Arise Leadership: Meet Our Team of Visionaries

ARISE Leadership

The leadership of ARISE is composed of visionary Founders, an experienced Company Board, a diverse Governing Body, and a dedicated Secretariat. Together, they provide strategic direction and ensure the effective governance of ARISE’s mission to transform K-12 education in India. The founders establish the foundation and long-term vision, while the Company Board oversees key decisions on policies and initiatives. The Governing Body, representing a range of educational expertise, shapes programs, research, and advocacy efforts. The Secretariat manages day-to-day operations, research coordination, and the implementation of ARISE’s strategic goals, ensuring seamless execution and continuous progress.

ARISE Leadership
Founders
Company Board
Governing Body
Secretariat

Founders

Prabhat Jain

Prabhat JainCo-founder & Director, Pathways World Schools

Mr. Prabhat Jain born in 1969 in a Delhi based traditional Jain family, Prabhat pursued commerce stream and was a high achiever. He started his career at an early age. Prabhat is co-founder of a reputed Education Business. He also founded an International Business having interests in the fields of renewable energy and mining. Prabhat is also the Founding Chairman and Governing Body member of FICCI ARISE. Launched in 2003, Pathways World Schools are considered pioneers in the International Schooling space in India. Affiliated with International Baccalaureate, Pathways operates a chain of top ranked K-12 International Schools and Play Schools with students from over 40 nationalities. Prabhat is passionate about aligning private initiatives with government agenda towards raising the level of learning outcomes across the vast spectrum of schools in India.

Naga Prasad Tummala

Naga Prasad TummalaDirector, People Combine Initiatives LLP

Mr. Naga Prasad is the Chairman & Co-founder of the People Combine Group previously known as Vikas Educational Institutions. The group started Oakridge International School, Andhra Pradesh’s first IB world school in Hyderabad in 2001. At present Oakridge International School has 2 campuses in Hyderabad and one each in Bengaluru, Mohali and Visakhapatnam. The group started another chain of schools called Westberry in 2010. In 2011 the group started a playschool chain called Oi. In 2009 Times of India recognized Mr. Naga Prasad and his partner as the “Game Changers” of AP. In 2010 India Today awarded the partners with the title “Business Wizards” of AP.

Shishir Jaipuria

Shishir JaipuriaChairman, Seth Anandram Jaipuria Education Society

Mr. Shishir Jaipuria is the Chairman of Seth Anandram Jaipuria Group of Educational Institutions which has been in the field of education for more than 75 years. Presently the Group operates in all the verticals of the education landscape and runs 5 preschools, 16 K-12 Schools, 2 Management Institutions and a Teachers Training Academy. Jaipuria Group has a strength of 20000 students, 15000 alumni, 900 educators and has its presence in 15 cities across North India.

Praveen Raju

Praveen RajuFounder, Suchitra Academy

Mr. Praveen Raju is the founder of Suchitra Academy an international school based in Hyderabad, India. Founded in 2011, Suchitra is spread over a vast green campus with over 2000 children studying from Kindergarten to Grade 12. Suchitra provides an integrated facility where India’s Top players like Badminton World Champion, P V Sindhu and Boxing World champion Nikhat Zareen train. Praveen is a mentor and guide to P V Sindhu. Previously, Praveen was the Executive Director of Indus International School, Hyderabad and the Founder Chairman of Indus Early Years, both among the top schools of India in their categories. He is the founder/Vice President of TIE, has coordinated the Nexus of Good (Nexus of good.org.in), Hyderabad Chapter. He was a university level badminton player and national level snooker player.

