On 24 February 2026, I stood inside the House of Lords at the UK Parliament in London – not as a visitor, but as an honouree. I have been named to the India UK Achievers Class of 2026 in the Business & Entrepreneurship category, recognised for the work I’ve done building Digital Scholar and echoVME Digital over the past 18 years.
Some moments don’t fully register until later. This was one of them. The Cholmondeley Room and Terrace at the House of Lords, surrounded by 42 extraordinary Indians who have all studied in the UK and gone on to shape industries across the globe and my name was on that list.
Let me walk you through how this happened, what the India UK Achievers Honours actually is, and what it means for my journey ahead.
Table of Contents
What Are the India UK Achievers Honours?
Before I talk about my experience, let me give you some context because this isn’t just another award ceremony.
The India UK Achievers Honours is the flagship initiative of NISAU (National Indian Students and Alumni Union UK), organised in official partnership with the UK Government’s Department for Business and Trade, Universities UK, and the Association of Indian Universities. It was launched in 2022 to mark India’s 75th year of Independence, and it has quickly become the most prestigious recognition for Indians who have studied in the United Kingdom.
The programme doesn’t just celebrate academic success — it recognises people who took their UK education and channelled it into real-world impact. We’re talking about leaders in business, politics, science, the arts, media, and social justice who are actively strengthening the “Living Bridge” between India and the UK.
Past honourees include Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh (Lifetime Achievement Honour), actor Parineeti Chopra, politician Raghav Chadha, and Union Minister Jayant Chaudhary, who was among the seven Outstanding Achievers in the Class of 2026.
Being placed in the same programme as these names, that’s not something I take lightly.
The Leeds Chapter: Where It All Started
In 2007, I was a 20-year-old from Chennai who had just finished his BSc in Plant Biology and Biotechnology at Loyola College. I had no industry connections, no family business to fall back on, and no clear roadmap. But I had a conviction that marketing was going digital, and I needed to understand it at a global level.
I enrolled in the MS in International Marketing Management programme at the University of Leeds. What followed was one of the most transformative years of my life.
Leeds didn’t just teach me marketing theory. It taught me how to think critically, collaborate across cultures, and present ideas with conviction. I graduated with Merit, and along the way, I received the Leadership Award, the Class Champion Award, and the Best Presenter Award – three recognitions that gave me the confidence to bet on myself when I returned to India.
“My UK education didn’t just give me a degree. It gave me a lens – a way of seeing opportunities where others saw saturation, and a global perspective that shaped every business decision I’ve made since.”
— Sorav Jain
Looking back, Leeds was the incubation period. Everything I’ve built since – echoVME, Digital Scholar, my personal brand, my content on AI, all of it traces back to that one year in the UK.
From a Dorm Room Dream to 300,000+ Students
When I came back to Chennai in 2008, the Indian digital marketing ecosystem was practically non-existent. Social media was still considered “casual.” SEO was a mystery to most businesses. And the idea of building a career in digital marketing? People thought I was crazy.
I started my career at 17 as an SEO executive. In 2011, I founded echoVME Digital – a digital marketing agency that now works with brands like Amazon, Meta, Bosch, and Ramco Systems. We didn’t just build campaigns; we built case studies that redefined what was possible for Indian brands online.
Then came Digital Scholar. I realised that the biggest gap in India’s digital economy wasn’t tools or technology, it was education. People needed practical, framework-driven training that they could apply immediately. Not textbook theory. Not recycled slides. Real, hands-on education from people who were doing the work every single day.
Today, Digital Scholar operates in Chennai, Mumbai, and Dubai. We’ve trained over 300,000 professionals globally. In 2025, we launched India’s first 1-Year MBA in Digital Marketing in partnership with Woolf University, a European-accredited institution. And our content on AI tools, digital marketing strategy, and creator monetisation reaches over 500,000 people on Instagram alone.
Three Days in London I’ll Never Forget
The India UK Achievers Honours wasn’t a one-night event. It was a three-day celebration that brought together achievers, policymakers, university leaders, and senior stakeholders from across the India-UK corridor.
24 February – Parliamentary Reception at the House of Lords. The Achievers Class of 2026 was formally unveiled in the Cholmondeley Room and Terrace. 42 achievers. One historic venue. Full security clearance to enter the UK Parliament.
25 February – India Global Education Reception. An evening of networking with education leaders, diplomats, and business figures shaping the India-UK relationship.
26 February – India UK Education Conference + Gala Ceremony. A full day of sessions on AI, employability, and the future of India-UK education followed by a black-tie Gala Ceremony with a three-course dinner where Outstanding Achievers in each category were revealed.
Walking through those halls, meeting fellow achievers from completely different fields – surgeons, politicians, chefs, writers, scientists – I was reminded of something powerful: education is the ultimate common thread. Every single person in that room had one thing in common: a UK education that shaped who they became.
Why This Award Matters to Me
I’ve been fortunate to receive several recognitions over the years from being named the world’s leading digital marketing influencer by BuzzSumo (two years running) to winning AI Creator of 2025 by NDTV and Whosthat360 earlier this year.
But this one is different.
This isn’t just an industry award. This is the UK Government, in partnership with NISAU, formally recognising that the education I received at Leeds and the work I’ve done with it since has contributed to the India-UK relationship in a meaningful way. That full-circle moment, from being a student in the UK to being honoured at the UK Parliament, is something I’ll carry with me forever.
It’s also a powerful message for every young Indian who is considering studying abroad: your education is not a transaction. It’s an investment that compounds for decades. The skills, the networks, the mindset you build those returns don’t show up on a balance sheet, but they show up in your life’s work.
What’s Next
If there’s one thing I’ve learned in 18 years of building businesses and training people, it’s this: awards are milestones, not destinations.
2026 for me is about one thing scaling AI education to reach millions. I believe that artificial intelligence is the greatest equaliser of our generation. The gap between those who can use AI and those who can’t is going to define the next decade of careers, businesses, and economies. And I want to be on the side that closes that gap.
Through Digital Scholar, through my content, through the frameworks I share every day. I’m committed to helping creators, entrepreneurs, students, and professionals build real leverage with AI and digital marketing.
Because the creators who will win in 2026 aren’t the ones who “know AI.” They’re the ones who can apply it, teach it, and build systems with it.
“Your education doesn’t end at graduation. It starts there. My UK education gave me a perspective. India gave me the opportunity. AI gave me the medium. And the UK Parliament just gave me a moment I’ll carry forever.”
— Sorav Jain
If you’re someone with a dream that feels too big — keep going. The world has a way of recognising those who refuse to quit.
Sorav Jain
Founder of Digital Scholar & echoVME Digital. India UK Achiever 2026 (Business & Entrepreneurship). University of Leeds alumnus. Training 300,000+ professionals in Digital Marketing & AI.
