About Us

Who We Are

“What is really needed to make democracy function is not knowledge of facts, but right education.”

Mahatma Gandhi

Established in August 2019, Sterlite EdIndia Foundation is a Section 8 not-for-profit independent organisation (formerly a part of Sterlite Tech Foundation). It works towards strengthening the quality of education in India through teacher education, institutional strengthening, and data-driven governance.

Since inception, EdIndia has worked closely with teachers, Pre-Service Teachers, Government Institutions, Education Administrators, Private Institutions, and Non-Government Organisations to improve access to quality education and strengthen learning ecosystems for school-going children in India.

Today, EdIndia is present across six states and works closely with SCERTs, DIETs, Municipal Corporations, and NGO partners. Through its programs, EdIndia focuses on building future-ready teachers, strengthening institutions as Centres of Excellence, and enabling data-driven decision-making within the education system.

With a strong focus on systemic impact, research, and implementation grounded in field realities, EdIndia continues to work towards creating an education ecosystem that is equitable, responsive, and future-ready.

EdIndia Quality Education Framework

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

Strengthen teachers’ professional capabilities
Reposition teaching as an aspirational profession
EdIndia Center Goal Image
Foster a culture of data-driven decision making within the public education system
To Support Institutional Strengthening of Teacher Education Ecosystem

Our Values

Innovation

Encourage a culture of innovation; innovation and frugality in ideas and actions.

Perseverance

Hardworking and the spirit of never giving up; consistently striving for continuous improvement of outcomes to be achieved.

Collaboration

Collaboration for synergistic outcomes; cross-team collaboration; collaboration within the team members; external collaboration.

Integrity

Ethical behaviour and accountability of responsibility; legal, moral, financial, and data integrity; ownership.

Respect

Respect and compassion for all stakeholders; being open to ideas and perspectives beyond prejudice, respecting diversity and inclusivity.

Our Journey

Since inception in 2019, we have kept education as our core focus and have developed programmes that help us scale our goals in multiple ways

2026

Scale & Sustainability

Expanded the Institutional Strengthening Programme to Tripura and Maharashtra.

Strengthened District Institutes of Education and Training (DIETs) and supported faculty development at scale.

Successfully completed and transitioned the renewed In-service Teacher Education Programme in Uttarakhand to the Government, reinforcing sustainable system strengthening.

EdIndia Timeline Action 2026

2025

Digital Innovation & Expansion

Expanded the Institutional Strengthening Programme to Uttarakhand.

Expanded the Pre-service Teacher Education Programme to Arunachal Pradesh.

Reintroduced the In-service Teacher Education Programme in Uttarakhand across seven new schools.

Enhanced the Akrava App into a comprehensive digital learning platform with over 1,000 teacher resources.

Supported assessment and scholarship initiatives benefiting more than 1 lakh students across 800+ schools through the Data Analytics Support Programme.

EdIndia Timeline Action 2025

2024

Institutional Strengthening

Launched the Pre-service Teacher Education Programme in Rajasthan and government teacher education institutions in Tripura.

Initiated the SCERT Institutional Strengthening Programme in Rajasthan to strengthen teacher education institutions and transform DIETs into Centres of Excellence.

Successfully completed the In-service Teacher Education Programme in Uttarakhand and transitioned it to the Government.

EdIndia Timeline Action 2024

2023

Strengthening Partnerships & Scale

Partnered with the Maharashtra Directorate of Education to strengthen data-driven planning and support student-focused initiatives through the Data Analytics Support Programme.

Successfully completed the In-service Teacher Education Programme in Rajasthan and transitioned it to the Government.

Expanded the Pre-service Teacher Education Programme across private teacher education institutions in Chhattisgarh and Uttarakhand.

EdIndia Timeline Action 2023

2022

Community & Pre-Service Focus

Expanded the Pre-service Teacher Education Programme to Uttarakhand.

Launched the Community Empowerment Programme in Tripura.

EdIndia Timeline Action 2022

2021

Multi-State Expansion

Expanded the In-service Teacher Education Programme to Tripura and Uttarakhand.

Launched the Pre-service Teacher Education Programme in Chhattisgarh.

Expanded the Data Analytics Support Programme to Tripura, Arunachal Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh.

EdIndia Timeline Action 2021

2020

Technology-Enabled Learning During the Pandemic

Implemented large-scale virtual teacher training programmes across Rajasthan and Maharashtra during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Leveraged technology to ensure uninterrupted professional development, reaching nearly 2 lakh teachers.

EdIndia Timeline Action 2020

2019

Foundation & Initial Launch

Sterlite EdIndia Foundation was established as an independent entity.