Manit Jain

Manit JainCo-founder and Director, The Heritage Group of schools

An alumnus of Delhi University and Harvard Graduate School of Education, Mr. Manit Jain is the Co-founder and Director of the Heritage Group of schools in Delhi NCR. In 1999, Manit together with his father Mr. N.C. Jain (1942-2019), founder of the Conscient Infrastructure Pvt. Ltd, promoted the group’s first Heritage School in Vasant Kunj followed by Heritage Xperiential Learning School (HXLS), Gurugram, and The Heritage School, Rohini in 2003. A committed proponent of experiential learning pedagogies, Manit is the driving force behind the development of HXLS into the country’s #1 co-ed day school. Manit championed the cause of experiential learning, launching it successfully in the mainstream environment. In less than two decades, he has nurtured HXLS into a model K-12 institution internationally respected for its innovative experiential learning pedagogies and excellent teacher welfare and development programmes. Manit has received several awards for his outstanding institutional leadership including the Edupreneur of the Year Award 2018 of the Indian Education Congress and the People Who Inspire India (PWI) Education Iconic Award 2021.

Anirudh Khaitan

Anirudh KhaitanVice-Chairman, Khaitan Public School

Mr. Anirudh Khaitan is the Vice Chairman of Khaitan Public School He is passionate and a highly motivated individual who has been able to develop successful, and effective systems, strategies and solutions that have resulted in tremendous growth and profitability of all companies he has been associated with. A Serial Entrepreneur who has, entered into the Insurance, Education, Health, Wellness and Beauty Industry in a short span. Achievements of Khaitan Public School: Top Ten Schools in Ghaziabad – 2015, 2016 – Times of India, C-fore Survey conducted by Hindustan Times, Education World Survey – The Best School in Trans – Hindon, Ghaziabad” by the Indian Achievers Podium -International School Award (ISA) 2013 – 16 by The British Council. Professional Skills: Market entry strategy formulation, Growth & Expansion strategy Highly Networked across industries, Growth-oriented, recognized for effective skills in launching brands, enhancing brand’s image.

Dr. Deepak Madhok

Dr. Deepak Madhok Chairman, Sunbeam Group of Educational Institutions

An epitome of dynamic leadership Dr. Deepak Madhok showed a keen scholastic aptitude throughout his schooling years that culminated in a Post Graduate degree in Biochemistry from Allahabad University. He subsequently joined the UP State Services as an Administrative Officer Class I in June 1979. Because of his sheer love for education and die-hard commitment to do something bigger and better for the society, he took over the reigns of the Sunbeam Group and since then, with his arduous efforts and immense dedication, has redefined the concept of education in entire Uttar Pradesh. Under his able guidance the Sunbeam Group now comprises of 7 schools affiliated to the CBSE, 2 Women’s Colleges offering graduate programs, 4 hostels and 17 Associate Schools under the banner of DHK Eduserve Ltd spread across the state of Uttar Pradesh. His one line philosophy for his school is ‘make the children happy in the school premises and learning will follow’.

Dr. Arunabh Singh

Dr. Arunabh SinghDirector, Healthy Planet TGA, Nehru World School

Dr. Arunabh Singh is an accomplished educationist, Director of Healthy Planet TGA, Noida and Nehru World School, Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh. He is a distinguished alumnus of King’s College London and Hindu College, Delhi University. Driven by a passion for innovation, technology, and entrepreneurship, he is dedicated to igniting young minds and inspiring them to reach their full potential. Dr. Singh firmly believes in the distributed leadership model, which emphasizes collaboration and shared responsibility among educators. He strongly advocates for the effective use of technology in education, believing that it has the power to transform the learning experience and improve outcomes for students. In addition Dr. Singh holds several prestigious positions in the education community. He is a member of the School Standards Setting Committee under the National Education Policy, India 2020, a British Council School Ambassador, and serves on the Cambridge South Asia Advisory Board.

Vedant Khaitan

Vedant KhaitanVice chairman, Khaitan Welfare Foundation

Mr. Vedant Khaitan, an alumnus of the University of Michigan (Ann Arbor, USA) has a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering. He has been heading The Khaitan School, Noida and in 2013, established Khaitan Pre-School which has received numerous awards for quality education from organisations such as Education World, Franchise India (amongst others) and has also been ranked the #1 pre-school of Noida in December 2019 by Education Today magazine. He has actively taken a keen interest in integrating technology in classrooms throughout the school and is constantly upgrading and looking out for solutions to enable a 21st-century learning environment for his schools.

