Who we are..
“What is really needed to make democracy function is not knowledge of facts, but right education” – MK Gandhi
With the aim to enhance the quality of education in India, Sterlite EdIndia Foundation was set up as an independent entity in August 2019 (formerly a part of Sterlite Tech Foundation).
Since it’s inception, EdIndia has worked with teachers, future teachers, government administrators and parents in various capacity to improve the access to quality education for Indian children.
Starting with 2 states in 2019, today we are present in 6 states across the country.
Our Vision
Every child in the country has access to quality education
Our Mission
To empower educators by enhancing teacher capabilities and fostering a culture of data-driven decision-making within the public education system
Our Goals
Values that drive us
Innovation
Perseverance
Respect
Integrity
Collaboration
Our Journey
Since its inception in 2019, EdIndia has evolved as an organization in it’s scale, nature of work and depth in understanding of the ground realities. Our strong understanding of communities has helped us in strengthening our approach, keeping Education as our core focus.
Timeline
Sterlite EdIndia Foundation
Board of Directors
jyoti agarwal
Chairman,
Balco Medical Hospital
Jyoti Agarwal
She is a woman of today - filled with compassion & resilience, with a vision to bring a positive change in the world. Mrs. Jyoti Agarwal is a Proud Mom, Grandmom, Philanthropist, Aesthete, Founder of #JeewanJyoti, Chairperson at Balco Medical Centre & Managing Director of Universal Floritech. Believing in the mantra of “Be the change you want to see in the world,” she envisions a society where no one is lost to cancer & no dreams are left unfulfilled because of it. To make this vision a reality, she works relentlessly as the Chairperson of Vedanta Medical Research Foundation and runs a world-class oncology facility, the Balco Medical Center, that provides affordable & accessible cancer treatment to all, while offering a support system for their loved ones to win this battle together. She continues to ride the waves of change with the Jeewan Jyoti Institute, a Sterlite Tech CSR initiave, striving to uplift women & empower them - so they can bring their own seat to the table in all spheres of life! She strongly believes, these women can together fix the broken rung and set off a positive chain reaction, so the women after them can climb farther. With love for music & nature in her heart, she embraces every single day, every journey she’s a part of, and it doesn’t matter how many miles she has to go; she works on bringing change - one step at a time.
Ruhie Pande
Group Chief Human Resources Officer,
Sterlite Power
Ruhie Pande
Ruhie is the Group Head of Human Resources at Sterlite Power, a leading power transmission infrastructure developer. With over 20 years of experience, she specializes in strategic talent management, leadership development, and organizational transformation. Previously, she led HR at Godrej Capital, building the team from the ground up, and served as CHRO at Godrej Properties. Ruhie holds an MSc in Industrial and Occupational Psychology from Birkbeck College, London University, and is a certified PCC coach. Her expertise spans diverse sectors including financial services, real estate, fashion, IT, and FMCG.
Board of Advisors
ARUN C MEHTA
Former Professor & Head- Department of Educational Management Information System NIEPA, New Delhi
Arun c mehta
Arun is a Ph.D in Demographic Projections from the University of Rajasthan, Jaipur. He is a specialist in EMIS, Quantitative Techniques and Projections, and Forecasting of Educational Data. He has authored books on Education for All in India, Enrolment Projections, Population Projections, and Upper Primary Education and contributed to several research articles in journals and NIEPA Occasional Paper Series. He was actively engaged in strengthening the Educational Management Information System in India during 2001 to 2017 at the national level and managed one of the World’s largest information systems, i.e., the Unified District Information System for Education (UDISE). He has published several reports annually based on UDISE data, presented papers both at the Oxford and Cambridge Universities. He is trained at UNESCO Regional Office in Bangkok and at Harvard Institute for International Development, Harvard University, Cambridge (USA). He is a recipient of e-Governance 2010 and eINDIA 2010 National Awards, Manthan Award South Asia 2010, and EMPI Indian Express Indian Innovation Award 2012. His recent research work can be seen at https://educationforallinindia.com
KATHLEEN NAGLEE
Head of School & CEO, International School of Helsinki, Finland
KATHLEEN NAGLEE
Kathleen Naglee is an award-winning leader of innovative schooling and business practices. She has worked in diverse contexts including indigenous, impoverished and multinational communities for thirty plus years. In the past decade, she has been a Director of IB World schools in Finland and Estonia. She serves as a Commissioner for the New England Association of Schools and Colleges and is the former Chair of the US State Department sponsored Central and Eastern European Schools Association. She was named as a Top 75 Edruptors in Education in 2021. She is a frequent keynote speaker on the future of education.
SUBIR SHUKLA
Principal Coordinator, IgnusERG Education Resource Pvt. Ltd
SUBIR SHUKLA
Subir Shukla works on improving the quality of education system, beginning in 1986 when he lived in a tribal village for 6 years while working on primary education with Eklavya, MP. He has worked extensively with government systems, as Chief Consultant (DPEP, 1995-98) and Educational Quality Advisor (SSA) to MHRD (2009-11), and led the development of the Quality Framework for the RTE. He has consulted for most state governments in India and several national governments in Asia and Africa. Subir is also the co-author of a recently released book Child Development and Education in the Twenty-First Century, Springer, Singapore, 2019.