Launched the flagship In-service Teacher Education Programme in Rajasthan.

Introduced the Data Analytics Support Programme in Maharashtra, laying the foundation for evidence-based education governance.

EdIndia Inception 2019

Board of Directors

JYOTI AGARWAL

JYOTI AGARWAL

Board Director, Sterlite EdIndia Foundation

Jyoti Agarwal is a philanthropist and social leader committed to creating meaningful change in people's lives. As a Board Director at Sterlite EdIndia Foundation, she provides strategic vision and leadership.

She is widely recognized for her immense contributions to public healthcare, especially in advancing affordable cancer care across India. As the Chairperson of Balco Medical Centre, she has successfully built a world-class oncology facility that provides accessible medical treatments alongside holistic emotional support systems for patients and their families.

Driven by a deep passion for social empowerment, she founded the Jeewan Jyoti Institute, a CSR initiative dedicated to equipping women with critical vocational skills and self-reliance opportunities. Her steadfast efforts across health and educational ecosystems continue to empower marginalized communities, foster resilience, and drive high-impact sustainable development models nationwide.

SONAKSHI AGARWAL

SONAKSHI AGARWAL

Managing Director, Sterlite EdIndia Foundation

As Managing Director of Sterlite EdIndia Foundation, Sonakshi is spearheading innovative, technology-driven solutions to improve public teacher education and strengthen the core academic architecture in India.

Her multifaceted strategy focuses on optimizing teacher capacity building, developing tailored analytics dashboards for administrators, and scaling app-based digital learning platforms. Additionally, she serves as a Director at the Sterlite Tech Foundation, steering high-impact community welfare programs centered on digital inclusion, women's livelihoods, healthcare, and ecological sustainability.

An alumnus of the University of Pennsylvania with a degree in Economics, Sonakshi seamlessly balances robust global strategic insights with a deep rooted understanding of India's localized development challenges, delivering data-backed decision-making frameworks across state education departments.

RUHIE PANDE

RUHIE PANDE

Group Chief Human Resources Officer, Sterlite Electric

Ruhie Pande is the Group Head of Human Resources at Sterlite Electric, a premier infrastructure developer. She contributes invaluable expertise in corporate organizational design and talent optimization models.

With an extensive corporate career spanning over two decades, she specializes in implementing large-scale strategic transformation, change management, and leadership development frameworks. She previously served as the CHRO at Godrej Properties and successfully established the foundational workforce architecture at Godrej Capital from the ground up.

Ruhie holds an MSc in Industrial and Occupational Psychology from Birkbeck College, London University, and is a certified PCC executive coach. Her cross-sector advisory expertise helps align administrative workflows at EdIndia, driving agile talent retention strategies to systematically support scalable educational transformations.

Board of Advisors

Arun C. Mehta

Arun C. Mehta

Arun C. Mehta holds a Ph.D. in Demographic Projections from the University of Rajasthan, Jaipur, and is a specialist in EMIS, quantitative techniques, and the projection and forecasting of educational data. He has authored books on Education for All in India, enrolment projections, population projections, and upper primary education, and has contributed extensively to research journals and the NIEPA Occasional Paper Series. From 2001 to 2017, he played a key role in strengthening India’s Educational Management Information System at the national level and managed one of the world’s largest education information systems, the Unified District Information System for Education (UDISE). He has published numerous annual reports based on UDISE data and has presented papers at both Oxford and Cambridge Universities. Dr Mehta has received professional training at the UNESCO Regional Office in Bangkok and the Harvard Institute for International Development, Harvard University (USA). His contributions have been recognised through several prestigious awards, including the e-Governance 2010 and eINDIA 2010 National Awards, the Manthan Award South Asia 2010, and the EMPI Indian Express Indian Innovation Award 2012. His recent research work is available at educationforallinindia.com.
Kathleen Naglee

Kathleen Naglee

Kathleen Naglee is an award-winning leader of innovative schooling and business practices. He 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

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

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 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

Graham Thomson

Graham is a former Head of Educational Development Services, Scotland. He has worked extensively with school 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 including 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 leaders. He has also delivered a range of professional learning programmes for university colleagues in both Scotland and abroad. Graham currently has an honorary role at the University of Edinburgh.
Ayan Chatterjee

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.
Our Team
Antony Nellissery

Dr Antony Nellissery

Head, EdIndia Foundation

Dr 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 organisations 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

Varun Bhamre

Lead – M&E and Technology

Varun Bhamre leads the M&E and Technology teams. He oversees data-driven strategies, digital solutions, and evidence-based research to strengthen teacher education and support government systems across states. With a strong background in analytics and programme design, Varun plays a key role in driving innovation and building scalable models for impact. When he is not immersed in data and research, Varun enjoys long bicycling rides to de-stress and stay fit.
Nidhi Khandelwal

