NEW DELHI — KATHA, the established nonprofit organisation, profit-for-all as it calls itself, known for its unique work in children’s stories and enhancing the joy of reading, since 1988, made a significant announcement about the appointment of Rajesh Soundararajan as its new Executive Director.
Geeta Dharmarajan, Founder–President of Katha, shared her excitement about the new leadership: “I am thrilled to welcome Rajesh Soundararajan as Katha’s Executive Director. Rajesh has been a committed partner in our journey to transform lives through education. His innovative leadership is a significant asset, as we expand our impact across India.”
Katha’s mission has been to transform children out of socio-economic poverty, reach over 1 crore children and youth with the joy of reading, and impact 10 lakh grassroots women, since its inception. The organisation has worked with nearly 3,000 schools across 19 states and has engaged with over 3,517 slum communities, advancing literacy and comprehensive education.
Rajesh Soundararajan steps into his role following more than three years of volunteering and spearheading the 300 Million Citizens’ Challenge. He built the 300M initiative from scratch to growth, partnering with 250 grassroots partners and signing over 4,900 teachers. 300M is a unique initiative that takes Katha’s stories and StoryPedagogy® to scale to the remotest corners of India, by training grassroots teachers through robust partnerships and leveraging technology. Rajesh’s vision for Katha involves transforming by continuing Katha’s core values and enhancing its capabilities to ‘accelerate change, augment reach, and amplify impact’.
Reflecting on his new position, Rajesh remarked, “It is an honour to lead Katha at this transformative stage. Our collaborative efforts have begun rewriting the future for millions of children, ensuring they have opportunities to rise above social and economic challenges. As we forge ahead, we will build on our focus on making every child a reader–leader and learning for joy and meaning, a tangible reality.”
Rajesh brings over 27 years of experience in leadership roles at major technology firms, including Microsoft and IBM, and his entrepreneurial venture, Futureshift Consulting. His thoughtful leadership and strategic innovation track record align with Katha’s long-standing mission to provide quality education and enriching stories, for children from underserved communities.
He succeeds Parvinder Kaur, who retires after an impactful 24-year tenure at Katha. Rajesh is set to continue the legacy of strong, compassionate leadership and further Katha’s mission to foster a ‘Free, Fair, and Fearless’ future for children in India and worldwide.
