Category: Leaders

VISION TO OFFER INVALUABLE SERVICES

Known for his charismatic personality, Amit is a prominent name in the logistics industry. A graduate from the University of Delhi, Amit earned his Master’s degree in Business Management in 2004. He has worked for well-established and reputable companies which have helped him gain a wealth of experience and exposure in the field of logistics.

Asia Shipping was established by Amit in 2012 in New Delhi with branch offices in major export centres in India. As part of its efforts to provide its customers with the best services at the most competitive rates, it offers advanced shipping services, customs clearance, warehouse management, and other logistics support products.

DEMONSTRATES AN INNOVATION-DRIVEN MINDSET

Amit’s dynamic leadership approach and innovative business development policies have helped Asia Shipping achieve and surpass all its targets over the years. In a short span of nine years, the organisation has grown from a simple start in freight forwarding services from India to Latin America, to one offering a wide array of logistics services from the Indian sub-continent to the rest of the world.

In addition to being registered with the Federal Maritime Commission, USA and CBSA, Canada, the organisation has membership in several international associations, including IATA, WCA, EAN, and FIATA.

The AEO (Authorised Economic Operator) and GDP(Good Distribution Practices) certified company was launched in collaboration with M/s Asia Shipping, Brazil [Asia Shipping Transportes Internacionais Ltda], a multinational logistics provider, which has been ranked the number one logistics organisation in Brazil for over 17 years, and operates through its 40 branches in 12 countries. Currently, it is rated among the top 30 logistics companies in the world.

ON AN EXPANSION SPREE

Under Amit’s stewardship, Asia Shipping, India has expanded its footprint across several cities in India, including New Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Pune, Gandhidham, Ludhiana, Jamshedpur, and in the India sub-continent, Bangladesh and Dubai . Besides developing its own international network of agents and correspondents around the globe, the organisation, under his leadership, has been active in exporting and importing across all major trade lanes worldwide.

The ambitious leader also plans to continue expanding his organisation by strengthening the existing branches as well as opening new ones. Additionally, he is already involved in expanding the organisation’s international network to strengthen its global presence.

Also, he plans on adding new products and verticals to his organisation’s inventory in the coming years. Moreover, he hopes to be able to capitalize on the newly emerging opportunities that are arising from the change in the international trading environment resulting from the opening up of world markets following the after-effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

A FUTURE-FOCUSED LEADER

Amit is a visionary leader who is always ready to face the uncertainties of the future. International cargo movement has been adversely affected by the COVID-19-induced pandemic in a variety of ways, including decline in production, inland transport constraints, storage capacity constraints and limited loading/unloading capacity at ports as well as airports.

His creative strategies and out-of-the-box thinking and proactive approach have helped his organisation to persevere and progress through the COVID-19 crisis also.

The water technology leader started his career with Dorr Oliver. He then worked for John Brown Engineering, Glasgow, before joining WABAG in the UK. In 1996, the firm deputed him to India to create a Strategic Business Unit. His stellar leadership has transformed WABAG from a subsidiary into a true Indian multinational with operations in over 25 countries across 4 continents, as well as R&D centres in India, Switzerland, and Austria, and more than 100 IP Rights. In 2005, he led the first management buyout in the history of the water industry. He then orchestrated WABAG Group’s historic reverse takeover from Siemens in 2007.

DRIVEN BY GOALS

Rajiv is a goal-oriented individual focused on reaching a planned outcome. With the motto “Sustainable solutions for a better life”, he reiterates his commitments to the UN Sustainable Development Goals and environmental, social and corporate governance. In his current role, he is working towards increased overseas orders and diversify the company’s global footprint and revenue streams. His priority is to acquire more industrial orders. He is also focusing on service businesses (operations & maintenance) to eventually contribute over 20% to the company’s top line. His main emphasis is on high-technology projects that can benefit from WABAG’s process integration and optimization capabilities. Rajiv’s future strategy is to adopt groundbreaking enterprise technology for seamless water management. In the long run, he desires to make WABAG one of the world’s top 3 water technology companies, ensuring clean water and sanitation for people all over the world. He also believes in generating wealth and sharing it with all his stakeholders. His goal driven leadership enables him to strategize in advance, which in turn helps him face even the toughest situations smoothly. For instance, during the COVID-19 pandemic, he had surefire strategies in place to keep his site employees safe with measures such as mass vaccination, safety accessories and protocols to enable them to serve millions across the globe.

EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT

Rajiv believes that a company’s strongest asset is its workforce. As a result, he continually concentrates on mentoring and directing them toward a sustainable organisational vision. Also, he is accessible to all of his coworkers and offers advice on a variety of management topics. Moreover, he believes that the best governance should be implemented with the least amount of intervention. A proponent of workplace diversity, the leader believes it is more important to emphasize principles rather than rules to create a positive work culture.

CAREER MILESTONES

When asked about his career milestones, Rajiv says his journey with WABAG has been adventurous and astonishing simultaneously. Under his leadership, the company has achieved several historic milestones over the past two and a half decades. Several of them were rare events in the world of global corporations, and he is proud to have led his crew during those times. The management buyout of WABAG India, the reverse acquisition of erstwhile parent WABAG Group, and the dream listing in stock exchanges are just a few of the many things he will always cherish. He was a young man and hardly had any entrepreneurial skills when he got involved in these opportunities, but he dared to seize those opportunities with his total belief and the support of his colleagues.

GIVING BACK TO SOCIETY

Rajiv considers CSR an integral part of his business. He is consistently focused on producing clean and safe drinking water, preventing pollution, and preserving the environment around us. As an advocate of sustainability, he encourages people to harness alternative sources of water, such as seawater, and used water as a sustainable alternative to purified water. In addition, he strongly supports efficient wastewater treatment, as well as water recovery and reutilization. Furthermore, he has been proactively advocating advanced technologies for water treatment solutions at an affordable price for municipal and industrial applications. Under his guidance, WABAG implements CSR programmes for water augmentation, water conservation, water use efficiency, water reuse, restoration of water bodies, watershed development and provision of potable water through building water treatment plants. In addition to reviving 88 open wells, Rajiv led WABAG restored more than 285 acres of rain-fed lands owned by 131 small and marginal farmers in 14 villages. Under his direction, WABAG had also created and dedicated an STP to help Adyar Cancer Institute reach its pollution control standards. Additionally, the company has developed a decentralized STP with a recycling facility at Warangal, Telangana, to benefit around 5000 urban poor. WABAG and BRLF are currently collaborating to develop watersheds in six West Bengal districts, which will benefit about 5 lakh households. WABAG also regularly participates in children’s welfare programs. For instance, in 2008, WABAG headed the Children Health Project in Cherthala, Kerala, by setting up mobile clinics for 40000 children suffering from chikungunya in 60 villages. What’s more, under his guidance, WABAG recently aided Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) in restoring normalcy to the city, which had been ravaged by floods caused by heavy rain. WABAG is also actively involved in the GCC announced Chennai Sanitation Plan.

ACCOLADES

Rajiv’s unique leadership skills and unwavering commitment have earned him myriad plaudits and accolades. He was recognized amongst World’s Top 20 Most Transformative Leaders in Water Sector by the Global Water Intelligence in 2021. He was ranked among the top three most influential global water leaders by WWI, UK for two consecutive years in 2017 and 2018. He was also ranked among the top 100 CEOs of India, and 4th in the Infra and Engineering Sector by BT-PWC, in 2018.

Santhoshi has carved out a niche in the personal care industry with her dedication and enthusiasm. She strives to create brands that blend beauty and technology in the best way. Her passion for beauty led her to create BeautyKart as an evolving e-commerce destination for personal care, beauty, and lifestyle products. She has some revolutionary plans in store for the future of BeautyKart.

A TECH-SAVVY ENTREPRENEUR

Through BeautyKart, Santhoshi had brought customization and technology to commerce modules and established a global retail atmosphere for beauty products. With the addition of technology to supply chains, she has revolutionised the beauty industry to be more responsible and sustainable. With an integrated physical and digital commerce experience, the company offers online consultations, speed in delivering new products to market, and even voice-based purchases. She also uses Artificial Intelligence to enhance ease of use, allowing people to enjoy customisation based on their skin dynamics. With BeautyKart, the beauty connoisseur-turned entrepreneur pioneered a first-of-its kind digital community hotspot to unite educators, enthusiasts, and learners to strengthen the perception of beauty so as to harmonise inclusivity, authenticity, and empowerment. Additionally, she revolutionised the art of retail by introducing Omni channel commerce chains to meet the growing demands from all corners of the nation.

