From One School to 80+: Dr. Manjula Pooja Shroff’s Education Revolution
📝InterviewsFrom breaking barriers in a male-dominated sector to shaping the future of education for thousands, Dr. Manjula Pooja Shroff’s journey is one of vision and resilience. Through Kalorex, she continues to redefine inclusive and purpose-driven education in India.
The Indian education sector is undergoing rapid transformation, driven by increasing enrolment rates, digital learning adoption, and a growing focus on skill development and holistic education. Valued at over $100 billion, the sector is expected to expand significantly as India moves toward a more inclusive and future-ready education system. However, despite progress, gender gaps in leadership remain, only about 11% of higher education institutions in India are led by women, highlighting the need for more women-led educational leadership.
At the same time, there is a rising emphasis on STEM education for girls, vocational training, and leadership development, creating new opportunities for women to shape the future of education. As part of our International Women’s Day series, we speak with Dr. Manjula Pooja Shroff, Founder, MD, and CEO of Kalorex Group, who has spent over three decades building one of India’s leading education ecosystems.
Breaking Barriers: Leading in a Male-Dominated Education Sector
StartupTalky: As a woman who entered the education sector three decades ago, what were the biggest barriers you faced, and how did your background including your time at IIM Ahmedabad and London School of Economics prepare you to overcome them?
Dr. Manjula Pooja Shroff: Entering education leadership at a time when it was largely male dominated was both challenging and transformative for me. When I established a Delhi Public School franchise in 1996, I often faced skepticism about my ability to lead such a large institution as a young woman.
Societal expectations added to the challenge, as women were rarely encouraged to pursue leadership roles. However, my belief that education was my purpose kept me determined. By staying focused, leading through action, and embracing collaboration and innovation, I gradually turned doubt into trust, hoping to inspire more women to lead with confidence and courage.
Empowering Girls: Beyond Access to Opportunity and Leadership
StartupTalky: Kalorex Group spans schools, preschools, training, and educational initiatives. Across this vast network, how does Kalorex ensure that girl students receive not just equal access to education but also the mentorship and encouragement needed to pursue careers in fields where women remain underrepresented, such as STEM, entrepreneurship, and leadership?
Dr. Manjula Pooja Shroff: At Kalorex institutions, our focus has been on gender equality. We provide vocational training to girls through VEDIC (Vocational Educational Development Institute of Calorex), enabling them to become economically independent and pursue entrepreneurship. We offer them career mentorship and encourage them to choose STEM fields. Kalorex integrates technology-based pedagogies and life skills training to nurture girls as leaders.
Inclusive by Design: Building Gender-Neutral Learning Ecosystems
StartupTalky: On International Women's Day 2026, what is one specific initiative Kalorex is launching or scaling in 2026 to accelerate gender equity, whether through scholarships for girls, teacher training on gender sensitivity, or community outreach programs?
Dr. Manjula Pooja Shroff: Kalorex follows an inclusive approach where all activities are designed without any gender bias. Opportunities and participation are the same for every student, regardless of gender. Our primary focus remains the holistic growth and development of students, along with meaningful engagement with parents and teachers.
Systemic Change Needed: Creating Pathways for Women Leaders in Education
StartupTalky: In India's education industry, women founders of large-scale institutions are still relatively rare. What systemic changes do you believe are needed in the Indian education ecosystem to encourage more women to build and lead educational institutions?
Dr. Manjula Pooja Shroff: As the Founder Chairperson, MD, and CEO of Kalorex Group, I believe the Indian education ecosystem needs several systemic shifts to encourage more women to build and lead institutions.
First, access to leadership pathways and mentorship must be strengthened. Even today, women remain underrepresented at the top of educational institutions only about 11% of higher education institutes in India are headed by women, highlighting a significant leadership gap.
Secondly, I would suggest education-venture funds and collateral-free schemes for women-led school/college groups, and fair representation for ‘women-led institution’ categories in PPP models. There is also a need for formal leadership-development tracks and structured mentorship. Lastly, there can be a policy for gender-inclusive governance norms for boards of educational institutes where collaboration, empathy, and purpose-driven innovation are valued.
Investing in Educators: Building Women Leaders Within the System
StartupTalky: How does Kalorex invest in the professional development, leadership training, and career progression of its women educators and administrators?
Dr. Manjula Pooja Shroff: We invest in women educators and administrators through professional-development programs, leadership-enablement initiatives, and inclusive career-path designs. Kalorex runs a Learning, Development, and Quality department that oversees continuous academic and quality audits and links these to ongoing teacher capacity-building. Women educators are integrated into leadership-development tracks. Our emphasis on professional and personal growth helps them move from classroom responsibilities into academic leadership roles.
Tradition Meets Transformation: Shaping Values Through Personal Journey
StartupTalky: Coming from the Surangi Royal Family of Odisha and having built a pan-India education empire, your journey bridges tradition and modernity in a unique way. How has your personal story of navigating cultural expectations as a woman influenced the values and culture you have built at Kalorex?
Dr. Manjula Pooja Shroff: My family background taught me core values like discipline, service, and community responsibility. My education gave me the courage to break the glass ceiling. Through my 31+ years of journey at Kalorex, I have realized that women can be rooted in cultural responsibility and be respected leaders at the same time.
Advice for the Next Generation: Thinking Big, Starting Small
StartupTalky: If you could share one piece of advice with a young woman in India today who dreams of transforming education in her community, someone who wants to build the next Kalorex, what would it be, and what is the one mindset shift that made the biggest difference in your three-decade journey?
Dr. Manjula Pooja Shroff: My advice to young women who aspire to build institutions is: Think change, think big, start from the minimum, and expand to your fullest potential. The most impactful mindset shifts in my 31 + year career has been transitioning from the belief that I must accomplish everything independently to recognizing the importance of developing capable leaders who can work collaboratively alongside me.
Muskaan Kapoor