Nidhi Khandelwal

Chief Manager – Strategy, Partnerships & Communications

As Chief Manager – Strategy, Partnerships & Communications at Sterlite EdIndia Foundation, Nidhi leads strategic communications, stakeholder engagement, and efforts to strengthen the visibility and impact of large-scale education initiatives.
She holds a B.Tech in Biotechnology and began her career as a Systems Engineer at Infosys before moving into the development sector. Her experience includes roles with Teach For India and Sol's ARC, contributing to programmes focused on education, youth development, and social impact
Pushpa Chandel

Pushpa Chandel

Lead – Academic Content & Digital Learning

Pushpa is working as a Lead – Academic Content & Digital Learning where she drives the development of innovative digital resources aimed at transforming teacher education. Pushpa brings over 18 years of experience in the education sector, having worked across schools, publishing, and Ed-Tech. She has held impactful roles such as School Principal, Head of Operations, and Organisational Development Consultant. An MBA from JBIMS with certifications in Leadership & Change (XLRI) and L&D (KPMG), Pushpa is passionate about improving learning experiences for students and educators alike. She enjoys gardening and singing in her leisure time.
Neerupama Sharma

Neerupama Sharma

Lead – Training & Development

Neerupama Sharma is the Lead – Training & Development. 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. Managed assessments and teacher training for professional development at Bharti Airtel Foundation. Neerupama is eager to contribute her expertise to EdIndia's mission.
Arijit Sen

Arijit Sen

Chief Manager – Digitisation

Arijit leads the Digitisation team, creating academic and promotional content for teachers across online and offline platforms. Over the past several years, he has focused on developing audio-visual resources to support teacher training, integrating art-based and child-centric pedagogy. Previously, he produced educational media with communities and established an art-based learning centre in Bamor village, Tonk district with the help of local teachers and community helpers. With 15+ years in electronic and print media, he has also collaborated with organisations like Azim Premji Foundation and Community Theatre Tonk. He enjoys music, travel, photography, sports, and with a keen interest in exploring cultures to understand human behaviour.
Kanchan Upasani

Kanchan Upasani

Manager - Human Resources

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. 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 organisational 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.
Suman Arora

Suman Arora

State Head – Rajasthan

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 endeavour has seamlessly intertwined with both her passion and profession.
Imdangjungla Jamir

Imdangjungla Jamir

State Head – Tripura

Imdangjungla Jamir (Ajung) is working with us as a State Head - 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 impactful work with Lend A Hand India, where she supported Nagaland's Directorate of School Education. Outside work, she enjoys badminton and movies.
Bharti Gupta

Bharti Gupta

State Head – Uttarakhand

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.

Recognition

BMC Education Department Felicitation

Felicitation by BMC Education Department for Remarkable Work in the FLN (Foundational Literacy and Numeracy) Initiative 2026

BSG Excellence Award

‘Community Engagement & Education for Sustainability' Award at the 1st BSG Excellence in Sustainability Awards 2025

Indian CSR Award

'Best Higher Education Initiative' award at the Indian CSR Awards & Summit

ET Rajasthan Business Award

'Excellence in EdTech & Digital Learning’ award at the ET Rajasthan Business Awards 2025 by The Economic Times

World CSR Day Award

‘Outstanding Contribution to Social Consciousness award’ at the World CSR Day 2025

Elets World Education Summit 2024

Our work got recognized with 'Innovative Product/ Service for Teacher Professional Development' at the 31st Elets World Education Summit 2024

IndianCSR & Sustainability Conclave Award 2023

Our work in Education got recognized with the IndianCSR & Sustainability Conclave Award, 2023 for CSR Excellence in Education

Mahatma Award 2023

Recognized with Mahatma Award 2023 for 'Social Good and Impact in Quality Education'

Best Innovative CSR Project Award 2023 Education

Best Innovative CSR Project Award 2023 Education

Indian Social Impact Award 2022

Our work in Tripura received the Indian Social Impact Award under the category of ‘Best Education CSR Project of the Year 2022-23’

Asia Power Award 2021

Received Asia Power Award 2021 under the category ‘CSR Initiative of the year – India’

CSR Times National CSR E-Summit 2020

Awarded as the ‘Best Corporate Foundation’ in Education Category for the CSR Project – ‘Project Pragyan’ at 7th National CSR E-Summit organised by CSR Times in 2020

GFEL Top 50 Organizations 2020

Recognised as ‘Top 50 Organizations in Education’ by Global Forum for Education and Learning, USA, 2020