A dynamic leader speaks about value-based education in India: A CEO's perspective

KOLKATA, India - Dec. 5, 2016 - PRLog -- Mr. Pradip Kumar Agarwal, Chief Executive Officer of Heritage Group of Institutions Kolkata speaks to our news correspondent about dynamics of leadership in the educational sector. Mr. Agarwal who has more than 23 years of experience managing educational institutions ranging from K-12 to PG level, narrates his experience managing educational institutions from start to finish. A commerce graduate with professional education from Wharton School of Business and IIM Ahmedabad in the areas of managing social enterprises, Mr. Agarwal gives a new perception to education management. Prior to The Heritage, he was working as a Finance Controller in South Point School under the leadership of Birlas when they acquired the School in the 1990s.

Being life member of various organizations starting from ORSI, PRSI, CII, ICC and many more and travelling various places to experience world-class education in Singapore, Dubai, China and various other countries, Mr. Agarwal ponders upon "down the memory lane" to share his thoughts regarding value-based education. Currently he is in the board of various educational institutions like Agarsain Balika Shiksha Sadan, Swarnim International School and many more.

How do you feel about the current education scenario in India?

The current scenario in the Education sector in India is growing in a tremendous speed. Gone were the days when we were in schools gaining the bookish skills. Now delivering quality education in the scenario of globalization is really a challenge when we need to inculcate analytical skills as well as innovative skills among the students through experiential learning rather than merely touching and mugging the books. Many options are given to our students nowadays where they can make vibrant careers in various fields of their own choice which was not in our times. Now education all together has given a different meaning to the dreams of the young minds.

How do you narrate your story in managing such a successful educational conglomerate "Heritage Group of Institutions"?

Basically Heritage Group of Institutions had been established by Kalyan Bharti Trust which comprises of 22 philanthropists from the world of leading industries who perceives that education can only ignite the feeling of nation building in the young minds. With the help of our trustee members, we started The Heritage School in the year 2001 with traditional values and quality education. Journey at that time was not easy. We had to convince the parents about the uniqueness of our educational policy and then it really picked up. It is the first day boarding school in this part of the country. We had to burn the midnight oil to make the parents understand the concept of day boarding that time. Then we made a vertical expansion towards the field of engineering education establishing Heritage Institute of Technology in the same year on September 5^th, 2001. After two years from 2001, we started Heritage Business School, The Heritage Academy coming up in 2007 and slowly now we established Heritage Law College and The Heritage College. At Heritage, we gave our students a broad spectrum of career opportunities right from KG to PG levels to ignite young minds in nation building thus working towards the vision of our Bharat Ratna Late Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam, the Missile man and former President of India.

Success of The Heritage School and Heritage Institute of Technology is phenomenal. How do you achieve the same?

See to be successful you need to be hard working. You need to forget your egos and work in the field to understand the pulse of the education sector. You need to balance the stakeholders interest with the vision of the organization and then you see, the milestones of success reaping up. Since 2001 my working philosophy concentrated on these thoughts and now I will not say I am successful but I have set a benchmark for myself.

What is the importance of family in your life?

It's very important since my family is the pillar of my success. When I say my family I not only mean my home but the entire Heritage family starting from the teachers, students and employees to the stakeholders and trustee members. A dedicated team work with commitment is the key to success and what Heritage is today.

What will the one mantra for success you want to share about leadership towards the youth?

There is no easy way to success. Hardworking and smart working is the only way to success. Then you see sky is the limit for your career. And definitely leaders need to work from the bottom and move to the top. It's a bottom-up approach towards leadership

Who are the role models of success in your life?

My Father Shri Ramavatar Agarwal who was working in a senior position in Indo-Japan Steel manufacturing company, Bharat Ratna late Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam and Shri H.K.Chaudhary, the Chairman of Heritage Group of Institutions, an educationist and also a philanthropist who made a vivid footprint in the field of education. He inspired me a lot. My father use to say "Honesty is the best policy" and to improve yourself, you should look within yourself to be a leader.

Today, what is important for holistic development of a child in education?

Values!! A child should inculcate the right values and that he or she can only get from the family. For myself, I have been given the right value by my father, grandfather and my elders. Without the right values, education is incomplete.
http://www.heritageit.edu/