Bengaluru-based edtech startup Oratrics came into being with a view to offering holistic personality development training programmes and courses for students and professionals. Enterprise Times talked to Anas Shoeb, Co-founder & COO of Oratrics, to know how Oratrics blends Artificial Intelligence, behavioural science, and human mentorship to create personalised communication training at scale.
Enterprise Times: What core problem in India’s education system inspired the creation of Oratrics, and how has that vision evolved over the years?
Anas Shoeb: The starting point was a simple but painful observation: children were not losing marks, they were losing their voices. I kept seeing brilliant students who could write perfect answers but struggled to explain their own thoughts when asked to speak. Somewhere in the system, expression was treated as an extra rather than a necessity. That bothered me because communication is not just speaking, it is thinking aloud, standing your ground, and learning to be understood. The early idea was to create a space where young people could express themselves without judgement. Over the years, that vision expanded into something deeper: not just helping them speak, but helping them understand themselves. The focus shifted from performance to personality, from articulation to awareness. When learners start trusting their voice, everything else transforms.
Enterprise Times: Soft skills continue to be overlooked in mainstream education. Why do you believe they are now more critical than academic grades for future success?
Anas Shoeb: Grades tell you whether someone has studied; soft skills tell you whether someone can navigate life. The world is changing too quickly for information alone to guarantee success. What really shapes a person’s journey is their ability to listen, collaborate, problem-solve, lead with empathy, and communicate ideas with clarity. I’ve seen academically strong students fall behind because they couldn’t speak up, and average students rise because they could express their thinking with conviction. Soft skills aren’t a substitute for knowledge, but they are the bridge that carries knowledge into the real world. You may know everything about a subject, but if you can’t articulate it confidently and calmly, the opportunity passes to someone who can.
Enterprise Times: How does Oratrics blend AI, behavioural science, and human mentorship to create personalised communication training at scale?
Anas Shoeb: Technology alone can’t teach confidence, and humans alone can’t analyse behavioural patterns at scale. The blend works because each side complements the other. AI helps us understand small behavioural cues, a pause filled with hesitation, a dip in tone after a difficult phrase, or moments when a learner’s confidence wavers. Behavioral science helps decode what those moments mean emotionally and cognitively. Mentors bring warmth, interpretation, and human judgement that no system can replicate. When all these pieces click, personal guidance reaches thousands without losing its human feel. The point isn’t to turn conversations into scripts, it’s to really get where learners are coming from, so the support actually matters.
Enterprise Times: Many argue soft skills cannot be measured. How does your platform quantify progress in communication, confidence, and personality development?
Anas Shoeb: Soft skills aren’t measured in numbers, but they show themselves in behavior. You spot real progress when someone who used to sit silent suddenly jumps in with their own ideas. Or when a learner stops rushing and starts speaking with purpose, you can just feel that shift. Over time, it’s the little things that stand out: how they handle tough moments, how well they listen, how they bounce back from slip-ups. That’s what real growth in communication looks like. It doesn’t always show up as a score, but these signs speak louder than any grade. Ultimately, improvement in soft skills is visible in how freely and authentically someone expresses themselves.
Enterprise Times: With the Future Human Program™, what age-specific learning gaps are you solving, and what measurable impact have you seen?
Anas Shoeb: Each age carries its own internal battle. Younger kids are still finding their voice, so they need a gentle push, not constant correction. Pre-teens wrestle with self-doubt and start comparing themselves to others; mostly, they just want to know their ideas count. Teenagers, they’re up against figuring out who they are, plus whatever the world expects from them. Helping them speak up without fear really matters. By the time they’re young adults, most know what they want to say, but clarity and confidence don’t always come easy. The real impact isn’t about medals or certificates, it’s the gradual rise in confidence. The kid who finally puts up their hand. The teen who starts sharing openly. The young adult who stops second-guessing every word. These changes might look small from the outside, but they completely change where a learner’s headed.
Enterprise Times: As National Education Day approaches, what key behavioural and communication competencies should India prioritise to build future-ready learners?
Anas Shoeb: If we want future-ready learners, we must prioritise clarity, emotional steadiness, and the ability to communicate without fear. India has always valued knowledge, but now we need to value expression just as much. Students must learn how to articulate ideas in a way that others can understand and engage with. They also need emotional resilience, pressure, competition, and uncertainty have become part of their daily lives. And above all, they need independent thinking. When learners develop the courage to ask questions, disagree respectfully, and express their perspective clearly, we build not just good students but capable individuals ready for a world that rewards initiative.
Enterprise Times: Oratrics has expanded to 15+ countries. What makes your model scalable globally while still culturally adaptable?
Anas Shoeb: Communication is universal, but expression is cultural. What works is the respect we give to each learner’s cultural identity. The goal is not to create a single communication style that everyone must follow, but to help learners discover the strongest version of their own voice. In some cultures, confidence looks bold; in others, it looks calm. Different places value different things, some appreciate direct talk, others respect a more thoughtful approach. The key is really noticing these differences and giving learners space to be themselves. When you work with the culture, not against it, scaling up just happens on its own.
Enterprise Times: How are you shaping the upskilling and reskilling of India’s workforce, especially as communication becomes a decisive factor in career advancement?
Anas Shoeb: India’s workforce is changing fast. Being good at the technical stuff isn’t enough anymore. Now, people are expected to share their thinking, explain their choices, handle disagreements, and work together smoothly. Communication is what sets folks apart. Once people find their voice, everything picks up—projects run better, teams work tighter, leaders step up, trust grows. Many professionals already have the knowledge; what they lack is the confidence to present it in a way that carries impact. When communication matures, careers accelerate because the individual is finally seen and heard for the value they bring.
Enterprise Times: AI in education raises ethical concerns: How do you ensure inclusivity, bias-free algorithms, and responsible usage within your platform?
Anas Shoeb: The only way to use AI responsibly is to keep humans in charge of judgement. Data must be reviewed regularly, biases must be identified early, and the system must never be allowed to label or categorise learners in a way that affects their self-worth. AI should support growth, not gatekeep it. UNESCO backs this up, too. Their guidance on AI in education keeps coming back to fairness, transparency, and keeping people in the loop. For me, it is simple, technology should build confidence, not stress. If AI can help learners grow while respecting their dignity and keeping things fair, then it’s doing its job right.
