Veranda Learning appoints education experts to strengthen board

Chennai-based education firm Veranda Learning has appointed three new board members—Prof. Jitendra Kantilal Shah, Prof. Ashok Misra, and N. Alamelu—as part of its move to professionalise the board with education leaders.

Prof. Shah, Founder of JK Shah Classes, has been a pioneer in education for over 40 years, coaching thousands of aspirants for CA, CS, CMA, and CFA qualifications across India.

Prof. Misra brings a unique blend of academic and industry expertise to Veranda’s board. A former Director of IIT Bombay and distinguished professor at IISc Bengaluru, he has served on the boards of prestigious institutions like IIT Roorkee and IIT Delhi. He has also held board positions at Reliance Industries, NTPC, and Kirloskar Electric.

Alamelu is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India, an Associate Cost and Management Accountant, and an Associate Company Secretary. She has extensive experience in accounts, finance, audit, and other key areas of accounting.

“Their expertise and leadership in education will further enrich our board and help guide the company toward new avenues of growth and excellence,” said Suresh Kalpathi, Executive Director and Chairman of Veranda Learning, in a statement.

Earlier, Veranda Learning took a step towards professionalising its executive management by appointing Aditya Malik as Group Chief Operating Officer, aiming to strengthen leadership and operations.

Veranda continues to grow and expand in the education sector, currently facing a reality check with layoffs and funding challenges following the pandemic-driven surge. In FY24, Veranda more than doubled its revenue while narrowing its losses.

In April, the education firm agreed to acquire Kerala-based Logic Management Training Institutes Pvt. Ltd., a month after it raised Rs 425 crore in debt funding through non-convertible debentures from BPEA Investment Managers Pvt Ltd.

The funding aims to fuel the company’s growth by financing acquisitions, refinancing existing loans, and bolstering working capital requirements.

Founded in 2018 by the Kalpathi AGS Group, Veranda Learning is a publicly-listed education company, which offers a bouquet of training programmes for competitive exam preparation and a slew of professional skilling and upskilling programmes.