Shreevats Jaipuria

Shreevats JaipuriaVice Chairman, Seth M. R. Jaipuria Schools and Jaipuria Institute of Management

Mr. Shreevats Jaipuria has emerged as one of the foremost players in the education sector in India under his leadership. The first Seth M. R. Jaipuria School was started in the city of Lucknow in 1992. It has been consistently ranked among the Top 100 schools in India. In the last 9 years, Jaipuria schools have expanded from 1 to 50 campuses under Mr. Jaipuria’s vision to provide access to high-quality national-level education in towns and cities across India at an affordable cost. Currently, there are close to 42,000 students and 2200+ teachers associated with Jaipuria. He is a graduate with the highest honors from the prestigious Stern School of Business, New York University, USA.

Dr. Silpi Sahoo

Dr. Silpi SahooChairperson, SAI International School

Dr. Silpi Sahoo is the head of SAI International Education Group and believes that education should be tailored to each child’s unique learning style and personality. She has a background in History and Women Studies and is a lifelong learner who continuously seeks out new knowledge and innovative teaching methods. Dr. Sahoo has also undergone training in Child Psychology and completed a professional development program through the British Council in the pursuit of providing quality education to students. Her goal is to create a positive, inspiring, challenging, and stimulating environment for students to achieve life-altering learning experiences.

Mansoor Ali Khan

Mansoor Ali Khan Trustee and Member, Board of Management, DPS Bangalore

Mr. Mansoor Ali Khan’s pursuit for excellence through novel ideas in education has put the establishment a crest above the rest. Technology aided learning, stress on all round personality development and empowering the students with the academic and social skills to face the challenges of tomorrow are his areas of interest.

Vardan Kabra

Vardan KabraHead of School, Fountainhead School

Mr. Vardan Kabra is an Indian educationist, education reformer, blogger, and avid reader. In Surat, Gujarat, he co-founded Fountainhead School, a prestigious IB school. He oversees all operations in his capacity as the Head of School at Fountainhead and ensures that cutting-edge pedagogy and student-centered education are implemented in classroom practice through ongoing training and mentoring of teachers. Additionally, he served as a volunteer consultant for Gandhinagar’s Education Department. supporting the establishment of Residential Schools of Excellence, a groundbreaking public-private collaboration. He was also a lead author on the FICCI-ARISE paper “Liberalization of India’s Private Schools.” He has produced articles about both the draft NEP 2019 and the final NEP 2020 on various forums and has authored a book “Reimagining Indian Education”. A three-time international representative in ultimate frisbee, he has also been a major advocate for sports education.

Rahul Aggarwal

Rahul AggarwalDirector, St. Mark’s Group of Schools

Mr. Rahul Aggarwal is the Director of St. Mark’s Group of Schools. The group imparts education to nearly 12,000 students every year. He has a degree in Media Studies from Deakin University, Australia. He plays a pivotal role in introducing latest teaching-learning methodologies and promoting holistic development of students. A theatre enthusiast, Mr. Rahul Aggarwal is of the belief that co- curricular activities should be intricately woven in the school curriculum for the students to relish their moments of glory whilst they are on the stage. Recipient of ‘Human Rights Brotherhood Award” by All India Human Rights Association, Mr. Aggarwal expresses his solidarity in promoting peace and dedicatedly works towards its varied facets. His eloquence, approachable demeanour, groundbreaking ideas and creative thinking have been a perpetual source of inspiration and motivation for the students.