A keen fashion enthusiast, Santhoshi has been a part of several fashion weeks all over the world. With her strong ethic, charismatic nature and graceful demeanour, she has established herself as one of beauty and fashion’s most sought-after and influential faces. It has been her goal to promote inclusivity and skin positivity throughout the cosmetics industry. She is also a gifted public speaker with a flair for delivering powerful ideas and inspiring thoughts with her charming demeanour.

PRIORITIZING QUALITY

The company’s mission is to alert consumers about counterfeit beauty products in the personal grooming industry – a mission that Santhoshi has played a key role in fulfilling. A seasoned industry expert, she has curated and acquired brands under the Beauty accelerator programme, as well as catalysed other brands under the programme.

Her vibrant vision of creating a global retail atmosphere in India has created a market for innovative and diverse offerings in the personal care industry for many professionals.

PURPOSE-DRIVEN BEAUTY

Beyond the beauty industry, the benevolent entrepreneur regularly participates in many social welfare programs. In addition, she had initiated a mental health awareness campaign called ‘Virtual Virtue,’ which stands for virtuous behaviour in a virtual world. She is also involved with sustainable initiatives with the United Nations. Furthermore, through her massive social media presence, she strives to create a community where everyone can share knowledge and become inspired by each other. What’s more, the forward-thinking business leader is also a published author. What is more than businesswoman who is an established author and beauty enthusiast.

Born to a humble middle class family in a small town in Thrissur, Kerala, Shareef Muhammed’s entrepreneurial saga exemplifies that hard work and success go hand in hand. Beginning his career in 2008 as just another employee, he soon realized he was made for bigger ventures. While working for a Qatar based construction company in 2011, he invested a major part of his salary into business. His young shoulders took big responsibilities with explicit understanding of every task he undertook. Patience and perseverance were the two pillars that became a foundation for turning his dreams turn into a reality.

THE RISE OF A STAR

The leader in him began to take wings while he was working for a Turkey-based company providing vehicles for construction. He managed to provide 300 drivers to the company, which revealed the budding entrepreneur in him. Soon, he was invited to become a sub-contractor and that was the turning point in his career. The counts for the contract went up from 300 to 1300 in no time. His dedication led him to set up a business venture in his motherland Kerala. The foundation and groundwork for Cubes International Logistics started in 2017 and the firm saw the light of day in the year 2018, with business in full swing.

Having inherited his mother’s grit, Shareef Muhammed knew that hurdles can be crossed if fought with resilience. He was brought up by a single parent since he lost his father in his early years of childhood. He learnt life lessons early because of the hardships faced by his mother and how she overcame them during those days.

He has always believed that India is a land of opportunities and often invested in indigenous projects. His exemplary leadership qualities and focused approach have helped him to build a dream team which facilitated huge rise of the firm in a short span. In just a year he saw phenomenal growth of the parent company, Cubes International Group. Today, he oversees and manages the perations of Cubes International Developers, Cubes International Logistics, Cubes International Facility Management, Cubes International Management Services, Cubes Trading and Contracting, Cubevo International Trading, Psycho Designs, and Cascade Foodstuff Trading. Leading on all fronts and continuously exploring different verticals such as construction, consulting, management, and FMCG, Shareef Muhammed operates his businesses in the UAE, Qatar, India and the USA.

CALCULATED RISK

Having risen to such great heights within couple of years Shareef Muhammed has the brain of a mastermind. He takes calculated risks, brainstorming with an idea, understanding the market feasibility, sticking to his principles, and executing it articulately and drawing profit from it. It’s his well formed team that forms his backbone supporting him wholeheartedly while knowing well that their charismatic leader is no ordinary man. He has the ability to pull through the most trying times with his humbleness and a strong mind.

A CHARISMATIC LEADER

Known for his charming personality and enigmatic smile, Shareef Muhammed believes in the concept of learning and growing with each passing day. He advises aspiring entrepreneurs to remember that hard work always pays off, and one should never forget that patience and perseverance are the keys to success.

