Talk
What's on your mind?
You don't need to arrive with a perfectly framed question. Sometimes even "I am confused" is enough to begin.
Sometimes, you don't need another answer. 
You need the right conversation.
Second Innings is a space for young people to talk openly, understand themselves better, explore possibilities and find their own way forward.
Not every question has an obvious answer.
Youhaveinformationeverywhere.Coursestochoosefrom.Careerstoconsider.Opportunitiestoexplore.Opinionstolistento.Expectationstomeet.Andcountlessstoriestellingyouwhatsuccessshouldlooklike.Butmoreinformationdoesn'talwaysbringmoreclarity.
- What do I really want?
- What am I actually good at?
- Am I choosing for myself, or following what others expect?
- What possibilities am I not even aware of?
- And what should I do next?
You don't need to have all the answers. Sometimes, you need a space where you can talk openly, think differently and explore without being judged or told what you should become.
That's where Second Innings begins. A conversation can bring a new perspective. A new perspective can open wider possibilities.
A space for perspective, possibilities and action
Second Innings is an initiative created to support young people as they navigate the choices, transitions and possibilities that shape their lives beyond the classroom.
It is built on the belief that preparing for life requires more than academic achievement or access to information. Young people also benefit from opportunities to understand themselves, broaden their exposure, consider different perspectives and develop the confidence to make choices they can own.
Second Innings brings these elements together through individual conversations, meaningful exposure, exploration of opportunities and thoughtful follow-through.
It is deliberately different from a conventional counselling, coaching or motivational model. There are no ready-made prescriptions and no attempt to define success for the young person.
Instead, the approach is to listen before responding, understand before suggesting, explore before narrowing choices, and encourage action rather than dependence.
To help young people see more, think more clearly and move forward with greater ownership of their choices.
Why “Second Innings”?
After more than three decades across the corporate world, entrepreneurship and higher education, Deepak Sogani chose to dedicate the next phase of his professional life to working with young people.
His experience of working closely with university students reinforced something he had come to value deeply: some of the most meaningful contributions happen through conversations that help a young person gain perspective, discover an opportunity, reconsider a choice or take a meaningful next step.
The first innings was about building his own journey. The Second Innings is about using that experience to contribute to the journeys of young people.
You don't need to have everything figured out.
Second Innings is primarily for young people navigating important questions, choices and transitions in their lives.
Trying to understand yourself better
Your marks, degree or résumé tell only part of your story.
Wondering what comes next
You have options but aren't sure how to think about them.
Exploring education or career possibilities
Not simply "Which course should I choose?" but also "Why does this choice make sense for me?"
Looking beyond conventional options
You want to discover opportunities, experiences or paths you may not have encountered before.
Preparing for a transition
School to university. University life. Internships. Projects. First career decisions. Life after graduation.
Dealing with a setback or change of plan
Something hasn't worked as expected, and you're trying to understand what comes next.
Carrying a question you haven't been able to discuss openly
Sometimes the starting point isn't a career decision at all. It is simply something you need to talk through.
One conversation can be a beginning
Second Innings does not begin with a presentation, a questionnaire full of scores or a predetermined solution. It begins with you.
Understand
We look beyond the immediate question.
What matters to you? What are you experiencing? What are your concerns? What might be influencing your thinking? Understanding comes before advice.
Explore
There may be possibilities you haven't considered yet.
Together, we explore different perspectives, alternatives, opportunities and questions worth thinking about.
Choose your next step
The objective isn't for someone else to make the decision for you.
It is to help you move towards a next step that makes sense to you and that you are willing to own.
Follow through
Where appropriate, we reconnect.
What did you try? What happened? What did you discover? What should happen next? Because a meaningful conversation becomes more valuable when it leads to action.
Meet Deepak Sogani
Deepak Sogani brings over 35 years of experience across the corporate world, entrepreneurship and higher education, giving him the opportunity to work with people across different ages, backgrounds and stages of life.
His experience in higher education brought him particularly close to young people: not only through formal responsibilities, but through countless conversations about their aspirations, choices, opportunities, challenges and life beyond the classroom.
Over time, he discovered that what he valued most was not telling young people what to do, but helping them think, bringing a different perspective to the conversation and opening their minds to possibilities they may not have considered.
“I am not here to decide a young person's future. I want to help them understand themselves, see possibilities and make choices they can own.”
Student voices
Long before Second Innings took shape, young people were already describing the value they found in their interactions with Deepak. These reflections, shared voluntarily by students and alumni on LinkedIn, offer a glimpse of the approach that now informs Second Innings.
“You never just prepared students for university, you prepared us for life. You taught us to take ownership, stay disciplined, think independently, stand by our decisions, and never compromise on our values.”
Priya Kaushik
Project Manager | Business Analyst
Former StudentSource: LinkedIn ↗
“You were the person who saw potential in me before I did... The confidence to take on opportunities, make difficult decisions, and lead people is something I owe to you.”
Bismanpreet Singh
Startup Ecosystem Professional | Former Student Council President
Former StudentSource: LinkedIn ↗
“Whenever I found myself unsure of the next step, your perspective helped me see possibilities I couldn't see on my own... every student deserves to have a mentor like you.”
Himangi Chaturvedi
Associate Project Manager
Former StudentSource: LinkedIn ↗
“What I value most is that you never simply gave answers. You helped me learn how to find them myself.”
Omprakash Kumawat
Software Engineer
Former StudentSource: LinkedIn ↗
“The professional world has made us realize exactly why you pushed us so hard. You didn't just teach us, you built our character and prepared us for reality.”
Jia Soni
HR Manager | Coaching & Mentoring
Former StudentSource: LinkedIn ↗
“You've been more than a mentor, you've been a catalyst... Every conversation with you left me feeling clearer, stronger, and more capable.”
Diya Garg
Data Science Student
Former StudentSource: LinkedIn ↗
These voices come from different experiences, but a common thread runs through them: perspective, confidence, ownership and readiness for life beyond the classroom.
More reflections on LinkedInWhat Second Innings is, and isn't
A space to talk.
A coaching institute.
An opportunity to think.
A motivational programme.
A place to explore possibilities.
A conventional career-selection service.
A source of new perspectives.
A substitute for professional mental-health support.
A conversation that can lead to action.
A place where somebody else decides your future for you.
A journey towards greater ownership of one's choices.
A system that tells you what you should become.
Every parent wants their child to make thoughtful choices and build a meaningful future.
But as young people grow, they also need opportunities to question, explore and gradually take ownership of their decisions.
Second Innings seeks to complement, not replace, the role of parents, teachers, educational institutions or qualified professionals.
The objective is not to decide a young person's future for them. It is to provide an additional space for thoughtful conversation, broader perspective and exploration: helping young people become more confident in making choices they understand and own.
Where appropriate, parents may also become part of the broader conversation while respecting the young person's privacy and independence.
Your first step doesn't have to be a big one.
Sometimes, it can simply be a conversation. No commitment, no pressure, just perspective.