(Vice-President – Chitkara International Schools)
Architect of Possibilities
True leadership seldom emerges from comfort; it is honed amid the rigours of time, resource limitations, and uncertainty, and defined by the ability to transform such constraints into a force for change. In India’s educational arena, the most consequential leaders are those who alchemise scarcity into strategy and pressure into purpose, proving that excellence is not the province of the well-resourced, but the hallmark of the well-led. At the vanguard of this paradigm stands Dr. Niyati Chitkara, an educator who transmutes constraints into catalysts and institutions into thriving ecosystems of possibility. As Vice President of Chitkara International School (Chandigarh and Panchkula), she advocates a learning-centred, student-first ethos that ensures every child encounters both challenge and triumph within a meticulously curated, positive environment. Committed to instilling integrity, dignity, and confidence in young learners, her recognition as the “Most Inspiring Educator of the Year 2025” is not merely fitting—it is profoundly merited.
Roots and Rigour
From the very outset, teaching defined Dr. Niyati Chitkara’s purpose. Born on Teacher’s Day, she began her journey by supporting struggling learners in her neighbourhood as a school student, cultivating a lifelong commitment to patiently guiding those whom others had overlooked.
Her academic path reflects the same rigour and intention. She earned a B.Com in Amritsar from Guru Nanak Dev University, followed by a gold-medal Master’s in Commerce and Business Administration. She went on to complete her B.Ed and M.Ed at Punjab University, where she was honoured with a gold medal by the former President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee. Dr Chitkara subsequently pursued a Ph.D. focused on school-based assessment under the mentorship of Prof. V. Natarajan, a pioneer in Assessments and Item Response Theory and Professor Emeritus in the field of assessments.Â
A pioneer in educational innovation, Dr Niyati Chitkara, Vice President of Chitkara International School, Chandigarh and Panchkula, has been recognised by Forbes India as one of “India’s Visionary Entrepreneurs” in Education and awarded the title of “Education Leader of the Year” by EducationWorld India School Rankings 2025–26. Further cementing her reputation as a forward-thinking educator, she was also named an “Adobe Creative Educator – Innovator 2024” by Adobe India, honoured among the “20 Women Shaping the Future” by Womenpreneur India, and has represented India on a global scale, leading a distinguished diplomatic dialogue with Ambassador Mr Arindam Bagchi, Ambassador & Permanent Representative of India to the United Nations and other International Organisations in Geneva, at the India Embassy in Geneva.
Dr Chitkara’s pioneering approach to creating a global platform for students earned her the prestigious recognition of Bill & Melinda Gates Scholar at the TED Active 2014 Conference in Canada, underscoring her impact on international education practices.
She is the author of the acclaimed book Assessment Quotient: Efficient and Effective School Learning Paradigms for Generation Z and Generation Alpha Learners, published by the distinguished Lambert Academic Publishing in Germany. As the architect of the PhD-to-Playway reverse-integrated model, she has developed a groundbreaking framework that cultivates interdisciplinary thinking and nurtures Industry 5.0 skills from early childhood through higher education.
Moreover, Dr Chitkara’s expertise has shaped curriculum design at the Chitkara School of Psychology and Counselling and the Department of Education, ensuring that academic excellence remains closely intertwined with innovation and pedagogical rigour.
A Legacy of Learning and Innovation
Dr Niyati Chitkara, wife of Mr Mohit Chitkara, Vice President of Chitkara University, and daughter-in-law of Dr Ashok K. Chitkara, Chancellor of Chitkara University, Punjab and Himachal Pradesh, and Dr Madhu Chitkara, Pro-Chancellor of Chitkara University, Chairperson of Chitkara International Schools, and co-founder of the Chitkara Educational Trust, has assumed a pivotal leadership role within a dynamic educational ecosystem spanning two universities and two international schools, collectively educating over 8,000 students.
When she first took the helm, the school operated from a temporary shed with just seven students. Through vision, determination, and a committed young team, she transformed it into a thriving community of over 2,500 learners, achieving growth not through imitation, but by articulating a distinctive philosophy of joyful, innovative education.
Today, both international schools are recognised among the nation’s finest, while the universities—one in Punjab and the other in Himachal Pradesh (in close proximity to Chandigarh)—offer flagship programmes in engineering, medicine, business, teacher education, architecture, and hospitality, creating a seamlessly connected K–12 to higher-education continuum.
