Most of Meraj Faheem's career has been about one idea: helping people learn to build, and then helping them start. The projects changed over fifteen years; that thread did not.

Starting as a student founder

Meraj began, in his own description, as a student entrepreneur. According to a 2024 profile of his career, he completed postgraduate studies in clinical research at the Nizam's Institute of Medical Sciences and a master's in psychology from IGNOU, both in 2010. The same year he started The Hacking School, described as India's first coding bootcamp, and later Code.in and the Code For India Foundation to make coding education reachable for people from any background.

The Hyderabad Hustlers description of his conversation notes that The Hacking School was later acquired by iCollege Australia.

Building a home for student startups

In April 2019 he took on the role of Director and CEO of EdVenture Park, which describes itself as India's first student-focused, non-academic startup incubator, hosted by MS Education Academy. By October 2024, the career profile credited EdVenture Park under his leadership with 200+ ideas incubated, 11 startups invested in and 450+ student founders supported. (We cover EdVenture Park in more detail in a separate story.)

Alongside the incubator he started Maths.ai, an AI-based maths tutor built to adapt to a learner's speed, and has worked across fintech, edtech and foodtech products, including a food delivery service called Iftar Party.

Into government

Meraj was an Innovation Fellow with the Government of Telangana before becoming interim CEO of the Telangana Innovation Cell (TGIC). Startup Telangana now lists him as CEO of TGIC, part of the state's IT, Electronics & Communications department. He also consults with state governments on setting up incubation centres and makerspaces.

At TGIC his focus has stayed close to where he started. In March 2025 the cell signed agreements with 18 colleges across Telangana to set up innovation and entrepreneurship cells, from Kothagudem to Wanaparthy. "The establishment of these Host Institutions marks a crucial step in building a sustainable ecosystem where innovation thrives," he said at the time.

What he talked about with Hyderabad Hustlers

In his January 2025 conversation with Hyderabad Hustlers, Meraj covered how he starts his day, joining TGIC, why it took him six years to find his vision, the power of a first-degree network, the vision behind The Hacking School, his goals for the next five years, and the advice he would give young founders. He also shares a side few people expect: he writes shayari.

The thread

Read in order, the steps make sense: teach people to code, give student founders a place to build, then take that model to colleges across the state. It is the same work at a larger scale each time.

This story is based on public sources listed below and on Hyderabad Hustlers' own conversation with Meraj Faheem.