upGrad, Asia’s higher edtech major, today announced the appointment of Dr. Sanjay Kumar who will spearhead the company’s new vertical of Corporate Affairs and Public Policy for India. As part of his new role, Sanjay will work with the government, industry associations and other relevant stakeholders in the policy space for propelling strategic developments, which in turn, can support the brand in creating an integrated learning ecosystem within the country. He will also lead upGrad’s scholarship efforts.
Dr. Kumar brings with him over 2 decades of in-depth knowledge and expertise in running programs at grassroot levels on government linkages and policy advocacy. Through his past endeavors, he has been associated with SEWA Bharat for 17 years as a Director and worked on programs that involved livelihood, microfinance, education and skill-building and public health. In his last assignment, Dr. Kumar worked with the leading Lakshmi Mittal and Family South Asia Institute, Harvard University as an India Country Director for 5 years and during his tenure, he helped build and strengthen Harvard University’s footprint in India. At present, he also serves as the President of Harvard Club of India.
On welcoming Sanjay to his new role, Mayank Kumar, Co-Founder & MD, upGrad, said, “We are thrilled to have a leader like Sanjay join the upGrad family. He brings with him a deep domain expertise of over two decades in the government policies space which will help upGrad with the required support from the government for seamless business growth. The times and policies are evolving rapidly, and it needs continuous reviewing to help us stay in line with the Government’s efforts for creating a stronger economy. His appointment is aptly timed, and I am confident that Sanjay will bring a valuable, holistic perspective to drive this new vertical while staying true to our vision and core beliefs.”
“The Edtech space is booming with potential and prospects, and it is important now, more than ever, that our stakeholders, employees and customers resonate with the brand’s philosophy. I am extremely pleased to join the upGrad team to support the company’s leadership and business growth for accelerating global education and the LifelongLearning ecosystem for our learners. Being passionate about inclusive education, I am very excited to develop various scholarship programs for upGrad to create a larger social impact through online education,” added Dr. Sanjay Kumar.
Dr. Sanjay Kumar will be based out of the Noida office. A Delhi University alumni, Dr. Kumar holds a Master’s in Public Administration & Public Policy from Harvard Kennedy School, Harvard University and has completed his M.Phil and PhD on Microfinance from JNU, New Delhi.