Kraftshala School of Business launches 8X Impact to expand access to outcome-led education for high-potential students from low-income families

• 8X Impact is a critical step in supporting Kraftshala’s long-term ambition to achieve 1 million placements by 2047

NEW DELHI: Kraftshala School of Business, today announced the launch of 8X Impact, a first of its kind merit access track designed to make its outcome-led programs accessible to high-potential students from low-income backgrounds who are locked out not by lack of ability, but by lack of financial means. Under 8X Impact, selected students pay 20% of the program fee upfront, while Kraftshala supports the remaining 80%, which is repaid only after the student secures a job with a CTC of INR 4.5 LPA or above.

India’s higher education enrolment has reached a record 4.5 crore students, yet for many families, the path from education to employability remains incomplete. Financial pressure forces many bright students to drop out, while others complete degrees that do not translate into jobs. For households that have already stretched every rupee to fund formal education, there is often nothing left for practical, job-linked training.

Kraftshala has already solved one half of that problem. Its programs are built around a simple promise: outcomes, not optics. Kraftshala has delivered 100% placements at an average salary of INR 11.5 LPA in AI-Led Sales, Marketing and Business Programme, and 94% placements at an average salary of INR 5.5 LPA in Marketing Launchpad. With 8X Impact, the institution is extending those outcomes to the students who stand to gain the most from them but are most likely to be priced out.

8X Impact is not a typical scholarship. It is not a loan. And it is not charity. The model is built to combine access, accountability and dignity. Students contribute 20% of the fee upfront as a signal of commitment. There is no interest burden, no EMI pressure while they study, and no repayment until there is a real income outcome. Each repayment then goes on to support the next deserving student, creating a self-sustaining engine of upward mobility rather than a one-time pool of aid.

The name 8X Impact comes from the multiplier effect Kraftshala believes one career can create. One student’s first strong job does not change one life alone; it can change the trajectory of an entire family today and reshape opportunity for the generation that follows, at least eight lives across two generations. That ripple is where the name 8X impact comes from.

For families earning below INR 5 LPA, a student’s first job can materially alter household economics within a short period. Kraftshala has built 8X Impact around that exact belief: that when the right student gets the right training and the right outcome, the effect compounds far beyond the individual.

The 8X track is meant for students who combine merit with genuine need. Under the programme, applicants are assessed on communication skills, evidence of past achievement, intent, grit and financial need, with family income typically at INR 6 LPA or below, evaluated holistically rather than through a mechanical cut-off.

Commenting on the launch, Varun Satia, Founder & CEO, Kraftshala School of Business, said, “India does not have a shortage of talent. It has a shortage of access to the kind of training that changes career outcomes. Too many bright students from low-income families do everything right, work hard, get the degree, make the sacrifice, and still do not get the break they deserve. That is the gap 8X Impact is built to close. We already know how to train students into industry-ready professionals and get them placed. With 8X, we are making sure money is no longer the reason the highest-potential students are left behind.”

Kraftshala’s long-term ambition is to place one million students by 2047 and, in the process, help lift one million families. 8X Impact is a critical step in that journey - taking Kraftshala’s strongest outcomes to the students who need them most and building a model that can sustain, scale and compound over time.

About Kraftshala School of Business

Kraftshala School of Business is India’s leading skilling institution for sales, marketing and business careers, focused on outcome-driven programs backed by real placement accountability. Founded in 2016 by Varun Satia and Eshu Sharma, Kraftshala has built programs that combine deep industry integration, practitioner-led learning and strong placement outcomes. Its programs are designed to create professionals who can contribute from day one, and its alumni are placed across companies such as Amazon, Google, Nykaa and Publicis. Through initiatives such as 8X Impact, Kraftshala is extending access to high-quality, job-linked education for students who have the potential to go far, but not always the means to get there.