National Economic Forum

Smt. Charu Malhotra

Charu Malhotra is a leading educationist and development sector professional with over 25 years of experience in public education reform, institutional transformation, and social infrastructure development across 15 Indian states. Her work spans the entire spectrum of education policy—ranging from curriculum and assessment reform to teacher professional development, early childhood education, AI-enabled learning ecosystems, and large-scale improvement of school infrastructure.

With expertise in applying education leadership, evidence-based policy, and global frameworks, she has contributed to major national initiatives aligned with NEP 2020, building competency-based learning systems, designing assessment frameworks, and strengthening governance and quality standards in government schools. Her experience extends to PPP models in school management, ICT integration for academic performance, life-skills and vocational education, and gender-focused development programmes.

Ms. Malhotra has led transformative projects in emerging technologies education, developing curriculum and implementation models for 12 frontier domains including AI, Machine Learning, Cybersecurity, Data Analytics, Cloud Computing, AR/VR, Metaverse, Blockchain, Robotics, and Web 3.0—covering Grades 6 to 12. She has also designed functional English programs, state-wide skill development strategies, startup and entrepreneurship programmes for schools, and models for digital learning platforms, command-and-control systems, and MIS-driven monitoring.

Her professional journey includes senior leadership roles such as Director, Public Education at KPMG (2018–2020) and Senior Vice President at IL&FS Education (2000–2017). She is currently the Founder and Managing Director of Primus Partners, where she continues to advise governments, institutions, and corporations on education reform, learning outcomes, and social-impact strategy.

A postgraduate in Applied Education Leadership & Management from the Institute of Education, University of London, she brings a deep understanding of policy design, institutional capacity-building, and future-ready learning frameworks. Her work consistently reflects a commitment to ensuring that India’s education ecosystem delivers real-world competencies, 21st-century skills, and equitable learning opportunities for all children.

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