From Dehradun Institute To State Private University: Raunak Jain’s Journey

Named among India’s 40 Under 40 this year, Raunak Jain returned from London in 2012 and chose to build an education ecosystem in Dehradun rather than move to one of India’s metropolitan centres. Fourteen years later, the institution he helped develop has received State Private University status.

In 2012, Raunak Jain returned to India from London with a decision that could easily have taken his career in another direction. A postgraduate from Royal Holloway, University of London, he could have built a career in Delhi, Bengaluru or another major metropolitan centre. Instead, he returned to Dehradun. He did not simply choose to come home. He chose to build at home.

At the time, Tulas was a 6 years old  educational institution, established in 2006 under the Rishabh Educational Trust. It had a recognised presence in Dehradun, but India’s higher education landscape remained largely concentrated around metropolitan cities.

Jain chose to work within that ecosystem and contribute to its transformation. Fourteen years later, that journey reached a significant milestone. In 2026, Tulas was granted State Private University status.

Why Dehradun? For generations, families across North India had trusted Dehradun for school education. Yet after Class XII, many students left for metropolitan cities because they believed that better higher-education opportunities existed elsewhere.

Jain saw an opportunity in that gap. He believed that an institution in Dehradun could become strong enough to give students the opportunities they were otherwise leaving the city to pursue. That belief shaped the institution’s development: build academic quality, industry connections, research opportunities and platforms for student development without making a metropolitan address a condition for ambition.

Over the years, Tulas expanded from its beginnings as an engineering institute into a broader educational ecosystem. Today, the university has students from more than 25 states and six countries, alongside academic, research, industry, sporting and student-development infrastructure.

From Building an Institution to Building People

Jain’s understanding of education goes beyond classrooms, examinations and degrees.

At the centre of his philosophy is character building. “Rankings have their place, but they are not the purpose. What matters is whether we are producing thinking students, young people who can solve problems, not just score marks.”

For Jain, academic knowledge is necessary but insufficient. Education should develop confidence, discipline, responsibility, empathy, independent thinking and the ability to make sound decisions. This philosophy has influenced the way he views institutional development. Infrastructure and programmes matter, but their real value lies in the opportunities they create for students to develop intellectually, professionally and personally.

What Was Built

The growth of Tulas can be seen across academics, research, industry and student life.

The university campus includes a library with more than 70,000 books and 2,500 journals, sporting facilities including football, athletics, cricket, badminton, volleyball and basketball, a shooting range, a Heartfulness Yoga centre and medical support.

An NCC battalion operates on campus under the Ministry of Defence, alongside an NSS unit under the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports. Student clubs and technical societies provide additional platforms for leadership, collaboration and practical learning. The academic ecosystem has expanded alongside the campus.

The institution has produced more than 2,000 research papers, holds more than 30 patents and has received government research grants exceeding Rs 1.50 crore. Its Technology Business Incubator Foundation, approved by MSME and Startup Uttarakhand, supports startups and operates facilities including an IoT laboratory, fab lab and IPR cell.

Academic collaborations include relationships with institutions of national importance.. The university has also recorded more than 700 campus recruitment drives and maintains more than 25 active industry partnerships.

Education Beyond the University

Jain’s vision extends beyond higher education. Tula’s International School, the group’s residential boarding school, reflects his belief that education should also develop independence and responsibility. Residential students learn to manage their time, resolve disagreements, work with peers and take responsibility for their daily lives.

The school and university therefore represent different stages of the same broader educational idea: developing individuals who are capable of making decisions, working with others and taking responsibility for their choices.

The Person Beyond the Campus

Jain’s work has also extended beyond conventional academic administration. He has served as President of the Uttarakhand Crossbow Shooting Association and previously led the Uttarakhand Taekwondo Association. He holds a second dan black belt in taekwondo, certified by Kukkiwon, the World Taekwondo Headquarters in South Korea. He has also supported wildlife conservation initiatives in Uttarakhand. These engagements reflect interests in discipline, physical development and community participation beyond the conventional academic environment.

2026: From Institution to University

The granting of State Private University status in 2026 marks a new phase for the institution.

A university is not simply a larger college. It brings greater academic autonomy and the ability to develop programmes, strengthen research, build collaborations and respond more directly to changing demands in education and industry. Tulas has already expanded into areas shaped by these changes, including law and technology-focused programmes in artificial intelligence, data science, cybersecurity and full-stack development. Management and computer applications programmes have also expanded into areas influenced by digital transformation. For Jain, the new status brings an opportunity to widen the institution’s academic ambitions while preparing students for a world being reshaped by artificial intelligence, technology and changing forms of work. The challenge is to combine technological readiness with judgement, character and responsibility.

Education and Viksit Bharat

This philosophy connects with the larger national aspiration of Viksit Bharat.

India’s development will require engineers, entrepreneurs, researchers, managers, lawyers, technologists and professionals across sectors. It will also require citizens who can act with integrity, think independently, take responsibility and contribute beyond personal success.

Education therefore becomes part of nation building. When students leave an institution with knowledge, capability, confidence and character, their influence extends beyond the campus into workplaces, families, communities and institutions. The development of a country is ultimately connected to the development of its people.

The Next Chapter

Raunak Jain’s journey began with a decision to return from London to Dehradun at a time when many ambitious professionals were moving in the opposite direction. He chose to build an institution in a city that had long been trusted for school education but had fewer higher-education opportunities than India’s metropolitan centres.

From its establishment in 2006, Tulas has developed into a larger educational ecosystem, and in 2026 it entered its university phase. That transition changes the scale of the opportunity as well as the responsibility. The next phase is not simply about adding programmes or infrastructure. It is about using the university’s greater academic autonomy to create knowledge, develop capable professionals and shape young people who can contribute meaningfully to society. For Jain, the larger measure of this journey lies beyond the institution itself: in the capability and character of the students who pass through it, and in what they go on to contribute to India.

Tula’s University, Dehradun, is a State Private University established in 2006 under the Rishabh Educational Trust. Tula’s Group also operates Tula’s International School, a residential boarding school. Raunak Jain is Co-Founder and Senior Vice President of Tula’s Group and was named among India’s 40 Under 40 leaders.