Shashank is an MBA from the Institute of Management Technology in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh (India) and specializes in marketing. He has been in the lending business since 2000. He served as Location Manager of Consumer Loans for GE Money from 2000 to 2004 and served as Director of Mortgage Origination Business for Parsec Interact, Inc. from 2004 until 2007. As a former writer for TheBalance.com and Homes.com, America’s leading websites on personal finance topics, Shashank covered homebuying topics.

His company Arcus Lending Inc. was rebranded as InstaMortgage in 2021 because the meaning of the term “Insta” has expanded to refer to an immediate delivery standard, which has become popular among today’s tech-savvy consumers. Despite founding InstaMortgage during the 2008 mortgage crisis, he took his tech-driven mortgage company to new heights of success with his hard work and relentless passion. InstaMortgage, licensed in 26 States across the USA, currently employs more than 110 people.

The dramatic growth of the company has been driven by his unrelenting focus on education and legendary customer service. Every decision he makes as an entrepreneur revolves around his customers. Moreover, his customer-centric growth mindset drives him to embrace various cutting-edge technologies with open arms in order to make lending experiences better for borrowers. InstaMortgage supports diversity, inclusion, and minority homeownership. A majority of their mortgages close within 20-70% faster than the industry average, he claims. Shashank believes in empowering consumers through financial literacy. “We are in the customer service and education business, and mortgages just happen to be part of the mix,” he says.

His mission is to make InstaMortgage synonymous with the quickest and most reliable mortgage service available today. InstaMortgage is loved both by its employees and customers.

The 4.9 rating on Google reflects the company’s stellar service. The top three mortgage media publications – National Mortgage News, Mortgage Professionals America, and National Mortgage Professionals Magazine; all named the company one of the best employers to work with.

ACHIEVING BREAKTHROUGH RESULTS

Shashank is known for his bold spirit and disruptive ideas. After starting his business in 2008 during the Great Recession, which was one of the worst years for the American economy, his grit and optimism led the company to become one of the fastest growing mortgage companies in America by helping thousands of families secure better mortgages for their homes. Shashank is primarily concerned with the security of his customers.

In February 2022, he led the company to adopt Finicity Technology, which enables lenders to verify a borrower’s assets, earnings, & employment credentials in real-time during the loan application process seamlessly. Finicity, which is a MasterCard Company, was chosen for its transparency and capacity to assist consumers in improving their financial health and purchasing power. From searching for the best provider, negotiating and signing a deal, and settling the contract, InstaMortgage’s adoption of Finicity’s cloud based technology took InstaMortgage about six months to integrate. InstaMortgage’s already fast mortgage lending process has been made even faster by Finicity’s MVS technology.

A TECH-SAVVY ENTREPRENEUR

Shashank’s technological innovations have enabled InstaMortgage to reach breathtaking growth levels. A highlight of his career is the creation of MLO Master Class, a leading platform for loan officers.

Apart from automating the mortgage process and streamlining things such as income verification and providing accurate estimates to consumers, he developed Rachel, a conversational artificially intelligent digital human, which is capable of listening to and answering borrowers’ questions.

Rachel is an upgrade on the experience the conversation AI platforms like Siri and Alexa, since Rachel looks and behaves like a human thus providing a more engaging experience for the users. It is also created specifically for the mortgage industry and can answer dozens of frequently asked mortgage questions. Rachel also helps the borrowers get rates quotes or pre-approvals. The Rachel 2.0 version promises to pre-qualify the borrowers instantly in less than 3 minutes.

GARNERING ACCOLADES

In recognition of his excellence and brilliance and his innovative leadership, he was featured on the cover of National Mortgage Professionals Magazine that also named him “Top 40 Under 40 most influential mortgage professionals in the country” for three years in a row. He was also listed among the “Top 25 most connected mortgage professionals in the country.” by the magazine.

Additionally, he was named one of the “Hot 100” by Mortgage Professional America Magazine. Moreover, under his sterling leadership, InstaMortgage has made it onto the Deloitte Fast Tech 500 rankings for 2021, ranking #110 (above Zoom, Pinterest, and Square) and is the only mortgage company on the list.

The company has also been named as one of the fastest-growing private companies in America (also known as “Most Exclusive Club in Business”) in 2017 and 2021 by Inc. Magazine.

