Avasara Academy

Childhood in New Jersey, under graduation in Yale, masters from London School of Economics, first job at Goldman Sachs, instant success as co – author of BRIC report, Head of Research at Everstone Capital (a reputed Private equity player), member of Prime Ministers advisory committee JNNURM…..a dream resume for a 38 year old, a dream most aspire for but only the rarest of rare achieve !!

So what’s the next step after you have achieved so much at 38…..the next big deal, more media coverage, board seats ??….. for most yes but for Roopa Purushothaman the yardstick of success is different, her dreams unique !

At 38 this incredible young woman has set out to do what most wrote off as too larger than life, too difficult to implement. …..She has dedicated her life to start in Pune a residential school, Avasara Academy for the brightest young women, to give them the best possible education ….to give them an opportunity (meaning of Avasara in Sanskrit) to reach for the stars …..

I am a big fan and supporter of inspiring women, but we must never forget the “wind beneath their wings” their supportive and rock steady husbands. Roopa is married to Joseph, a wonderful human being who is supporting Roopa and Avasara with his hard work, sincerity and valuable domain expertise (he has studied and worked in the field of education with several schools in New York and the American School in Bombay)

Both Roopa & Joseph do not speak Hindi or any local language but they connect with the girls instantly with their sincerity and compassion. I visited Avasara with my husband Vik  & son Vir and we were blown away by what they have started!

1.     Nestled in picturesque and beautiful landscape near Oxford Golf Course, this place has the serenity and peace needed for such a noble venture

2.     123 extraordinary girls with exceptional talent were identified and assessed to finally pick 50 (25 in 7^th grade and 25 in 8^th grade)

3.     Best in class teachers such as Tamara and Stephen Philip, Megan McCrindle with prior experience in world-class educational institutes.

4.     Board of Advisors like Anand Mahindra, Kiran Shaw, Vinita Bali, Kalpana Morparia. Nandan Nilekani.

5.     Internationally recognized Cambridge A level Curriculum. Teaching is through discussion-based courses, guest speakers and mentors. Community service is a big part of their objective.

6.     Special focus on LEI – Leadership, Entrepreneurship and Indian Studies (when we visited they were learning about Satavahana dynasty and expressing their interpretation of it through clay!)

7.     Unique collaboration with Yale University offers a chance to interact with their faculty, alumni and access to cutting edge research

8.     Avasara will help each student identify and gain entrance to leading Indian and international universities. They will provide extensive guidance in navigating the university application process and identifying sources of financial aid and scholarships. After beginning university studies, Avasara career counselors will help its graduates find exciting internship and career opportunities through the Avasara network. They will continue to work well after graduation from Avasara to help their students succeed in academic and career pursuits.

9.     Avasara Young Talent program gives scholarship to girls at risk of dropout from school, Avasara Leadership Fellowship program is an after school program for motivated girls from low-income families. These 2 programs have been running in Mumbai successfully for the past 4 years.

A story that touched my heart is how ALF took the initiative to start a community library in Dharavi (http://indianexpress.com/article/cities/mumbai/a-library-by-little-leaders/)

Roopa and Josephs faces light up as they talk about their student Mitali who got the opportunity last week to talk along with Frieda Pinto at the Girl Rising event at GW University, hung out with US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy and got a tour of the White House !!

In a country that is rampant with malnutrition, female foeticide, and dowry cases, here is a couple that is out to make a difference and empower Indian women.

Hats off to them!

Please visit their academy in Pune and please do follow and support them at

http://avasaraleadershipfellows.org - blog

www.avasara.in - website

like their facebook page – Avasara Academy