A centuries-old Indian tradition is finding fresh resonance in today’s technology-driven world.

The timeless guru–shishya parampara, once rooted in close personal exchange within gurukuls is quietly re-emerging through modern mentorship models.

Once defined by deep trust, emotional guidance and holistic growth, the tradition placed the guru as both intellectual and spiritual anchor.

While contemporary education has shifted toward digital tools, online classes and global virtual communities, Kumbhat notes that learners today are increasingly seeking the very qualities ancient systems embodied: direction, balance and meaning.

Mentorship, he says, is making a notable comeback. Students now look beyond subject expertise, valuing steady guidance and perspective in an era marked by distraction and information overload.

Technology, once feared as a barrier to genuine connection, has instead become a conduit enabling live mentorship, interactive spaces and teacher-student bonds that transcend geography.

Across schools, universities and digital platforms, this renewed model prioritises empathy, presence and purposeful exchange. Educators report that students often remember not the content of lessons, but the connection and support that shaped their learning journeys.

As online environments accelerate pace and fragment attention, the principles of the guru–shishya tradition offer a grounding counterbalance.

The emphasis on patience, sincerity and reflection is proving increasingly relevant, turning learning from a transactional process into a meaningful relationship.

Kumbhat says the revival underscores a larger shift in educational philosophy: as data grows abundant, clarity becomes the true need. By restoring the human element, mentorship is helping shape not just informed learners but more centred individuals — carrying forward the essence of an ancient legacy into the future.

- By Nirpeksh Kumbhat, CEO and Director of the Academy of Vedic Vidya