GIVING BACK TO SOCIETY

Shashank is a benevolent leader who is always willing to go above and beyond to promote societal welfare. Currently, he is on the Board of Directors of GiveIndia.org, the largest and most trusted giving platform in India that allows individuals and organizations to raise and donate funds conveniently to the causes they care about.

https://instamortgage.com/

POSSESSING A FAR-REACHING VISION

Prof. Sasmita has undertaken several initiatives and business innovations in congruence with her belief that ‘Leadership is the responsibility to contribute for the success of others.’ She launched the ‘Education for All’ programme that supported one million students to participate in higher education. Recognising the psychological impact of socio-economic disadvantages, she organised the ‘Lead For Life’ confidence-building exercise for underprivileged children. She strives to maintain a student centric ambiance in the campus. Her vision is to create an ecosystem that supports researches for finding effective solutions to social issues. She is working dedicatedly towards making KIIT rank amongst the top 100 universities in the world. She is gearing up to introduce online certification courses to expand the horizon of KIIT.

UPHOLDING SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

She has been vehemently advocating social welfare through education. A voracious public speaker, Prof. Sasmita has participated in various conferences, and even organised an international webinar on National Education Policy 2020. It was presided by Dr. Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank,’ the former Minister of Education, and had more than 25000 participants globally. Under her counsel, KIIT has been taking active part in outreach activities. They conduct programmes for holistic development, provide free medical services, hold awareness camps and occupational safety and health workshops for agricultural and construction workers at Kandhamal and other rural areas. Moreover, they facilitate Rural Capacity Building by conducting skill set training programmes on behalf of the Department of Science and Technology, the Government of India.

EFFICIENTLY BATTLING THE PANDEMIC

Under her guidance, KIIT managed its academic calendar without any disruption by conducting virtual lessons and COVID-19 awareness programs on TV and other mass media channels to reach remote parts of the state. They aided the healthcare infrastructure by distributing 50,000 PPE kits amongst healthcare workers and, setting up 4 specialized COVID-19 hospitals in Bhubaneswar, and in the districts of Balangir, Mayurbhanj and Kandhamal. Along with 1250 hospital beds in total, they have also built quarantine centres, isolation and post COVID care facilities. Under her leadership, KIIT distributed dry and essential food items, groceries, sanitizers, masks and sanitary napkins to 3 lakh + people, and set up a tele-counseling cell to provide support for stress management and emotional wellness during the pandemic. Their tele-medicine facility also made online healthcare consultancy available to the public. KIIT has also started the initiative to provide free education to children who lost their guardians to COVID-19 in Odisha. For all their contribution, KIIT was awarded the Utkrisht Sansthan Vishwakarma Award-2020 by the AICTE, Ministry of Human Resource Development, for post COVID-19 redevelopment and rehabilitation plan and ‘Leadership and Management Team of the Year’ by THE Awards Asia 2021.

A DYNAMIC CAREER

She is the ambassador of UGC Paramarsh Scheme, KIIT-DU, which helps many institutes to get NAAC accreditation and good ranking nationally. She is the Assessor and Committee Member, NAAC. She is the Founder-President of World Leadership Academy, which serves as a platform for global leaders to address issues from diverse domains. She has immensely contributed to professional bodies such as the Indian Science Congress, Indian Academy of Social Sciences, Indian Commerce Association, Odisha Commerce Association, and others.

Nitin is a civil engineer, who strives to make the society a better place. Under the esteemed guidance of his father, His Holiness Gurumauli, and Sadguru Moredada, Nitin went on to expanding the social reforms for betterment of society.

RESHAPING THE FUTURE

Nitin relentlessly imparts the value-based education to youth and children through Balsanskar. As the Head of the Publications Department of Gurupeeth, Nitin takes a step forward, implementing modern technology in the printing set-up for better efficiency. The trust presently brings out over 70 books in Marathi, Hindi, Gujarati, Kannada, Telugu, Bengali, Sanskrit, English and other languages as well as in Braille. Engaged in grassroot reforms for the past six decades, Gurupeeth encountered further advancement when Nitin established an IT cell and ‘Desh Videsh Vibhag.