Pranati Panda
Professor and Head Department of School and Non -Formal Education School Standards and Evaluation Unit National Institute of Educational Planning and Administration (NIEPA)
Pranati Panda
Prof. Pranati Panda is currently serving as a senior Professor and heading the Department of School and Non-Formal Education and School Standards and Evaluation Unit of National Institute of Educational Planning and Administration (NIEPA), New Delhi, India. She specializes in teacher professional standards, teacher management and leadership; teacher education governance, regulations and quality assurance; school governance, standards setting, quality assurance and evidence-based school improvement. Her significant publications include International Perspectives on Standards and Benchmarking in Teacher Education, the Oxford Encyclopedia of Global Perspectives on Teacher Education; Editor of the No Teachers, No Class: State of the Education Report for India, UNESCO, New Delhi and Landscape of teacher education in India (Routledge). Prof. Panda is consulted by UNESCO, UNICEF, World Bank and many international organization
GRAHAM THOMSON
Director - Scottish Centre for Studies in School Administration, University of Edinburgh
GRAHAM THOMSON
Graham is a former teacher, Head Teacher, and Head of Educational Development Services in a Scottish region. He has worked extensively with school colleagues across the United Kingdom, Europe, India, and China to design and deliver professional learning leadership programmes focusing on improving the learning of both pupils and teachers. Graham has had several roles in the University of Edinburgh which include Director of the Scottish Centre for Studies in School Administration. Other University of Edinburgh roles include Programme Director for an online school Masters’ leadership programme and Course Organiser for Masters’ courses for school middle leaders. He has also delivered a range of professional learning programmes for university colleagues in both Scotland and abroad. Graham currently has an honory role at the University of Edinburgh.
Ayan Chatterjee
Ayan Chatterjee | Co-Founder - Life Circle (a Senior Aging Healthcare entity) & CEO - CCTD (A Geriatrics Caregiver Training Academy)
AYAN CHATTERJEE
Ayan Chatterjee is a seasoned professional with a career spanning over two decades, characterized by his expertise in scaling start-ups, government liaison, and driving impactful CSR and social impact initiatives. He is the Co-Founder of Life Circle, a tech-led geriatrics healthcare company, and the Co-Founder of ThinkTac, a STEM education start-up supported by Dr. C V Raman’s family trust. His transformative initiatives include anchoring the pilots and scaling up of the National Deworming program as part of Evidence Action, an intervention by Nobel Laureate Esther Duflo and Michael Kramer. He has also led Sterlite School Tech, which implemented the Virtual Classroom program across 480 Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai schools. His advisory roles extend to The Pravin Agarwal Foundation, which focuses on Paediatric Liver Transplant Support as well as Equality & Opportunity, headquartered in San Francisco, CA. Additionally, he serves as a member of the Global Collective for Socio-Emotional Learning & Digital Learning under UNESCO-MGIEP.
Rajesh Kumar
Lead - Academics
RAJESH KUMAR
Rajesh is the Head of the Academics team of EdIndia and guides a number of subject matter experts. He has worked as an English professor in colleges and universities in India and overseas. He also worked with Digantar and Azim Premji Foundation as the Executive Director and Education Specialist respectively. He has a keen interest in the philosophy of education and psychology of learning and during his own time, likes to read books on the same.
Our Team
Antony Nellissery
Head of the Foundation
ANTONY NELLISSERY
Antony is the Head of EdIndia Foundation. Prior to the current role, he worked as Chief- School Excellence at Bharti Foundation. He has also worked with organizations like Save the Children, UNICEF, and Sight Savers International. Having graduated from IRMA, Gujarat, and being a product of Don Bosco Education, Antony’s commitment to the development of children is evident in everything he does. He is the Global Goodwill Ambassador as declared by Global Goodwill Ambassador (GGA), a registered charity in USA. In addition to this, he has authored “The Skills Edge”, a book intended to promote the ‘skills approach’ in school education
Varun Bhamre
Lead - Data Analytics Support Program
VARUN BHAMRE
Varun leads Program Nirnay, the visual analytics support division at EdIndia, which designs appropriate visual dashboards and recommendations to aid in the decision-making process of government systems across various states. When he is not immersed deep in statistics, Varun loves to embark on long bicycling rides to de-stress and keep fit.
Nidhi Khandelwal
Chief Manager – Strategy, Partnerships & Communications
NIDHI KHANDELWAL
Nidhi works as the Chief Manager – Strategy, Partnerships & Communications and focusses on partnerships and interventions around bringing a technological edge to EdIndia’s offerings. She is a B.Tech in Biotechnology and has initially worked as Systems Engineer with Infosys. She has also worked with Teach for India and Sol’s ARC before joining EdIndia. Nidhi is a travel enthusiast, and enjoys trekking and nature walks.