Company Board

Naga Prasad Tummala

Naga Prasad TummalaDirector, People Combine Initiatives LLP

Chairman

Prabhat Jain

Prabhat JainCo-founder & Director, Pathways World Schools

Director (President, GB)

Shishir Jaipuria

Shishir JaipuriaChairman, Seth Anandram Jaipuria Education Society

Director (IPP, GB)

Manit Jain

Manit JainCo-founder and Director, The Heritage Group of schools

Director

Dr. Deepak Madhok

Dr. Deepak Madhok Chairman, Sunbeam Group of Educational Institutions

Director

Dr. Silpi Sahoo

Dr. Silpi SahooChairperson, SAI International School

Director

Vinesh Menon

Vinesh MenonDirector General & CEO

Vinesh has worked as a professional executive for 30 years in various leadership roles across different industries. He entered the education sector 11 years ago after starting his career in FMCG and then moving through senior management positions in Mortgage KPO and BFSI sectors. In education, Vinesh has significantly contributed to the K12 school ecosystem, which he sees as having enormous potential. He has helped establish K12 schools in Tier 2 & 3 towns, expanded large private school chains, and developed models to transform government schools in collaboration with state and central governments. His expertise spans Learning Spaces & Design, Academics, Technology, school administration, Content Development, Teacher Recruitment, Training, Student Enrollment, project management, K12 marketing, and policy making.

Vinesh’s most recent role was Chief Executive Officer at Ampersand Group, overseeing the VIBGYOR k12 private schools and contributing to the country’s Human Development Index through public-private partnerships in education, skill development, healthcare, and livelihood services. As CEO, he established strategic associations with government bodies for pre-school, k12 education, skill development, and emergency healthcare services. He played a key role in doubling revenue and creating new business verticals in the B2G sector while helping build Brand AMPERSAND into a comprehensive solution provider in education and skilling. His earlier experience includes roles at Blow Plast, HSBC, ABN AMRO Bank, Fullerton India, and Bajaj Capital.

Vinesh is not only a writer but also an eloquent speaker, often delivering keynotes and moderating panel discussions at educational conferences and seminars. He has led numerous insightful panel discussions featuring prominent industry leaders, and his perspectives have been published in various leading outlets. Additionally, he has served on several jury panels with distinguished industry veterans, contributing to the identification of emerging entrepreneurs, teachers, and talented young minds in education, ed tech, and other social impact sectors. Vinesh Menon was named Asia’s upcoming CEO for Year 2020 by Asia One Magazine and is a Lifetime Donor to “Nexus of Good,” a movement aimed at replicating successful practices across India in Education and Healthcare. Furthermore, he received the title of “Marichi” from Shri Ramesh Pokharial Nikhanj, former HRD minister, at an event hosted by the Indirapuram Group of Institutions, recognizing his significant contributions to the nation through educational services. He has also been Co-Chair of CII’s National Education Committee and a board member of PHDCCI. Vinesh is an alumnus of IIM Calcutta and is an active sports enthusiast and avid bike adventurer.