REVOLUTION FOR A BETTER SOCIETY

Under the supervision of Nitin, many of activities have been outspread in Maharashtra, and across the other states. Meeting the global demands, Balsanskar and counselling campaigns have been conducted in countries like the USA, UK, Canada, Germany, Belgium, Netherlands, Singapore, Nepal, UAE, and Australia. These activities, interestingly, are executed by the dedicated and selfless voluntary activists, who themselves benefitted from such initiatives, and are now giving back to the society, across caste, creed or ethnicity. Even during the pandemic, young Sevakari volunteers organised blood donation camps, food shelters for the needy and quarantined people, and organised counselling sessions to provide the psychological support to those who lost their jobs during the pandemic. The sessions continue even today at the thousands of centres in and outside India. Nitin’s value-based education and training have helped people overcome alcoholism and live productively. Women have been guided to live independently and moral values have been imparted among children. The impact of his initiatives has been far-reaching.

WORLD RECORDS AND GLOBAL RECOGNITION

The eight world records set by the Value Education Cell of Gurupeeth under his guidance certainly deserve applause. From one lakh twenty thousand students together chanting of Stotra-Mantras and the group recitation of Shree Ganapati Atharvashirsha Stotra 1 Crore 20 Lakhs 56 Thousand times by students during the Ganesh Festival in September 2020 to more than fifty-one thousand students making eco-friendly Diwali lanterns, the records indeed illustrate changing lives of many. In addition to this, 7500+ students made prototypes of 758+ different forts showcasing India’s rich legacy.

AN INSPIRATIONAL FIGURE

Nitin is truly an inspirational leader for numerous young volunteers, who have been serving selflessly. He works with all his will to create awareness against social evils like superstitions. The research team, under his valuable guidance, is actively engaged in bringing science and spirituality together for the benefit of mankind. Leadership is a duty, not a position – Nitin proves it time and again with his constant efforts to create a better future. It is solely because of the successful and esteemed execution of the programmes by Nitin and Shree Gurupeeth that millions of lives have been enriched.

NURTURING TALENT

During his stay in Dubai, Keshav witnessed many Indian students struggling to prepare for engineering and medical entrance exams. He found out that the differences between the education systems of the two countries posed learning-related challenges for Indian students. To lend a helping hand, he established ALLEN Career Institute Overseas to train students and help them realize their academic potential. The institute was built to benefit overseas students, majorly in the Gulf. Keshav expanded the dimensions of the brand within just a year with his exquisite marketing and business strategies.

COACHING AS A SUPPLEMENT TO SCHOOL EDUCATION

More than 15 million students prepare for big exams like IIT, JEE, NEET, CAT, etc., every year. It is evident that the preparation for such competitive exams is quite challenging and may get easier with support. Keshav believes that test preparation coaching is one of the most lucrative business models in today’s world as the Indian coaching industry is growing at almost 15% per year. Considering the fact that the ongoing pandemic has paved the way for Digital online sessions, a platform that may be accessed through mobile phone, desktop or laptop; ALLEN Career Institute Overseas has also embraced this form to enhance the students’ potential.

Keshav believes that the National Education Policy 2020 (NEP 2020) is a revolutionary introduction that can catapult the level of Indian students to compete with students from other countries. He suggests that coaching has been a supplement to schools’ educational curriculum but is usually unnoticed. He requests the government to consider involving the coaching fraternity while discussing the educational policy to get the complete perspective of the educational outcomes that make the nation proud.

The primary motive of the ALLEN Career Institute Overseas is to make the coaching services attainable to each and every student across the country in both the rural and urban regions. With hundreds of coaching sample papers, experts to clear doubts, and highly qualified tutors, the institution is catering to the online platform after dominating the offline coaching industry.

SPREADING FAR AND WIDE

Keshav is of the view that coaching institute have the potential to make a meaningful difference to the lives of students and it will be in high demand in near future as well. Moreover, the pandemic has established that online coaching is the next educational frontline. The primary goal is to help students learn meritoriously by assessing their respective situations according to their needs and goals. He feels that the digital version of coaching is a great investment. It is convenient, resourceful, accessible and beneficial to students to have unlimited access to extra help and best academic support.

With Keshav’s entry in 2014, the scales of the ALLEN Career Institute have immensely elevated. In 2018-2019 it had 1.56 lakh students from 18 cities in six states with over 100 study centers. In 2020, it had more than 2 lakh students in the classroom coaching and 1.5 lakh students joined its long-distance programs. He has successfully established the institution’s roots in countries such as Saudi Arabia, Oman, Kuwait, Bahrain, and Qatar and is exploring new geographies within the foreign market. Keshav suggests that taking smart and calculated risks by weighing the pros and cons of your actions alongside your leap of faith has a high chance of success rather than unnecessary risks. As a successful entrepreneur and a visionary leader in the education sector, he aims to equip students to conquer some of the biggest mountains with some extra help and quality academic support.

