Vaishali Neotia

Insights from ‘EdTech for Equity’: Reinforcing KITE’s Vision for Public Education. +++ Today's Fireside Chat with Kavita Sanghvi , Director - Education, Kotak Education Foundation, at the ‘EdTech for Equity - Critical Conversations’ conference provided an invaluable platform to discuss KITE's journey. It was a privilege to elaborate on the journey, challenges, and successes of implementing EdTech across Kerala’s public education system. My responses consistently highlighted our foundational principles: 1. FOSS (Free and Open Source Software): A commitment to accessible, adaptable, and cost-effective technological solutions. 2. Teacher's Autonomy: Empowering educators as central figures in digital integration, not just users. 3. Pedagogy-based Digital Content: Ensuring technology serves learning objectives, driven by educational theory, not just novelty. The engagement underscored the critical role of these pillars in building a robust, equitable, and sustainable digital learning environment for all students. My sincere thanks to IT for Change ( specially to Gurumurthy Kasinathan ) and Critical EdTech India for organizing this vital dialogue. #EdTechForEquity #KITEKerala #FOSS #TeachersAutonomy #Pedagogy #PublicEducation #DigitalTransformation #ITforChange

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In this article for The Economic Times, Dr. Vanita Sharma, Advisor - Strategic Initiatives at Reliance Foundation and I write about the importance of foundational learning in building India’s $10 trillion economy, and how outcomes-based finance can get us there. Our OpEd draws on our work together with the #LiftEd initiative, an $18 million programme aimed at improving foundational learning for 4 million children across India. Read here: https://lnkd.in/dAHYsEEV  

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My second article in the 5-part series on board governance in Fortune India. This one looks at CEO accountability. This is a topic often reduced to personality - Is the CEO dynamic? Inspiring? In control? The truth is, charisma can’t replace process. - Clear goal-setting with both short- and long-term metrics - Well-designed incentives linked to holistic outcomes, not just profits - 360° feedback and exit interviews that reveal the unseen - HR as an active partner, not a bystander High-performing boards know that accountability rests on structure, consistency, and trust, not on charisma or past success. Because in the end, process beats personality. Sourav Majumdar Abhik Sen #boardgovernance #leadership #beyondtheplaybook

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We’re honored to share that Loksutr has been featured in Homegrown, with a thoughtful piece by Disha Bijolia that delves into our mission to revitalize indigenous oral and craft traditions in the digital age. Homegrown is India’s leading next-gen culture and lifestyle platform, dedicated to amplifying contemporary voices and reshaping narratives across art, design, music, fashion, and social impact. At Loksutr, we collaborate with knowledge keepers from the Pardhan Gond, Baiga, and Bhil communities of Madhya Pradesh to transform oral narratives—songs, myths, rituals—into contemporary collectibles like illustrated books and hand-painted textiles. Our aim is to ensure these traditions thrive in modern cultural discourse. As expressed in the article: “In the past, oral mediums of knowledge transfer (folktales, mythologies, songs, chants, proverbs and prayers) were performative and often public, whereas visual forms (wall paintings, murals, tattooing/body art, weaving/embroidery, pottery and everyday objects) were intimate and private; today, in the modern world this has reversed. Thus, by giving form to the oral, we don’t aim to preserve what is dying, but celebrate what is living.” This perspective underscores our commitment to honoring living traditions by adapting them to contemporary contexts, ensuring their continued relevance and resonance. Read the full article here: 👉 https://lnkd.in/dpxRfRKz We extend our gratitude to Disha and the Homegrown team for spotlighting our journey.