Director General & CEO

Governing Body

Praveen Raju

Praveen RajuFounder, Suchitra Academy

President

Prabhat Jain

Prabhat JainCo-founder & Director, Pathways World Schools

Immediate Past
President

Dr. Arunabh Singh

Dr. Arunabh SinghDirector, Healthy Planet TGA, Nehru World School

Senior Vice President

Vardan Kabra

Vardan KabraHead of School, Fountainhead School

Vice President

Dr. Silpi Sahoo

Dr. Silpi SahooChairperson, SAI International School

Vice President

Vedant Khaitan

Vedant KhaitanVice chairman, Khaitan Welfare Foundation

Vice President

Vinesh Menon

Vinesh MenonDirector General & CEO

Director General & CEO

Prabhat Jain

Prabhat JainCo-founder & Director, Pathways World Schools

President

Shishir Jaipuria

Shishir JaipuriaChairman, Seth Anandram Jaipuria Education Society

Immediate Past
President

Praveen Raju

Praveen RajuFounder, Suchitra Academy

Sr. Vice President

Anirudh Khaitan

Anirudh KhaitanVice-Chairman, Khaitan Public School

Vice President

Dr. Arunabh Singh

Dr. Arunabh SinghDirector, Healthy Planet TGA, Nehru World School

Vice President

Vardan Kabra

Vardan KabraHead of School, Fountainhead School

Vice President

Vinesh Menon

Vinesh MenonDirector General & CEO

Director General & CEO

Secretariat

Vinesh Menon

Vinesh MenonDirector General & CEO

Director General & CEO

Mallika Marwah

Mallika MarwahJoint Director

Mallika Marwah is Joint Director at the Association for Reinventing School Education (ARISE), where she is responsible for the overall strategy, growth, and development of ARISE. Her role involves driving key partnerships with educational institutions, government bodies, and industry leaders to promote innovative practices in education.

In her previous role as Senior Assistant Director at the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), she specialized in policy advocacy and research in education. Mallika has spearheaded numerous high-impact initiatives in education and skill development. These projects have involved collaborations with prominent organizations such as the Department for International Development (now the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office), World Skills, Global Education Futures, the Central Board of Secondary Education, and QS (World University Rankings). Her work in these areas has been instrumental in driving forward key educational reforms and skill development programs at both national and international levels.

With a background in social work, she holds a Master’s degree from Delhi University. Her experience also includes internships with leading corporates like Cairn India, where she contributed to various Corporate Social Responsibility projects.

Joint Director

Sukriti Bhardwaj

Sukriti BhardwajDeputy Director

Will be updated shortly!

Deputy Director

Aditi

AditiSenior Research Associate

Aditi, Senior Research Associate at the Association for Reinventing School Education (ARISE), works in the area of policy advocacy and research in school education sector.

In her previous role as Research Associate at FICCI ARISE, she contributed to various high-impact initiatives and collaborated with stakeholders to enhance the K-12 education landscape. Prior to joining the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), she was associated with organizations like the National Institute of Educational Planning and Administration (NIEPA) and the SCERT, Delhi where she worked as an educator and developed learning materials for teachers.

Aditi holds a Master’s degree in Education from Jamia Millia Islamia and a Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education from Miranda House, University of Delhi. She has also qualified for the UGC Junior Research Fellowship in Education.

Senior Research Associate

Christina Varghese

Christina VargheseSenior Research Associate

Christina Varghese is a Senior Research Associate at ARISE- Association for Reinventing School Education. She was previously engaged with the Ministry of Women and Child Development, GoI as a consultant and later worked at a private firm promoting inbound tourism. In the six years of her career, she has worked both at grassroots and institutional levels on gender, disability, agriculture, livelihood, tourism and entrepreneurship.

She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Sociology from Jesus and Mary College, Delhi University and a Master of Arts in Social Work from Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai.

Senior Research Associate

Anchal Chadha

Anchal ChadhaSenior Research Associate

Results-focused marketer with experience in FMCG, retail, and skincare, and now I’m eager to bring my learnings into the education sector. My passion lies in creating growth and delivering impactful strategies. Outside of work, you’ll find me hiking through mountains, exploring new cultures, and embracing adventure. I believe in lifelong learning and love the thrill of discovering new places and creating lasting memories along the way. Whether I’m crafting campaigns or trekking, I’m always looking for ways to grow and evolve both personally and professionally.

Senior Research Associate

Laxmi Narayan

Laxmi NarayanExecutive Assistant

Laxmi Narayan is currently serving as the Executive Assistant at the Association for Reinventing School Education (ARISE). In this role, he provides essential administrative support, contributing to the smooth operation of various initiatives and projects within the organization. His technical expertise is also notable, encompassing a broad range of computing skills, including proficiency in MS Office, graphic design software like Photoshop and CorelDraw, and web design.

Previously he has severed 6 years at Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI).

Executive Assistant

ARISE School Education Conference 2024: Media Highlights

State Chapter of ARISE meets to discuss progress of school education for the state of Gujarat

Submit your interest now!