Dr. Divakar is a name synonymous with an unending passion to heal. In the medical fraternity not only in India but the world over, she is a force to reckon with. She has dedicated her life to healing and making healthcare accessible to the underserved. She is an Obstetrician and Gynaecologist with over 3 decades of experience and expertise in women’s healthcare in India. All through her medical career, she has worked hard to improve healthcare and the welfare of women. She has over the last two-and-a-half decades, been a game-changer in healthcare, establishing new benchmarks, and standards and touching women’s lives in the process.

Dr. Divakar completed her MD at Wadia Hospital in Mumbai in 1989 and soon after that, she started Divakar Speciality Hospital in Bangalore with her husband Dr. GV. Divakar – a well-renowned ophthalmologist. The hospital is a dedicated center of excellence for women’s healthcare. It was established with the aim to be a single-window solution for women’s healthcare. It offers a range of services for new-borns, girls, and women of all ages. Under her leadership, the hospital has become synonymous with the best quality care. But she didn’t stop there. With the kind of impact that she wanted to make, Dr. Divakar wanted to establish something bigger and reach out to more people. She is deeply passionate about the inadequacies in the Indian healthcare system especially when it comes to young girls.

ARTIST AT WORK

A growing child or a young girl faces a lot of physical changes and it renders a lot of confusion. They want answers and they need trusted sources for that. However, there aren’t enough healthcare providers who are available to give the right guidance. Add to that the stigma attached to even asking questions about one’s physical body and you’ve got a confused girl probably going to the wrong resources for information. Dr. Divakar wanted to change this. In order to foster adequate adolescent care, she launched Asian Research and Training Institute for Skill Transfer – ARTIST. Through ARTIST, Dr. Divakar has been training all the frontline healthcare providers to provide well-researched and medically correct information. Under this program, O&G specialists are trained and upskilled through short and smart modules. Also, the postgraduates, medical officers, staff nurses, health counsellors, health educators, and general womenfolk of all ages and given trainings and knowledge-based seminars to make them more aware. It imparts skill transfer trainings throughout the country in various phases. Dr. Divakar has brought together a solid team of expert healthcare professionals, leaders of professional organisations, key opinion makers, researchers, and academicians, leading clinicians in practice – a mix of the best resources under one umbrella to design and impart these trainings. It is a one-of-a-kind program that is helping adolescent girls all across the country.

There is also an institute namely ARTIST Skill Gurukul in Bangalore that aims to improve the capabilities and competencies of Obstetrics & Gynaecologists and healthcare providers in India. Under Dr. Divakar’s guidance the specialists at ARTIST have extensively surveyed the Knowledge, Attitudes & Practices (KAPs) amongst the ObGyns across India, and have been able to gather startling facts and identify the gaps in KAPs. They use this well-versed knowledge to design trainings, programs and modules that imparts education wherever there is a gap. Trainers at ARTIST ensure that the training is not just about the certificates but it is about the competency. One can be ensured that a certified professional from ARTIST is competent in that particular skill before the end of the course because the training and retraining and the role-plays and the mock drills and rehearsals and everything that involves in order to make sure that the skill is adequately and completely transferred without compromising the quality of the training. The spectrum of training encompasses basic ObGyn skills to recent advances inclusive of endoscopy, ultrasound, and infertility with a foundation of evidence-based protocols.

ARTIST also gives out emergency care and medical aid to women during childbirth. In association with Federation of Obstetric and Gynaecological Societies of India (FOGSI), ARTIST has been working to implement ‘Manyata,’ an initiative that brings together local health practitioners to improve their ability to deliver better, respectful, and quality care services to pregnant mothers during and after childbirth. From the first stage of enrolling manpower to conducting skill transfer (onsite and digital) to getting caregivers up to speed to apply for certifications provided by FOGSI, ARTIST handles everything. It is an ambitious project that has already certified over 800 centers for following clinical protocol and having skilled staff and others.

