. The 1 lakh students I worked with? They’ve become entrepreneurs, educators, and leaders across sectors. When you genuinely invest in others’ growth, the impact compounds in unexpected ways.”
For education entrepreneurs specifically, his message emphasizes collaboration over competition: sharing expertise strengthens the entire educational community rather than diminishing individual advantage.
Expanding Access Beyond Metropolitan Areas
The arrival of Toprankers in Dehradun is more than a local expansion; it is a testament to the growing democratization of specialized education, signaling a future where world-class career prep is no longer a privilege of the metropolitan elite.
For years, students in Tier II cities have faced difficult choices—accept limited local coaching options or relocate to cities like Kota, Delhi, or Bangalore during crucial preparation years. The emotional and financial implications are substantial, with families investing significantly in accommodation, living expenses, and travel while students manage preparation stress away from home.
Toprankers’ model—combining online access to experienced faculty with local mentoring and peer support—offers an alternative. Students can access comprehensive coaching while maintaining their home environment and support systems.
“Students preparing for CLAT in Dehradun should have access to the same quality of coaching available in Delhi,” Mr. Joshi maintains. “That’s the gap we’re working to address.”
Moving Forward
As Mr. Divya Joshi establishes his presence as an advocate for diverse career pathways in Dehradun, he maintains realistic expectations about the journey ahead. Building trust in a new market requires time. Shifting established perspectives about career choices develops gradually.
His track record—training 1 lakh students for IIMs, upskilling 50,000 teachers, and successful tenures across multiple major organizations—suggests strong foundations for this venture.
The opportunity lies not simply in business success, but in expanding educational horizons. How many students might discover career paths they hadn’t previously considered because quality guidance became accessible?
“If we help even one student discover a meaningful path in law who might otherwise have reluctantly pursued engineering, that’s valuable,” he reflects. “Multiply that by many students, and we’re contributing to Dehradun’s educational landscape in meaningful ways.”
As winter transitions to spring in the Doon Valley, a new educational chapter begins—one conversation, one aspiration, one alternative career path at a time.
About Toprankers Dehradun:
Location: Das Road, Rippon Road, Above UTI Mutual Funds, Near Astley Hall, Marg, Karanpur, Dehradun, Uttarakhand 248001
Courses Offered: CLAT, Judiciary, IPMAT, CAT, CUET, NIFT, NID and other competitive examinations
Director: Mr.Divya Joshi — HR & Leadership Coach, MBA (HR), BA (Linguistics & Literature Honours)
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