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Ajeenkya DY Patil Group appoints Taruna Maheshwari as First Woman CEO
Mumbai: The Ajeenkya DY Patil Group is pleased to announce Taruna Maheshwari as the new chief executive officer (CEO), marking a significant milestone in the Group’s four-decade legacy. With this appointment, Maheshwari becomes the first woman to hold the prestigious CEO position within the Group. ADYPG, a diversified conglomerate with a turnover of five thousand crores, operates across various sectors including K12 and higher education, healthcare, hospitality, and infrastructure.
Dr Ajeenkya DY Patil, Chairman, stated, “Taruna’s invaluable leadership skills and strategic acumen make her a remarkable addition to our team. With her wealth of experience, compelling vision, and exceptional track record, she is the perfect fit to lead the group. As we embark on our journey of digital transformation, global expansion, and ambitious growth, we are confident that she will position the group for long-term success”.
Taruna’s impressive 16-year tenure with the group as the Group Chief Finance Officer has been truly instrumental. Her qualifications as both a chartered accountant and a cost accountant (ICWA) have equipped her with 23 years of valuable post-qualification experience spanning Education, MNC, Real Estate, and Infrastructure sectors.
In recognition of her outstanding financial acumen and innovative approach, Taruna was honoured with the prestigious Woman CFO ‘Innovation Leader of the Year Award’ at the Indian CFO Summit in 2021. This accolade further solidifies her expertise in formulating adept financial strategies, encompassing evaluation, forecasting, cost accounting, cash management, metrics analysis, and hands-on leadership.
Reflecting on this significant milestone, Ms Taruna Maheshwari expressed, “I am incredibly proud and deeply honoured to transition to this new role at the Group, which has a long and respected history. The Group has maintained a remarkable growth trajectory over the years. I intend to further exemplify this through strategic vision, empathetic culture, and operational excellence. I look forward to working with our Chairman to reinvent the group radically and reinforce its leadership position in the sectors we operate”.
The Ajeenkya DY Patil group is looking forward to a power-packed year, with new developments and expansions in the education and healthcare sectors. Adding to the same, Dr Ajeenkya stated, “In an era of Industry 4.0, burgeoning digital technologies, the Group has set its sights on online education in the form of GoSchool, an online school and GoLearn, an online continuing education provider. It is keenly expanding its DY Patil International School franchise operations to cover the length and breadth of the country. With our four upcoming hospital projects in Mumbai, Pune and Delhi, we are well-positioned to establish a new model of affordable, high-quality healthcare. With new hospitality projects about to be commissioned the group is developing large-scale real-estate development projects in Pune”.
In a new era of growth and innovation, ADYPG celebrates the paramount collaboration of the entire group and the visionary leadership of the new CEO, forging a path towards a better and brighter future.
NEW DELHI: Hamdard Laboratories gathered a cross-section of India’s achievers in New Delhi on Friday, handing out the Hakeem Abdul Hameed Excellence Awards to figures who have left their mark across healthcare, education, sport, public service and the arts.
The ceremony, attended by minister of state for defence Sanjay Seth and senior officials from the ministry of Ayush, celebrated individuals whose work blends professional success with a sense of public purpose. It was as much a roll call of achievement as it was a reminder that influence is not measured only in profits or podiums, but in people reached and lives improved.
Among the headline awardees was Alakh Pandey, founder and chief executive of PhysicsWallah, recognised for turning affordable digital learning into a mass movement. On the sporting front, Arjuna Awardee and kabaddi player Sakshi Puniya was honoured for her contribution to the game and for pushing women’s participation onto bigger stages.
The cultural spotlight fell on veteran lyricist and poet Santosh Anand, whose songs have echoed across generations of Hindi cinema. At 97, Anand accepted the honour with characteristic humility, reflecting on a life shaped by perseverance and hope.
Healthcare honours spanned both modern and traditional systems. Manoj N. Nesari was recognised for strengthening Ayurveda’s place in national and global health frameworks. Padma shri Mohammed Abdul Waheed was honoured for his research-backed work in Unani medicine, while padma shri Mohsin Wali received recognition for his long-standing contribution to patient-centred care.
Education and social development also featured prominently. Padma shri Zahir Ishaq Kazi was honoured for decades of work in education, while former Meghalaya superintendent of Police T. C. Chacko was recognised for public service. Goonj founder Anshu Gupta received an award for his dignity-centred rural development initiatives, and the Hunar Shakti Foundation was honoured for empowering women and young girls through skill development.
The Lifetime Achievement Award went to former IAS officer Shailaja Chandra for her long career in public healthcare and governance, particularly in the traditional systems under Ayush.
Speaking at the event, Hamdard chairman Abdul Majeed said the awards were a tribute to those who combine excellence with empathy. “These awardees reflect Hakeem Sahib’s belief that healthcare, education and public service must ultimately serve humanity,” he said.
Minister Seth struck a forward-looking note, saying India’s young population gives the country a unique opportunity to become a global destination for learning, health and wellness by 2047.
The ceremony also featured the trailer launch of Unani Ki Kahaani, an upcoming documentary starring actor Jim Sarbh, set to premiere on Discovery on 11 February.
Instituted in memory of Unani scholar and educationist Hakeem Abdul Hameed, the awards have grown into a national platform that celebrates those building a more inclusive and resilient India. For one evening at least, the spotlight was not just on success, but on service with substance.
