AJEY KUMAR, CEO, South Asia, GEMS Education
Where would you place education on your national list of priorities?
Education is on the number one spot for me. It forms the backbone of a nation and is one of the key indicators of a countrys growth and development.

Thinker/philosopher you admire most.
Mahatma Gandhi.

Your leadership style.
The two vital factors for me are facilitating my team towards attainment of its goals and displaying appreciation for the team.

Your favourite book on leadership.
On Becoming a Leader — the leadership classic by Warren Bennis.

For or against the RTE Act mandating 25 percent reservation for under-privileged children in private schools?
Every child has a right to access education. I fully support the intent of the RTE Act. But the learning and teaching environment and curriculum should be adjusted to boost the confidence of underprivileged children.

Should education outlay be doubled by cutting defence expenditure?
The education outlay certainly needs to be increased. It is a vitally important sector for India.

GEMS has had a slow start in India. Your comment.
GEMS entered India cautiously. But since then it has rapidly expanded its operations to 22 schools across the country. Now we are working towards expanding our network in India to 100 schools in the next five years.

Global span of the parent Varkey Group.
The parent Varkey Group is into its 51st year of operations with world class schools across the globe, imparting holistic education to 100,000 students in 143 countries. GEMS Education is the worlds largest private operator of K-12 schools.

Pessimistic or optimistic about Indian education?
Optimistic. The Indian appetite for quality education is growing as aspiring families want to give their children maximum opportunities to succeed and prosper in the new globalised economy.