Advisors of Vidyakshetra
Indumati Katdare Ji
Punarutthan Vidyapeeth
Indumati Katdare (InduTai) has devoted her entire life in restoring the glory of India through education. She started teaching English in 1971 but soon found her real calling at Vidya Bharti. As one of the chief functionaries there, she set up the Shishu Vatika system across the country. She was instrumental in developing many women leaders and promoting the role of parents as first teachers and realizing the importance of home in shaping the child. In 2004, she set up the Punarutthana Trust, which has in a short period of time become the premier thinktank for providing a new way of looking at education systems linked with culture and society.
Vallish Herur
Prayoga Labs
Vallish Herur is a creative teacher and education researcher, passionately interested in improving the quality of school-level education in our country. He has deep interests in educational philosophy, design of pedagogy and content, and teaching Science, Mathematics and English at school-level. He has been a member of the National Advisory Team of Institutional Project under Bharatiya Shikshan Mandal. He is currently the managing trustee at Prayoga Institute for Education Research, a not-for- profit,education research organization that conducts research that addresses the nation’s most pressing school education needs, with a focus on science and mathematics learning. He completed a Masters in Computing from University of Western Sydney and was a Director at BASE Education Services, which is a premier organization that trains students for JEE, NEET and other competitive exams.
Govind Das Ji
Govind Das is an exponent of Indian culture through the wisdom of Mahabharata, Ramayana and Bhagavatam. He has an experience of 30 years in Vedic education and counselling and travels extensively all over the world sharing his reflective knowledge and wisdom. Whether counselling children, guiding families or mentoring corporate and social leaders, his profound insights are always practical and relevant to all cross sections of society.
Hrishikesh A Mafatlal
Mr. Hrishikesh Mafatlal is the Chairman and Chief Executive of the Arvind Mafatlal Group of Companies (AMG), an active managing committee member of The Millowners’ Association, Mumbai (MOA). He was a Member on the Board of Governors of IIM Ahmedabad for 12 years (1995 – 2007), and Vice Chairman of The Cotton Textiles Export Promotion Council (TEXPROCIL) as well as the Chairman of BAIF, a Development Research Foundation. Mr. Mafatlal has been an active Member & Trustee of the Sri Radha Gopinath Mandir, ISCKON Chowpatty for over 30 years as well as a Trustee at Lady Northcote Hindu Orphanage (LNHO) and Chairman of the Bhaktivedanta Hospital at Mira Road. He has also been associated with the pioneering effort of Tribal Rehabilitation in 25 villages of Wada Taluka in Palghar Dist. He is the Co-founder of “The Merciful Group”, a unit of Alcoholics Anonymous as well as the Chairman of the Nisargopachar Trust, Urulikanchan a naturopathy centre founded by Mahatma Gandhi in 1946.
Shivakumar GV
INDICA
Shivakumar G V is ‘Director – IKS Changemakers, INDICA. His responsibilities focus on INDICA’s critical mission to serve and nurture IKS Changemakers by enabling them to fulfill their potential, passion and purpose. He guides initiatives that enable IKS Changemakers to become domain experts, institution builders and cultural leaders, and bolster the broader IKS ecosystem through the 6C Program – Champion, Connect, Coach, Contribute, Collaborate, Celebrate. Shivakumar is on an ambitious pledge to honor and sustain the legacies of 108 Living and Past Gurus from the 20th Century. His efforts will focus on organizing, making accessible, and cultivating a parampara that highlights their significant contributions to our civilization. He is the curator and designer of IKS MetaRetreats and IKS Changemakers Podcast at INDICA. He is also a Consulting Editor for INDICA Today.
Shivakumar GV is an IKS Research Scholar focused on Itihasa-Puranas and Indian Knowledge Systems, with a particular emphasis on the Mahabharata and Purushartha. His work includes developing contemporary frameworks rooted in IKS principles for personal growth, leadership, and public policy, alongside crafting civilizational theories based on Purushartha and Srishti-Sthiti-Laya for institutions and communities. A prolific contributor to INDICA Today, he has authored over 100 articles on topics like the Mahabharata, Itihasa-Purana, and civilizational studies. His contributions extend to literature, including curating Aryaa – An Anthology of Vedic Studies and co-authoring UnSung Valour.
Shivakumar holds an M.Tech in Computer Science from IIT Bombay and a B.E. from the National Institute of Technology, Surat. With 25 years of experience in the IT industry, his expertise spans theoretical computer science, algorithms, learning system design, pedagogy, architecture, design and program management. Shivakumar resides in Bengaluru with his family and is a devoted follower of the River-Goddess Saraswati.
Sahana Singh
Smt Sahana Singh is an author, public speaker and commentator known for her deep research and evocative writing on Indian civilization, history, and education. With a background in engineering and environmental journalism, Sahana brings a multidisciplinary perspective to her work.
She is best known for her acclaimed books ‘The Educational Heritage of India’ and ‘Revisiting the Educational Heritage of India’, which uncover the sophisticated, holistic, and remarkably advanced systems of education that flourished across the Indian subcontinent for millennia. Her works spotlight how ancient Indian gurukulas and universities nurtured not only intellectual brilliance but also moral character, cultural continuity, and social harmony. By placing India’s knowledge traditions in a global context, she challenges colonial narratives and rekindles pride in a civilization that once inspired the world.
Raghava Krishna
Brhat
At Vidyakshetra, he guides the holistic development of our curriculum, ensuring that the physical, mental, and spiritual growth of every learner remains beautifully aligned with natural rhythms and indigenous heritage.
Pankaj Saxena
Pankaj Saxena is an author and researcher dedicated to exploring the profound beauty of Sanātana Dharma through its history, art, literature, and living traditions. Driven by a deep interest in cultural anthropology, evolutionary biology, and ecology, he has field-mapped over 1,600 Hindu temples. He is the author of Svayambodha and Shatrubodha book. He is also the founder of Bodha, a think tank and research group, studying contemporary issues of cultural concern, to inform policy, education, and public thought with wisdom drawn from Hindu traditions. Currently, he also leads a critical research and documentation project focused on Northeast India. His work explores the region’s distinct tribal and dharmic cultures, and the matrices in which the region is caught due to geo-political struggles. Through detailed study, documentation, and wide dissemination, he aims to counter cultural alienation, preserve the regional cultural matrix of Bhārata, and secure its civilizational frontiers.
