Col Gopal Karukanaran

CEO, Shiv Nadar Schools

Col. Gopal Karunakaran is the CEO of Shiv Nadar School. His belief in education being a tool for social transformation has driven him to absorb a rich and diverse experience across all facets of school education, including policy, academic leadership, operations, and business; and has helped him gain important perspectives on the key drivers of the education sector in India.

He has been a member of the National Committee of Education of the Confederation of Indian Industries since 2008.

A graduate of the National Defence Academy, Col. Karunakaran spent thirty years in the Indian Army – ten of which were in the insurgency region of Kashmir, including the Siachen Glacier. While with the Army, he was chosen for the United Nations Mission in Kuwait in a multilateral and multicultural environment.

He is an M.Phil. and an M.A. from the University of Madras. He joined Shiv Nadar Foundation in 2011.