AWARDS AND RECOGNITION

Visionary and professional par excellence, Dr. Divakar has been awarded time and again for her unparallel work. In 2015, she was awarded FIGO Women Achievers Award 2015 in recognition of her international and domestic contribution to promoting the development of science and scientific research in the fields of gynaecology and obstetrics. She has also been awarded the very prestigious ‘Life Time Achievement’ Award from the Governing Council of Diabetes in Pregnancy Study Group India (DIPSI).

She is also the recipient of Global Award for Music Therapy by Medscape India award for her outstanding service to women’s health. She was conferred the social entrepreneurship award by USAIDS and MSD for Mothers. However, her work is way beyond her awards and recognition. She has held a number of senior and esteemed positions at multiple institutions and medical centers and has been the guiding light to teach the best practices in healthcare.

She has played a lead role in conducting outreach services including anaemia detection and treatment, deworming, menstrual hygiene, health awareness camps for 50,000 girls every year for the last 10 years. Apart from this, she has also been instrumental in extending community services to Primary Health Care Centers in collaboration with State Government and Karuna Trust to provide healthcare facilities in rural India.

A CHAMPION OF HEALTHCARE

Dr. Divakar has more than 3 decades of experience in the field of healthcare and is a renowned ophthalmologist with expertise in general ophthalmology, retina treatments, cornea and diabetic eye check as well as glaucoma treatment. He has previously worked at major hospitals such as Vasan Eye Care Hospital and provides his services as consultant ophthalmologist to Dr. Malathi Manipal Hospital, Bengaluru. He is currently the Managing Director of Divakar Specialty Hospital, Bengaluru and his keen dedication to the institution since its inception in 1990 has led to it becoming a premier centre for excellence in women’s healthcare. His immense knowledge in the field of clinical trials, strategy and planning, medical education and research as well as surgery have greatly contributed to the success of Divakar Specialty Hospital.

He has ensured that the centre provides customized treatments suited to the healthcare needs of all its women patients with unwavering focus on service quality. He is dedicated to alerting and educating women about health, as well as guide and support them through the treatment process.

Today, the hospital is one of the leading providers of treatments for health issues such as diabetes in pregnancy, fetal abnormalities, fibroid in pregnancy and multiple/IVF pregnancy care.

DEDICATED TO QUALITY SERVICE

Dr. G.V.Divakar is a best Ophthalmologist in Jp Nagar, Bangalore. He has over 37 years of experience as Ophthalmologist. He has done DOMS, MBBS, MD – Ophthalmology. He is a member of Bangalore Ophthalmic Society, Indian Medical Association (IMA), Karnataka Ophthalmic Society, A.I.O.S, F.O.R.C.E. Dr. G. V. Divakar currently practicing at Divakars Speciality Hospital in JP Nagar, Bangalore.

Doctor best way communicates in English, Hindi and kannada with their patients. Dr. G. V. Divakar offers a number of medical services including Eye Muscle Surgery, Cataract Surgery, Eye Checkup – General, Corneal Ulcer Treatment, Diabetic Eye Checkup and many more.

For Dr. G.V. Divakar, providing a quality service has always been a top-most priority. For Dr. G.V. Divakar, providing a quality service has always been a top-most priority. As far as the standards are concerned, the hospital, under the supervision of the leader, regularly updates to meet the new challenges of the healthcare sector. The standards offered by the speciality hospital are not confined to the services or pattern of serving patients but also cover the efficient tools and equipment used from diagnoses to treatments.

Other than in Ophthalmic practice, he is Managing Director of ARTIST(Asian Research and Training Institute for Skill Transfer), a Prime training and research center in Bangalore, Dr G V Divakar is Managing Trustee of Divakars Service Trust, the service wing of Divakars Speciality Hospital where in number of Free Health care activities are done in rural areas in and around Bangalore. He is Secretary of PHANA,(Private Hospitals and Nursing Homes Association) in Bangalore, which has a membership of more than 500 private hospitals in Bangalore. Recently he has done YIC(Yoga Instructors course) and conducting online Yoga training classes, which is good for overall health and wellness of all in the society.

Dr. Divakar’s focus on ensuring quality service and the wellbeing of his patients has enabled Divakar Specialty Hospital to emerge as the first private hospital in the state of Karnataka to receive ISO certification in the year 1998, only 8 years after its inception.