A soldier-scholar of the Indian Army, Lt. General Arjun Ray, PVSM, VSM (Retd.) has wide-ranging experience in matters of defence and conflict management, but he also has a deep-rooted passion for 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 development programmes, innovation in education, aligning parents, children, and community, and implementing the Trust's social responsibilities. Under his leadership, Indus International became a premier institution, and one of the top international schools in Bangalore.
He is a graduate of 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, has been 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. A dynamic leader, his imminent foresight and intellect, 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 the firm belief that the purpose of education in the 21st century is to prepare the child for life; and that teachers must facilitating a nurturing environment, to unravel the potential in every child. Especially in residential schools in India, which is essentially a home away from home.
He deemed this possible, by instilling in teachers and child with core leadership competencies, such as innovation, persuasive communication, critical thinking, grit and more which equips them to design their own future in a VUCA world (Volatile, Uncertain, Complex, and Ambiguous), vision that sets the bar amongst the top International Schools in India. Consequently, equipping them to design their own future in a VUCA world (Volatile, Uncertain, Complex, and Ambiguous). A vision that sets the bar amongst the top International Schools in India.
Under his leadership, thirteen institutions including the three IB Schools, Indus Altum International School affiliated to Cambridge Assessment International Education (CAIE), the School of Leadership, the Indus Training and Research Institute, Start-up you school, Five Early Learning Centres, and the International Community School, which is the world’s first equal opportunity school have been set up.
IB World has recently acknowledged General Ray to be one of the six IB World School Leaders for rethinking education and making high-quality education affordable to the underprivileged. Education World has named him one of the 50 game-changers in the education scenario in India. Furthermore, he was recently awarded the White Swan Education Award for India’s Most Influential Leader 2015-2016 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 Dairy:The Psychology of Military, is a purple primer in understanding 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.