Dr. Tarita Shankar
FOUNDER SECRETARY & CHIEF MANAGING TRUSTEE SHREE CHANAKYA EDUCATION SOCIETY CHAIRPERSON, INDIRA GROUP OF INSTITUTES, PUNE
Email: taritashankar@indiraedu.com
The Indira Group of Institutes (IGI) since its inception in the year 1994 has been earning considerable appreciation for imparting value-based education in response to demands of the corporate world and imbibing ideals of academic excellence among both, faculty and students alike.
“A leader is the one who knows the way, goes the way and shows the way”
The name Indira Group of Institutes (IGI) is synonymous with its driving force- Chairperson & Chief Mentor, Dr Tarita Shankar, a dynamic, passionate and caring leader who has shaped IGI from scratch. Dr.Tarita Shankar holds a Degree in Arts and Law and is an alumnus of the prestigious Harvard Business School, USA having completed the ‘Owner/President Management’ program (OPM).
Realizing during the early 1990’s that Liberalization and Privatization of the Indian economy and consequently the education sector would open the door to innumerable opportunities, inspired by the wisdom of Chanakya, the legendary statesman, our iron-willed Prime Minister, late Mrs Indira Gandhi and backed by the encouragement and blessings of her parents and well-wishers, Dr Tarita Shankar sowed the seeds of the parent trust, Shree Chanakya Education Society, Pune.
Unwavering vision, meticulous planning, over two decades of countless hours at work, unflinching support from her family and a well-groomed leadership team comprising of seasoned academicians has seen the IGI group blossom to over 16 Institutions delivering cutting edge learning, to more than 18000 students from KG to PG level.
Dr Tarita Shankar has always believed that her work speaks for itself. She has been a recipient of numerous awards and citations over the last two decades on the national and international level. A few prestigious ones being:
As Dr Tarita Shankar says “Awards are a recognition of your achievements, however what matters more is your lasting, positive impact on the thoughts of the people that you work with, a sense of fulfilment that your work is improving the quality of others’ lives.
“Compassion is an expression of strength...You are so confident that you can allow the sorrows of other people to touch you”
CARE-Counsel, Advise, Rise and Evolve, an initiative by Tarita Maam, whereby students’ staff in all Indira Institutes and also alumni seek her guidance on professional and personal issues and in return benefit from her rich experience in work and life. As Dr. Shankar puts it “My dream of starting this initiative was through daily interactions that I used to have with the students, staff at our campuses and our large alumni community that’s connected with me on my social media 24 by 7. Tarita maam counsels students at least 10 students weekly on a one to one basis.... helping them to transform into better and caring human beings and spreading happiness in society. Care Club is registered as a Trust under Maharashtra Public Trusts Act 1950, on 17th October 2022 and all donations to it are fully exempted under the Income Tax Act 1961. Care Club was awarded the NGO Leadership Award at World CSR Congress Awards-2023 on 18th February 2023 at Mumbai.
‘Successful leaders see the opportunities in every difficulty, rather than the difficulty in every opportunity’.
Dr. Tarita Shankar’s meteoric rise from a young family-oriented girl to an exemplary leader was paved with several hurdles, personal and professional challenges which she overcame through pure grit and determination, ability to adapt to changes and an unending quest for excellence. An avid reader, an excellent orator renowned for her free, frank and fearless expression of her views, she loves to travel, having visited all major countries over the world. Philanthropy and concern for the less fortunate occupies her leisure time. Above all, she’s a doting mother, an affectionate family woman, and a fun loving, down to earth personality.