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A call to action for every educator, innovator, and changemaker who believes in reimagining education in India. Posting this message the behalf of Dr. Aniruddha Malpani: --- I want to fund a social impact entrepreneur to implement a national network of community microschools / digital community based learning pods to transform education in India. Education in India desperately needs a revamp. Our rote-learning system churns out students who struggle with critical thinking, real-world problem-solving, and independent learning.  My core belief is simple: every student possesses the capability to learn for themselves, given the right environment, tools, and support. Some key hurdles we anticipate: •⁠ ⁠Technology Access ≠ Guaranteed Learning: Simply providing a PC doesn't magically boost intelligence. Student motivation and parental involvement are critical. •⁠ ⁠Cultural Resistance and Inertia: Traditional beliefs in India often equate tuitions with academic success. Convincing parents to prioritize PCs over tuitions could be an uphill battle. •⁠ ⁠Limited Parental Digital Literacy: While students might readily adapt, some parents may struggle to support their child's online learning journey. •⁠ ⁠Over-reliance on Self-Learning: Not all students are naturally drawn to self-directed learning. Without proper guidance, some might feel overwhelmed by the vastness of online resources. Maximizing Success: To mitigate these risks, we're taking several crucial steps: •⁠ ⁠Building a Support Ecosystem: We'll provide students and parents with guidance on utilizing the PC for educational purposes. This could involve community-based workshops or digital literacy programs offered by NGOs or social entrepreneurs. •⁠ ⁠Partnerships with Educational Entrepreneurs: We'll collaborate with entrepreneurs to run small, affordable community-based teaching centers. These centers, operating on a for-profit model, can ensure sustainability while remaining financially accessible. •⁠ ⁠Engaging Parents: By equipping parents with PC skills, we empower the entire family. The potential impact is transformative – not just for education but for our entire approach to learning. By shifting the focus from rote learning and rigid classroom structures to self-directed, technology-driven education, we can move away from a scarcity mindset and embrace a growth mindset. This empowers a new generation of students with the skills they need to thrive in the modern world. We want to open-source this model, so that others can replicate it, and allow it to grow exponentially ! This is an experiment, and like any endeavor, it holds the potential for failure. But true progress demands action. I'm betting on India's students, and I believe they'll rise to the challenge. We are building openly. Read more at https://www.teachtoearn.in. Please email me your plan, timeline , budget , and how you will implement this. My email is malpani@malpaniventures.com Malpani Ventures

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When Listening Becomes the Product (Originally published for Slice of Startup Life on eChai Ventures) Radhika Mohta ❤️’s work begins with listening. Every part of what she does, the Elevate sessions that feel like conversations with a friend, the fortnightly check-ins in her relationship coaching, the confidential introductions on WhatsApp and Zoom, the sober curious parties where strangers meet without the crutch of alcohol, rests on how deeply she hears people. What starts as a short call often turns into a space where people share family pressures, past relationships, or the quiet loneliness of being misunderstood. As a matchmaker, relationship coach, and social health advocate, her work is about creating spaces for meaningful connections, one-on-one, in small groups, and through personal introductions, where people feel safe to open up and build relationships that last. She often says, “I strongly believe that the quality of our questions defines the quality of our conversations which then defines the quality of our relationships and therefore life. Let's start with being kind and curious, asking good questions and truly listening.” That belief runs through everything she designs, from intimate conversations to larger gatherings. Her business is built around this practice. The introductions matter because the stories behind them are understood. The coaching works because the check-ins reflect what people genuinely feel. The gatherings leave a mark because people sense they can be themselves without pretense. It leaves behind questions that linger: In our rush to move fast, how often do we pause to listen? What shifts in our work when we treat listening as the center? And as founders, when was the last time we created space where someone could speak freely?

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How will innovation happen in education if we continue to lock teachers and students in a single room, both literally and metaphorically? This piece by @Anurag Behar, CEO Azim Premji Foundation, reminds us of what we’ve lost by over-standardising education. In my two decades in higher education, I’ve witnessed firsthand how accreditation systems, in the name of 'quality', have created a rigid, performative culture that discourages experimentation and independent thought. Teachers are treated as syllabus delivery agents. Classrooms become cages. And yet we expect creativity and critical thinking from our students? It doesn’t work that way. We need a liberal, trust-based approach where a teacher can step out, read, reflect, reimagine, and return with a better way to teach. Pedagogy is not a checkbox. It's an evolving art. Let’s stop confusing control with quality. Let’s give teachers back their freedom to innovate. That’s where true transformation begins. Ravi K. Dhar Screengrab: Mint

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Why is collaboration amongst CSR funders limited? Aditya Natraj (CEO, Piramal Foundation) believes the reason is - deep specialization needs to precede collaboration. Only when a funder has deep domain knowledge in any sector (water, forests, edtech, tribal communities ...) built up over many years, will other funders value it and want to collaborate, because there is no way they can invest that much time on their own. He talks about the expertise that Tata Steel Foundation and Tata Consultancy Services CSR have built over decades, which he has tapped into. He also uses the auto manufacturing example to illustrate the point that deep specialization benefits the whole system, as well as individual components of the system. #dusspokeindiainc 2025 is here, and Aditya is our first featured leader of the year. This is the 2nd of 4 videos of our conversation. The link to the 1st video is in the comments. Simple, grounded, thought provoking ! Give Grants Give Give Discover Saurabh Adeeb Somedutta Chatterjee

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