Lt. General Arjun Ray, PVSM, VSM (Retd.)

A soldier-scholar of the Indian Army, Lt. General Arjun Ray, PVSM, VSM (Retd.) has a wide range of experiences in matters of defence and conflict management. He is also deeply rooted in social transformation. He is the CEO/MD of the Indus Trust and provides vision and strategic direction to all Indus International Schools and Institutions. He is responsible for long-term perspective planning, leadership training, teacher's development programmes, innovation in education, aligning parents with children and community, and implementing the Trust's social responsibilities. Under his leadership, Indus International became a premium institution, and one of the top international schools in Bangalore.

He graduated from the prestigious Staff College at Camberley, UK, and served as the country's Deputy Military Advisor in London. On his last assignment, he commanded the newly raised 14 Corps in Ladakh. His success in forestalling insurgency in the region by winning over alienated communities into the nation's mainstream was nationally and internationally acclaimed.

Before building one of the top boarding schools in India, as a part of Operation Sadbhavana (Goodwill), he set up 13 schools, 11 Women's Empowerment Centers, and 60 Adult Education Centers for non-literate women along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir. He provided free education and pastoral care to 125 Ladakhi girls in Bangalore colleges.

In recognition of his services in nation-building, he was awarded the Param Vashist Seva Medal, the highest honour in the armed forces for distinguished service. His success story in ‘change leadership’ has been selected as a case study for business and management schools in India. He is a dynamic leader. His imminent foresight and intellect have led him to mould Indus into a stellar educational institution and a top-ranked international school in Bangalore.

In his second calling – international school education – he is of a firm belief that the purpose of education in the 21st century is to prepare the child for life. Teachers must facilitate a nurturing environment to unravel the potential in every child, especially in residential schools in India, which are essentially a home away from home.

He deemed this possible, by instilling in teachers and children with core leadership competencies, such as innovation, persuasive communication, critical thinking, grit and more, which equip them to design their future in a VUCA world (Volatile, Uncertain, Complex, and Ambiguous). It is a vision that sets the bar high among the top International Schools in India.

To implement this vision, General Ray setup 14 institutions: three International Baccalaureate Schools - all of which are among the top IB schools in India, the School of Leadership, the Indus Training and Research Institute, eight Early Learning Centres and the International Community School (the world’s first Equal Opportunity School for children living below the poverty line).

IB World has recently acknowledged General Ray as one of the six IB World School Leaders for rethinking education and making a high-quality education affordable to the underprivileged. Education World has named him one of the 50 game-changers in the education scenario in India. He was also awarded the White Swan Education Award for the ‘Most Influential Leader 2015-16’, in India. With his radical vision, Indus International has become an example for schools in Bangalore and throughout the country.

General Ray also won the Brainfeed Lifetime Achievement Award (2017-18) for his outstanding contribution to the field of education by elevating standards in imparting quality education to the next generation learners.

The General has three interests – reading, writing, and speaking on leadership. His first book, Kashmir Diary: The Psychology of Military, helps to understand the mind and motivation of a terrorist. The second book, Peace is Everybody’s Business: Strategy for Conflict Prevention, is a treatise in conflict-prevention and has just been published by SAGE Publications. This book was inspired by General Ray’s experience in bringing lasting peace in Ladakh.

Lt. General Arjun Ray has been awarded the Education Today Life Time Achievement Award 2018 for his incredible contribution in the field of education. He is an exemplary learner, teacher and leader with a vision and strategies to bring innovation in education.

For more information on General Ray, you may please visit www.generalarjunray.com