Khyati Ved
Chief Manager- Operations
Khyati Ved
Khyati is working as the Chief Manager – Operations with primary focus to systemize the program implementation and processes across all the six states thus delivering maximum impact. She has worked as a program lead in the education sector with British Council India and RPG Foundation before joining EdIndia. She is an engineer and MBA by education. Khyati likes promoting and practicing sustainability in education sector. She's passionate about yoga & mental health fitness and loves traveling to remote places in India.
Chandan Sharma
Chief Manager - Academics
Neerupama Sharma
Chief Manager - Training
Neerupama Sharma
Ms. Neerupama Sharma is the Chief Manager - Training at EdIndia. With a master’s in Education and Psychology and a background in Botany, she is committed to advancing Learning and Development. Her career began as a Science teacher at Padma Seshadri, Chennai, and evolved to include curriculum design, school leadership, and K-12 assessments. She has led curriculum development and pre-service teacher training at Amity Centre for Educational Research and managed assessments and teacher training for professional development at Bharti Airtel Foundation. Neerupama is eager to contribute her expertise to EdIndia’s mission.
Suman Arora
State Head- Rajasthan
Suman Arora
Suman has devoted nearly 15 years to the social sector, concentrating on education and women's issues. Throughout her tenure in Rajasthan, she actively engaged with both governmental bodies and local communities, addressing vital concerns such as quality education for all children, advancing gender equality, and championing rights. For Suman, this endeavor has seamlessly intertwined with both her passion and profession. She has worked in organizations like Vidya Bhawan society, ASTHA, Bodh Shikha Samiti, Piramal Foundation, Jaipur Rugs Foundation, and FES (Foundation for Ecological Security). In her free time, Suman listens to music and reads books.
Bharti Gupta
State Head- Uttarakhand
Bharti Gupta
Bharti is a versatile professional with rich experience in IT, Education, Skill Development, and Financial Inclusion. She has meticulously acquired this experience by working closely with Government bodies and Industries. Until recently, she was working with Accuinfra Technology Limited in Nigeria and has moved to Uttarakhand, India to join us. She holds a postgraduate degree in Social Work, Computer Application, and Business Administration. Her passion is to work towards bringing positive change in society. Apart from work, Bharti loves interacting with like-minded people and learning new things.
Imdangjungla Jamir
State Head- Tripura
Imdangjungla Jamir
Imdangjungla Jamir (Ajung) is working with us as a State Manager - Tripura. She holds a Master’s in Peace and Conflict Studies from TISS, and a PG Program in Development Leadership from ISDM. She has close to 6 years of experience, including Gandhi Fellowship and impactfult work with Lend A Hand India, where she supported Nagaland's Directorate of School Education. Outside work, she enjoys badminton and movies
Surendra Kumar
State Head- Chhattisgarh
Surendra Kumar
Surendra has over 12 years of experience in education, women’s empowerment, and leadership development. Holding a Master’s in Social Work and a PG Diploma in HRM, he began his career as a social worker, driving impact through education and skill development. Passionate about creating inclusive systems, he focuses on empowering individuals and building sustainable communities. In his free time, he enjoys reading and traveling.
Kanchan Upasani
Assistant Manager - HR
Kanchan Upasani
Kanchan is an HR professional with over 13 years of experience in Human Resource Management. She holds a Master's degree in Industrial Psychology and a Postgraduate Diploma in Business Administration, specializing in Human Resource Management. Her latest role was with Edify HR, where she delivered strategic HR support to clients, ensuring alignment with their business objectives. She is a proactive and results-oriented professional, deeply committed to driving organizational success through effective HR practices and strategic initiatives. Beyond her professional life, she is passionate about fitness and gymnastics. She is a certified gymnastics coach for toddlers and beginners, as well as a certified district-level gymnastics judge, and a mother of a 6-year-old.
Kanchan Upasani
Assistant Manager - HR
Kanchan Upasani
Kanchan is an HR professional with over 13 years of experience in Human Resource Management. She holds a Master's degree in Industrial Psychology and a Postgraduate Diploma in Business Administration, specializing in Human Resource Management. Her latest role was with Edify HR, where she delivered strategic HR support to clients, ensuring alignment with their business objectives. She is a proactive and results-oriented professional, deeply committed to driving organizational success through effective HR practices and strategic initiatives. Beyond her professional life, she is passionate about fitness and gymnastics. She is a certified gymnastics coach for toddlers and beginners, as well as a certified district-level gymnastics judge, and a mother of a 6-year-old.
Recognitions
Our work got recognized with ‘Innovative Product/ Service for Teacher Professional Development’ at the 31st Elets World Education Summit 2024
CSR & Sustainability Conclave Award, 2023
for CSR Excellence in Education
Recognized with Mahatma Award 2023
for ‘Social Good and Impact in
Quality Education’
Best Innovative CSR Project Award 2023 Education
‘Best Education CSR Project of the Year 2022-23’
‘CSR Initiative of the year – India’
