Symbiosis was started in 1971 by visionary educationist Dr. Shantaram Balwant Mujumdar as a ‘home away from home’ for foreign students studying in Pune. He has been awarded the Padma Shri and Padma Bhushan by the Hon’ble President of India.

Since its inception, Symbiosis has grown into a large education group with schools and colleges spread across 20 campuses. Today, Symbiosis has thousands of students from all across India and over 80 countries, enrolled in various on-campus programs.

The Symbiosis Open Education Society (SOES) was established to promote vocational, skill-based education, and open and distance learning. SOES has four constituent units under its aegis — Symbiosis Centre for Distance Learning (SCDL), Symbiosis Vocational Junior College, Symbiosis Community College, and Symbiosis Institute of Skill Development.

SCDL was established in 1994 with the objective of “Reaching the Unreached.”