A soldier-scholar of the Indian Army, Lt. General Arjun Ray, PVSM, VSM (Retd.) has a wide range of experiences in matters of defence and conflict management. Deeply committed to social transformation, he is also the CEO/MD of the Indus Trust and provides vision and strategic direction to all Indus International Schools and Institutions.

He is responsible for long-term perspective planning, leadership training, teachers' development programmes, innovation in education, aligning parents with children and community, and implementing the Trust's social responsibilities. Under his leadership, Indus International has become a premier institution in Bangalore.
General Ray graduated from the prestigious Staff College at Camberley, UK, and served as India’s Deputy Military Advisor in London. On his last assignment prior to retirement, he commanded the newly raised 14 Corps in Ladakh. His success in forestalling insurgency in the region by winning over alienated communities into the nation's mainstream was nationally and internationally acclaimed

Prior to building and leading one of the top boarding schools in India, as a part of Operation Sadbhavana (Goodwill), he set up 13 schools, 11 Women's Empowerment Centers, and 60 Adult Education Centers for non-literate women along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir. He provided free education and pastoral care to 125 Ladakhi girls in Bangalore colleges.

General Ray was awarded the Param Vishisht Seva Medal, the highest honour in the armed forces for distinguished service. His success story in ‘change leadership’ has been selected as a case study for business and management schools in India. A dynamic leader, his foresight and intellect has led him to mould Indus into a stellar educational institution and a top-ranked international school in Bangalore.

In his second calling – International school education – he is of the firm belief that the purpose of education in the 21st century is to prepare the child for life. Teachers must facilitate a nurturing environment to draw out the potential in every child, especially in residential schools in India, which are a home away from home.

He deemed this possible, by instilling in teachers and students core leadership competencies, such as innovation, persuasive communication, critical thinking, grit and more. This equips them to design their future in a VUCA world (Volatile, Uncertain, Complex, and Ambiguous). It is a vision that sets the bar high among the world’s top International Schools.

Under his leadership, thirteen institutions including the three IB Schools, Indus Altum International School affiliated, to Cambridge Assessment International Education (CAIE), the School of Leadership, the Indus Training and Research Institute, ‘Start-up you’ school, Five Early Learning Centres, and the International Community School, which is the world’s first equal opportunity school, have been set up.

IB World has recently acknowledged General Ray as one of six IB World School Leaders for rethinking education and making a high-quality education affordable to the underprivileged. Education World has named him one of the 50 game-changers in the education scenario in India. He was also awarded the White Swan Education Award for the ‘Most Influential Leader 2015-16’, in India. With his radical vision, Indus International has become an example for schools in Bangalore and throughout the country.

General Ray also won the Brainfeed Lifetime Achievement Award (2017-18) for his outstanding contribution to the field of education by elevating standards in imparting quality education to next generation learners.

General Ray has three interests – reading, writing, and speaking on leadership. His first book, Kashmir Diary: The Psychology of Military, helps to understand the mind and motivation of a terrorist. The second book, Peace is Everybody’s Business: Strategy for Conflict Prevention, is a treatise in conflict-prevention and has just been published by SAGE Publications. This book was inspired by General Ray’s experience in bringing lasting peace in Ladakh.

Lt. General Arjun Ray has been awarded the Education Today Lifetime Achievement Award 2018 for his highly acclaimed contribution in the field of education. He is an exemplary learner, teacher and leader with a vision and strategies to bring innovation in education.

For more information on General Ray, you may please visit. www.generalarjunray.com