Under Dr Chitkara’s mentorship and guidance, Chitkara International School has become the only school in India to hold 18+ patents generated through the collaborative efforts of faculty and students. This remarkable achievement stands as a proof of her commitment to cultivating a culture of research and innovation, where creative thinking is not only encouraged but systematically nurtured and celebrated.
As the Vice President
Dr Niyati Chitkara leads the school through a distributed leadership model, replacing a traditional single-head hierarchy with 20 domain leads overseeing 20 specialist offices. Committed to nurturing a deliberately holistic learner profile, she ensures students develop intellect and character in tandem by integrating IQ, EQ, SQ (skills), HQ (health and happiness), and TQ (technology). Academic excellence naturally flows from this design, evidenced through digital portfolios, structured internships, meaningful placements, and sustained engagement in research and innovation. This comprehensive approach not only equips students with deep knowledge but also enhances employability, adaptability, and future readiness, preparing them to thrive in a rapidly evolving global landscape.
To further bridge the school and university experience, professors teach in Grades 11–12, supported by synchronised calendars, shared infrastructure, and active research pathways. Remarkably, student-teacher teams have filed over 20 patents in collaboration with the universities—an extraordinary accomplishment for a K–12 ecosystem. These experiences are carefully designed to strengthen future readiness, ensuring students possess the problem-solving, critical thinking, and collaborative capabilities demanded by tomorrow’s careers.
Under Dr Niyati Chitkara’s stewardship, the twin international schools maintain high-value global alliances spanning technology, assessment, design, and international mobility. These partnerships encompass initiatives such as Google’s Viksit Bharat 2047 and the “One Million Founders” entrepreneurship drive, enterprise-grade collaborations with Microsoft, Adobe’s CBSE empanelled teacher development programmes, Canva’s creative enablement, UNESCO’s social-emotional learning frameworks, ETS’s TOEFL/IELTS pathways, and the World Design Council’s industry interface.
These initiatives facilitate seamless pathways for students to leading institutions across the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom, reinforcing the schools’ commitment to global exposure, academic progression, employability, and future readiness.
In recognition of her visionary leadership in international education, Dr Niyati Chitkara was honoured with the Global Education Leader Award by Access USA at the India–USA Global Education Leadership Summit. Further reflecting her commitment to global educational advancement, she participated in the distinguished “AI for Educators” workshop organised by UNITAR (United Nations Institute for Training and Research) and Ureka Education Group, and had the privilege of engaging in a richly insightful dialogue with Ambassador Mr Arindam Bagchi, India’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations in Geneva, to present Chitkara University and Chitkara International Schools’ evolving global eminence, 250+ international partnerships, and initiatives to expand academic mobility and collaborative learning worldwide.
Wellbeing, by Design
Happiness and wellbeing are conceived as an intentional institutional architecture rather than an adjunct. Guided by Dr Niyati Chitkara and nurtured under the stewardship of Chitkara University and its Happiness programme, the schools have emerged among the nation’s top performers on happiness indicators. This is realised through dedicated “Happiness Lounges” and a PERMA-aligned curriculum spanning kindergarten through Grade 12, developed in collaboration with spiritual leadership. As she emphasises, “wellbeing must be architected, not assumed,” a principle embedded in structured routines that cultivate sustained flourishing for students, faculty, and families alike.
Redefining Continuous Connection
On stakeholder engagement, Dr Niyati Chitkara views connectivity as a continuous commitment rather than a periodic exercise. For nearly two decades, the schools have maintained 24×7 parent linkage, facilitated by an early, purpose-built mobile app that proved indispensable during COVID-related disruptions. “Connectivity only matters if it’s reciprocal”, she observes, emphasising that tech-savvy faculty, rapid feedback loops, and transparent communication transformed families into informed co-educators, ensuring continuity of learning when it mattered most.
Grace, Grit, and a Grounded Compass
Attributing her trajectory to those who steadied and inspired her, Dr Niyati Chitkara acknowledges the influence of her parents, her in-laws and institutional founders—Dr Ashok K. Chitkara and Dr Madhu Chitkara—her husband Mr Mohit Chitkara, family, friends, and an enduring circle. She also identifies a creative through-line in her training in cosmetology—a cultivated eye for harmony and detail that informs learning environments, displays, and hospitality.
Her operating ethic is equally intentional: she prioritises select commitments, executes them to the highest standard, and safeguards equilibrium through meditation, measured pacing, and a reliable network of support both at home and within the institution. She asserts that when clarity, care, and community are held in concert, they create resilience against exhaustion, sustain forward momentum, and transform ambition into enduring, meaningful outcomes.
