Deepak Kevat aka Deepak sir, Founder, Sky Skater Academy seems to have an unwavering commitment to excellence in skating and he wants his sporting startup in Indore to be a culmination of passion translating to performance.
“Every individual has the potential to excel and our academy offers a comprehensive training experience designed for people of all ages and abilities. From beginners to advanced athletes, we provide expert coaching, personalised programmes and a supportive community that fosters growth,” says Founder and Head Coach, Deepak matter-of-factly. He adds, “Whether the student is aiming for district, state, or national competitions, or simply looking to improve their fitness level and enjoy the sport, Sky Skater Academy is there to help.”
While the beginner lessons are for those who want to start their skating journey, in the advance coaching segment, the focus shifts to tailored sessions aimed at experienced skaters wanting to refine their skills and enhance their performance. The centre also offers personalized classes for those who want focused training with respect to their skating goals.
Deepak Kevat also has a full time job as a skating coach at SDPS International School, Indore. His day begins 5:30 am with skating coaching for one batch. School duty is from 7:30 am till 2:30 pm. In the evenings, Deepak Kevat and team train two batches from 5 to 7 pm, each class being of one hour duration. During the peak training season, the student count moves up to 100. While most of the skating trainees are in the 3 to 18 year bracket, there are a few seniors too, mostly enthusiastic parents of kids.
Interestingly, the Eureka moment vis a vis skating came through Dhoom-2 and Hrithik Roshan. After that, there was no looking back for Deepak Kevat. He left his job at the start of Covid and immersed himself in self tutoring videos on skating. He topped this up with skating lessons from a coach in Indore who taught him the basics and Deepak continued to hone his skills through observation and self coaching before venturing as a full time coach.
Skating whether as a job or as an entrepreneurial pursuit is 24*7 for him and Deepak is not complaining one iota because it’s his full time passion (‘Junoon’) now. “In all, we nurture discipline, teamwork and resilience, preparing our students for challenges beyond,” he states.
Today, two other assistant coaches work along with the budding sports entrepreneur. It’s a far cry from twenty years ago when a 10 year old boy walked straight into the arms of Swami Aishvaryananda Saraswati ji, coordinator of AIM for Seva’s projects in Madhya Pradesh. Deepak Kevat had lost his mother at the time of his birth and his father, a month later. At the time of his Chatralayam entry, he just had Rs. 10 in his pocket that he promptly gave to Swami Aishvaryananda Saraswati ji for safe custody. Cut to the present. During 2025-2026, Sky Skater closed its books with an annual profit of Rs. 3.6 lakhs.
One of the students Divya K has this to share. “The personalized lessons at Sky Skater helped me improve my skating skills significantly. The trainers are really passionate and create a fun atmosphere for learning. “
On the other hand, Dheeraj Sharma from Indore can’t help but gush how the Sky Skater team completely transformed his skating skills. “The trainers are incredibly supportive and knowledgeable,” he says.
Nevertheless, challenges remain. Deepak rues many a time, parents discontinue coaching just when the child is peaking due to lack of sponsorship that includes kit and equipment for promising athletes. Deepak cites the example of a student who has reached the district level but unable to proceed further as his father is an auto rickshaw driver and finances are a constraint.
Before entering the Chatralayam, Deepak was looked after by his paternal grandmother who was in her sixties. They lived 150 kms away from Indore in a small village. Deepak’s grandmother came to know about the AIM for Seva hostel at Indore that looked after children free of cost. She brought the 10 year old to Swami Aishvaryananda Saraswati ji who was just managing one hostel in the region then. After that, there was no looking back for Deepak who crisscrossed from Indore to Hoshangabad to finally Nemawar Chatralayam, where he completed his graduation.
In fact, Deepak warmly recollects the summer training camp that he underwent with Acharya Navneet (who manages our Chatralayams in Rohtak, Haryana and Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh) after he completed his Class 10 in 2012. “From the basics of banking and accounting, computer repair and technician to plumbing work, it was a great learning experience. I was in my growth phase then and that open environment instilled lot of confidence in me,” he recollects warmly.
Deepak sir, a very big salute to you.
In the end, do we see Swami Aishvaryananda Saraswati ji smiling and saying, “Bhai Wah. Mera Deepak Ne To Khub Kamal Kar Dikahye.” (My Deepak has truly done some wonders).